Abhanga 3041
Hardship in a devotee's life may not be punishment but protection from the pride and distraction that comfort and ease can bring.
The verse
देव भक्तालागीं करूं नेदी संसार । अंगें वारावार करोनि ठेवी ॥१॥
भाग्य द्यावें तरी अंगीं भरे ताठा । म्हणोनि करंटा करोनि ठेवी ॥ध्रु.॥
स्त्री द्यावी गुणवंती नसती गुंते आशा । यालागीं कर्कशा पाठी लावी ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे मज प्रचित आली देखा । आणीक या लोकां काय सांगों ॥३॥
Literal translation
Deva bhaktā-lāgīm karūm nedī samsāra — the Lord does not let the bhakta have samsāra; ange vāra-vāra karōnī ṭhevī — with (his) anga, (he) makes vāra-vāra and keeps. Bhāgya dyāve tarī angīm bhare ṭāṭhā — if (he) gave bhāgya, ṭāṭhā would fill (the) body; mhaṇōnī karaṇṭā karōnī ṭhevī — therefore (he) makes (the bhakta) karaṇṭā. Strī dyāvī guṇavantī nasatī gumte āśā — if (he) gave a guṇavantī wife, āśā would otherwise entangle; yālāgīm karkaśā pāṭhī lāvī — therefore (he) attaches a karkaśā (harsh-one) on (the) back. Tukā mhaṇe maja prachīta ālī dekhā — Tukā says: I have come to prachīta of this; āṇīka yā lōkām kāya sāngōm — what else can I tell to the people.
What it means
A rare-explicit theological-explanation by Tukārām, of-why-bhaktas-suffer.
The candid-claim: the Lord deliberately-prevents-the-bhakta-from-samsāra-comforts. The mechanism: 1. If bhāgya (fortune) were given — pride would-fill-the-body 2. Therefore, the Lord makes the bhakta karaṇṭā (deprived, hapless) 3. If a guṇavantī (virtuous) wife were given — attachment would-entangle 4. Therefore, the Lord attaches a karkaśā (harsh-one)
The Lord's-actions are-not-punishment but-grace-disguised: the suffering-protects-the-bhakta-from-pride-and-attachment that-would-prevent-bhakti.
The closing-line — I-have-come-to-prachīta (direct-experience) — is striking. Tukārām cites-his-own-life (poverty, the difficult-marriage to-Jijāī) as-evidence-for-this-theology. What-more-can-I-tell-the-people — the rest-is-direct-experience.
This text explains-the-mechanism of-the-anti-bad-wife-cluster (2966-2967) and-of-Tukārām's-own-poverty (cf 2944-2945-simple-life-biographical-cluster). The candor is rare — most-bhakti-texts don't-explicitly-claim that-the-Lord-engineers-the-bhakta's-difficulties.
For someone today
Tukārām's candid theological claim. The Lord does not let the bhakta have samsāra; (he) makes vāra-vāra with (his) own anga and keeps (the bhakta from it). If he were to give fortune, pride would fill (the bhakta's) body — therefore (he) makes (the bhakta) deprived. If he gave a virtuous wife, attachment would otherwise entangle (the bhakta) — therefore (he) attaches a harsh-one (instead). I have come to direct-experience of this — what else can I tell to the people? The verse permits the recognition, for a bhakta, that suffering may be grace in disguise, protecting the devotee from pride and attachment.
मराठी: तुकारामांचा हा प्रांजळ धार्मिक विचार आहे. देव भक्ताला संसाराचे सुख उपभोगू देत नाही; तो स्वतःच वारंवार त्याला त्यापासून दूर ठेवतो. जर त्याने भाग्य दिले असते, तर भक्ताच्या अंगी गर्व भरला असता — म्हणून तो भक्ताला निर्धन ठेवतो. जर त्याने गुणवंती पत्नी दिली असती, तर मोह त्याला गुंतवून टाकला असता — म्हणून तो त्याच्या पाठीशी एक कर्कशा लावतो. मला याचा प्रत्यक्ष अनुभव आला आहे — मी लोकांना आणखी काय सांगू? या अभंगातून हे कळते की भक्ताला येणारे दुःख हे कदाचित छुपी कृपाच असते, जी त्याला गर्व आणि आसक्तीपासून वाचवते.
Where this applies
- Candid theological-explanation of-why-bhaktas-suffer
- Rare-explicit text — Tukārām's-own prachīta cited
- Explains-the-mechanism of-2966-2967 (anti-bad-wife cluster)
- Tukārām's-own biographical-context (poverty, difficult-marriage)