Abhanga 3090
Bali's claim that he earned exclusive right to the Lord's presence raises the deeper question of whether compassion should be shared with everyone rather than kept by one devotee alone.
The verse
बळी म्हणे आजि दुर्वासया स्वामी । मागों नका तुम्ही नारायणा ॥१॥
बहुतां प्रयासीं जोडला श्रीहरी । बैसविला द्वारीं राखावया ॥ध्रु.॥
परतला दुर्वास मग हो तेथूनि । चिंतातुर मनीं उद्वेगला ॥२॥
काय तूं एकाचा आहेसी अंकित । होई कृपावंत तुका म्हणे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Baḷī mhaṇe āji Durvāsayā svāmī — Bali says: today, Durvāsa-svāmī; māgōm nakā tumhī Nārāyaṇā — don't ask Nārāyaṇa. Bahutām prayāsīm jōḍalā Śrīharī — with much prayāsa, got Śrīhari; baisavilā dvārīm rākhāvayā — made (him) sit at door to protect. Paratalā Durvāsa maga hō tethūnī — Durvāsa returned from there; chintāturā manīm udvegalā — in chintā-turā mind, agitated. Kāya tūm ekāñcā āhesī ankita — are you only one (bhakta's) ankita; hōī krpāvanta Tukā mhaṇe — become krpāvanta, Tukā says.
What it means
3rd-of-7 Durvāsa-Bali narrative. Bali's refusal-to-release-Hari is-explicit. The conflict-deepens.
Striking-detail: Bali claims-bahutām-prayāsīm-jōḍalā-Śrīharī — I got-Śrīhari by-much-effort. This refers-to-Bali's-yajña and-Vāmana-tradition. The bhakta-claims-Hari as-his-earned-right.
Durvāsa's-thought: Are-you-only-one-bhakta's-ankita? Become-krpāvanta! The plea-from-the-other-side: Lord-should-be-available-to-all-bhaktas.
For someone today
Tukārām's Durvāsa-Bali #3. Bali says: today, Durvāsa-svāmī — do not ask Nārāyaṇa from me. I got Śrīhari with much effort; I have made (him) sit at the door to protect. Durvāsa returned from there — worry-overcome in mind, agitated. Are you (Lord) only one (bhakta's) servant? — Become compassionate. The verse permits the bhakti-tension between exclusive-claim and-equal-availability.
Where this applies
- 3rd-of-7 Durvāsa-Bali narrative cluster
- Bali's claim-of-effort and-exclusive-right
- Are-you-one-bhakta's-ankita? plea