Abhanga 2997
Pūrvā pūrvajāñcī gatī — the gatī (lot, destiny) of past-ancestors; he chi āīmkilī hōtī — this we had heard.
The verse
पूवाअ पूर्वजांची गती । हे चि आईंकिली होती । सेवे लावूनि श्रीपती । निश्चिंती केली तयांची ॥१॥
कां रे पाठी लागलासी । ऐसा सांग हृषीकेशी । अद्यापवरी न राहासी । अंत पाहासी किती म्हुण ॥ध्रु.॥
जन्मजन्मांतरीं दावा । आम्हां आपणां केशवा । निमित्य चालवा । काईंसयास्तव हें ॥२॥
तुकयाबंधु म्हणे अदेखणा । किती होसी नारायणा । देखों सकवेना । खातयासी न खात्या ॥३॥
Literal translation
Pūrvā pūrvajāñcī gatī — the gatī (lot, destiny) of past-ancestors; he chi āīmkilī hōtī — this we had heard. Seve lāvūnī Śrīpatī — engaging (them) in sevā, Śrīpati; niścintī kelī tayāñcī — made niścintī (free-of-care) for them. Kām re pāṭhī lāgalāsī — why have you come-after-(us); aise sānga Hrṣīkeśī — say so, Hrṣīkeśī; adyāpavarī na rāhāsī — even-now you-do-not-stay (your hand); anta pāhāsī kitī mhuṇa — how long will-you-test-the-end, saying (= what)? Janma-janmāntarī dāvā — in life-after-life, dāvā (custom, demand, offering); āmhām āpaṇām Keśavā — for us and yourself, Keśava; nimitya chālavā — kāīmsayāstava he — why-take nimitya (cause, pretext) — for what? Tukyā-bandhu mhaṇe adekhaṇā — Tukārām's-brother says: adekhaṇā (un-suitable to-look-at, un-seen); kitī hōsī Nārāyaṇā — how much (more) will-you-become, Nārāyaṇa; dekhōm sakavēnā — (the) sight (of-this) cannot-be-borne; khātayāsī na khātyā — (the difference) between eater and non-eater (one fed, one starved).
What it means
A striking 3-verse injustice-protest verse by Tukyā-bandhu. NON-Tukārām.
The bhakta-brother's complaint: past-ancestors (of-our-line) engaged-in-sevā and-the-Lord made them niścintī (free-of-care); why is it different for-us? The injustice-claim: the Lord has-not-stayed-his-hand even-after-we've-engaged-in-sevā; instead-he-keeps-testing-us.
The closing-image: the difference between eater and non-eater (one-fed, one-starved) is intolerable to see. The Lord's-favoritism is so-blatant that the very-sight cannot-be-borne.
For someone today
Kānhōbā's-injustice-protest. The destiny of past-ancestors — this we had heard: that engaging (them) in sevā, Śrīpati made (them) free-of-care. Why have you come-after-(us), Hrṣīkeśī? Even-now you-do-not-stay (your hand) — how long will-you-test the end? In life-after-life, the demand — for us-and-yourself, Keśava — why take pretext? Tukārām's-brother says: un-suitable-to-look-at — how-much (more) will-you-become, Nārāyaṇa? — (the) sight cannot-be-borne — (the difference between) eater and non-eater. The verse permits the bhakta-brother's-injustice-protest at-the-Lord's-favoritism.
Where this applies
- Part of Kānhōbā's extended-lament-cluster (2977-2997+)
- NON-Tukārām composition — signed by Tukyā-bandhu
- Injustice-protest: past-ancestors-got-niścinti; why-different-with-us
- Eater-and-non-eater disparity intolerable-to-see