संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3001 of 4582

Abhanga 3001

After long struggle, a devotee can arrive at a triumphant moment of closeness with God, catching him at his most vulnerable point with no excuses left.

Part of Kānhōbā's extended-lament-cluster (2977-3007+)
NON-Tukārām composition — signed by Tukyā-bandhu

The verse

कांहीं विपत्ति अपत्यां । आतां अमुचिया होतां । काय होईंल अनंता । पाहा बोलों कासया ॥१॥ बरें अनायासें जालें । सायासेंविण बोले चाले । काबाड चुकलें । केलें कष्टावेगळें ॥ध्रु.॥ बरा सांपडलासी वोजा । वर्मावरी केशीराजा । बोलायासी तुझा । उजुरचि नाहींसा ॥२॥ तुकयाबंधु म्हणे दगा । बरा दिला होता बागा । झडकरी चलागा । चांग दैवें पावलों ॥३॥

Literal translation

Kāmhī vipatti apatyām(if) somevipatti(calamity) — to (our)apatya(children); ātām amuchiyā hōtāmnow to ours, were-to-happen; kāya hōīla Anantāwhat (response) would there be, Ananta; pāhā bōlōm kāsayālook — let me speak — for-what-purpose? Bare anāyāse jālegood —anāyāse(effortlessly, by-itself) it (= the catching) happened; sāyāse-viṇa bōle chālewithoutsāyāsa(effort), (it) speaks-and-walks; kābāḍa chukalethekābāḍa(toil) escaped; kele kaṣṭāvegaḷe(it) was done free-of-toil. Barā sāpaḍalāsī vōjāgood — (you) have been caught (in a)vōjā(considered-place); varmāvarī Keśīrājāat thevarma(vital-point), Keśīrāja; bōlāyāsī tujhā ujura-chi nāhīsāfor you to speak, there is noujura(excuse) at-all. Tukyā-bandhu mhaṇe dagā — barā dilā hōtā bāgāTukārām's-brother says:dagā(deceit) — good, (you) had given abāgā(turn); jhaḍakarī chalāgā — chānga daive pāvalōmquicklychalāgā(let-it-be) — bychānga daiva(good-fortune), we have (caught-it).

What it means

A 3-verse striking-caught-the-Lord verse by Tukyā-bandhu. NON-Tukārām.

The brother's-tone shifts to triumph: the Lord is now caught (in a hostage-position); has no excuse to speak; my good-fortune has-brought-him to-this. The verse-claims good-fortune and triumphant-catching — a tonal-shift after-the-extended-grief.

For someone today

After a long, painful lament, Kānhobā's tone flips into triumph. He wonders what he would even say to Ananta if disaster struck his own children — the question shows how sure he now feels of the Lord's care. The catching itself happened without effort or struggle, as if it were meant to be, and he declares that he has finally cornered Keśīrāja at his most vulnerable point, leaving the Lord no excuse to argue. He calls it a small deceit turned to his advantage, and credits pure good fortune for finally getting hold of God. It's a reminder that after enough struggle, closeness with the divine can arrive almost effortlessly, and you're allowed to feel triumphant about it.

मराठी: दीर्घ आणि वेदनादायक विलापानंतर कान्होब्याचा सूर एकदम विजयी होतो. आपल्या मुलांवर संकट आले तर अनंताला काय उत्तर द्यावे, असा प्रश्न तो विचारतो — यातूनच परमेश्वराच्या काळजीबद्दलचा त्याचा नवा विश्वास दिसतो. ही पकड कुठल्याही कष्टाविना, जणू सहजच घडली, आणि तो सांगतो की त्याने केशीराजाला अगदी हळव्या जागी गाठले आहे, त्यामुळे परमेश्वराकडे आता कुठलेच सबब उरलेले नाही. आपली ही एक छोटीशी युक्ती चांगल्या नशिबाने फळाला आली, असे तो अभिमानाने सांगतो. पुरेसा संघर्ष केल्यानंतर परमेश्वराशी जवळीक जवळजवळ सहज साधता येते, आणि त्या क्षणी विजयी वाटणे रास्त आहे, हे हा अभंग सांगतो.

Where this applies