Abhanga 3068
Bahu tāḷāṭāḷī — much tāḷāṭāḷī (delaying-tactic); hōtām bhōvatāhe kaḷi — the kaḷi (conflict) goes-around.
The verse
बहु टाळाटाळी । होतां भोवताहे कळी ॥१॥
बरें नव्हेल सेवटीं । भय असों द्यावें पोटीं ॥ध्रु.॥
मुरगाळी कान । घुसमाडील सावधान ॥२॥
अबोलणा तुका । ऐसें कोणी लेखूं नका ॥३॥
Literal translation
Bahu tāḷāṭāḷī — much tāḷāṭāḷī (delaying-tactic); hōtām bhōvatāhe kaḷi — the kaḷi (conflict) goes-around. Bare navhela sevaṭīm — it will not be good at the end; bhaya asōm dyāve pōṭīm — let there be some bhaya in the belly. Muragāḷī kāna — (the Lord) twists the ear; ghusamāḍila sāvadhāna — will make (you) sāvadhāna. Abōlaṇā Tukā — Tukā (as) silent; aise kōṇī lekhūm nakā — don't anyone write-(him-off)-this-way.
What it means
A short 3-verse warning by Tukārām.
The argument: Much-delay → kaḷi-goes-around → bad-end; keep-fear-in-belly. The-Lord twists-the-ear, makes-savadhāna. Don't-write-off-Tukā as-silent — (his silence is-not-acquiescence).
The image muragāḷī kāna (twisting the ear) is the disciplinarian-image — the Lord-disciplines-by-twisting-the-ear. The closing — don't-take-Tukā-as-abōlaṇā (silent) — suggests-people-may-have-mistaken-Tukārām's-quiet-mode for-tolerance-of-corruption.
For someone today
Tukārām's warning. Much delaying — the conflict goes-around. It will not be good at the end — keep some fear in (your) belly. (The Lord) twists the ear — will make (you) alert. Do not take Tukā as silent — don't write-(him-off)-this-way. The verse permits the warning against-mistaking-silence-for-acquiescence.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's don't-mistake-my-silence-for-acquiescence warning
- Muragāḷī-kāna (ear-twisting) disciplinarian-image