Abhanga 2990
Real devotion allows you to honestly call out apparent unfairness and favoritism instead of pretending it doesn't hurt.
The verse
अवघीं तुज बाळें सारिखीं नाहीं तें । नवल वाटतें पांडुरंगा ॥१॥
म्हणतां लाज नाहीं सकळांची माउली । जवळी धरिलीं एकें दुरी ॥ध्रु.॥
एकां सुख द्यावें घेऊनि वोसंगा । एक दारीं गळा श्रमविती ॥२॥
एकां नवनीत पाजावें दाटून । एकें अन्न अन्नें करितील ॥३॥
एकें वाटतील न वजावीं दुरी । एकांचा मत्सर जवळी येतां ॥४॥
तुकयाबंधु म्हणे नावडतीं त्यांस । कासया व्यालास नारायणा ॥५॥
Literal translation
Avaghīm tuja bāḷe sārikhīm nāhī te — all yourbāḷe(children) are not alike; navala vāṭate Pāṇḍurangā — (this) feels (like a)navala(wonder), Pāṇḍurangā. Mhaṇatām lāja nāhī sakaḷāmñcī māulī — (you) have no shame saying you-aremāulīof all; javaḷī dharilī eke durī — (yet) (you) have-held-close some, kept-far others. Ekām sukha dyāve gheūnī vōsangā — to some, you givesukha, taking (them) on (your)vōsangā(lap); eka dārī gaḷā śramavitī — some (you make)śramavitī(strain, suffer) (their) throat at the door. Ekām navanīta pājāve dāṭūna — to some, you feednavanīta(cream, butter) forcefully; eke anna anne karitīla — some — (their)anna(food) becomesanna(mere-food, dry). Eke vāṭatīla na vajāvī durī — some you want (and) don't (let) go-far; ekāñcā matsara javaḷī yetām — some —matsara(jealousy) (comes) when-they-come-near. Tukyā-bandhu mhaṇe nāvaḍatī tyāms — Tukārām's-brother says: those you don't-like; kāsayā vyālāsa Nārāyaṇā — why did you give-birth (to them), Nārāyaṇa?
What it means
A striking 5-verse Lord-as-unequal-parent protest verse by Tukyā-bandhu. NON-Tukārām — part of the extended-Kānhōbā-cluster.
The bhakta-brother makes-a-radical-protest: the Lord-claims-to-be-the-māulī-of-all but actually-shows-favoritism. The five-fold-list of-disparities: 1. Close-vs-far 2. Lap-sukha vs door-strain 3. Cream-by-force vs dry-anna 4. Want-close vs mātsarya-when-coming-near
The closing-question: why did you give-birth-to-those-you-don't-like? The bhakta accuses-the-Lord-of-cosmic-injustice in-favoritism.
For someone today
This is a bold protest by Kānhōbā accusing the Lord of playing favorites among his own children. Not all your children are treated alike, he says, and that feels like a strange wonder, Pāṇḍuranga. You call yourself the mother of everyone without any shame, yet you've kept some close and pushed others far away. To some you give happiness, taking them onto your lap; others you make strain and cry at the door. Some you feed rich cream by force; others get nothing but plain, dry food. Some you want near and won't let go; but when others try to come close, you seem to resent it. Tukārām's brother asks bluntly: why did you even give birth to the ones you don't love, Nārāyaṇa? The verse voices the strongest possible protest against apparent favoritism — a devotee refusing to pretend that unfairness doesn't hurt, even when directed at God himself.
मराठी: हा कान्होबांचा एक धाडसी निषेध आहे, ज्यात ते देवावर स्वतःच्याच मुलांमध्ये पक्षपात केल्याचा आरोप करतात. तुझी सगळी मुले सारखी वागवली जात नाहीत, ते म्हणतात, आणि हे मला एक विचित्र आश्चर्य वाटते, पांडुरंगा. तू निर्लज्जपणे स्वतःला सगळ्यांची माऊली म्हणवतोस, पण काहींना जवळ धरलेस आणि काहींना दूर लोटलेस. काहींना तू सुख देतोस, मांडीवर घेतोस; काहींना दारातच घसा ताणून झुरावे लागते. काहींना तू जबरदस्तीने लोणी खाऊ घालतोस; काहींना नुसते कोरडे अन्नच मिळते. काहींना तू जवळ ठेवू पाहतोस, दूर जाऊ देत नाहीस; पण काही जवळ येऊ लागले की तुला त्यांचा हेवा वाटतो. तुकयाबंधू थेट विचारतात — जे तुला आवडत नाहीत, त्यांना तू का जन्माला घातलेस, नारायणा? हा अभंग कथित पक्षपाताविरुद्धचा सर्वात प्रखर निषेध व्यक्त करतो — अन्याय दुखावतो हे मान्य न करता गप्प बसण्याऐवजी, भक्त तो स्वतः देवासमोरही उघड बोलून दाखवतो.
Where this applies
- When you feel like life or fate has favored someone else over you
- When you're a parent or caregiver and worry you aren't treating everyone equally
- When you feel overlooked despite believing you're loved
- When you need words for the anger of wondering why someone else got the easier path