Abhanga 3108
Tukaram threatens to publicly challenge God's reputation for compassion if it isn't backed up by real help, showing fierce honesty can be part of true devotion.
The verse
तरि कां मागें वांयां कीर्ती वाढविली । जनांत आपुली ब्रिदावळी ॥१॥
साच करितां आतां फिरसी माघारा । ठायींचें दातारा नेणवेचि ॥ध्रु.॥
संतांसी श्रीमुख कैसें दाखविसी । पुढें मात त्यांसी सांगईंन ॥२॥
घेईंन डांगोरा तुझिया नामाचा । नव्हे अनाथांचा नाथ ऐसा ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे आधीं राहिलों मरोनि । तूं कां होसी धनी निमित्याचा ॥४॥
Literal translation
Tari kām māge vāmyām kīrtī vāḍhavilī — then why did you grow (your) kīrti behind in vain; janāmta āpulī birudāvaḷī — your birudāvaḷī among people. Sācha karitām ātām phirasī māghārā — when (I try to) make it true, you turn back; ṭhāyīmñce dātārā neṇavechi — dātāra — (it) doesn't come to be known from-the-(true)-place. Samtāmsī Śrīmukha kaise dākhavisī — how will you show (your) Śrī-mukha to sants; puḍhe māta tyāmsī sāngaīmna — I will tell them the news ahead. Gheīmna ḍāngōrā tujhiyā nāmāñcā — I will take up the ḍāngōrā of your name; navhe anāthāñcā nātha aisā — (announcing) anāthāñcā-nātha is not such. Tukā mhaṇe ādhīm rāhilōm marōnī — Tukā says: I first stayed by dying; tūm kām hōsī dhanī nimityāñcā — why are you the dhaṇī of a (mere) nimitya.
What it means
A 4-verse extreme-protest by Tukārām, continuing the petition-cluster.
The escalating-rhetoric: Why-did-you-grow-your-kīrti if-you-don't-back-it-up? You-turn-back-when-tested. How-will-you-face-sants? I'll-warn-them-ahead. I'll-take-up-the-drum-against-you, announcinganāthāñcā-nātha is-not-such. I-stayed-already-by-dying — why-are-you-the-dhaṇī of-a-mere-pretext?
The ḍāngōrā (proclamation-drum) is the village-crier's-drum; the bhakta-threatens to-publicly-discredit-the-Lord. This is among-Tukārām's-most-extreme-bhakti-protests, comparable to Kānhōbā's-trample-threat (2984) and-3107's jīva-nāsa-for-your-sake.
For someone today
Tukārām's extreme protest. Why then did you build up your fame in vain, your titles among the people? Now, when I try to hold you to it, you turn back — you, the giver, refuse to be known for what you truly are. How will you show your radiant face to the sants? I will tell them the news beforehand. I will take up the drum and proclaim your name — announcing that the protector of the helpless is not truly such. I have already stayed alive only by dying to myself — why should you remain the master over a mere pretext? The verse allows this bhakti protest that threatens to publicly discredit the Lord as leverage.
मराठी: तुकारामांचा हा टोकाचा निषेध आहे. मग तू आपली कीर्ती, आपली बिरुदावळी लोकांत उगीच का वाढवलीस? आता मी ती खरी करायला गेलो की तू मागे फिरतोस — दातारा, तुझे खरे रूप कळत नाही. संतांना तू आपले श्रीमुख कसे दाखवशील? मी त्यांना आधीच सांगून टाकीन. मी तुझ्या नावाचा डांगोरा पिटीन — अनाथांचा नाथ असे तुझे नाव खरे नाही असे जाहीर करीन. मी आधीच मरून जगत आलो आहे — तू केवळ एका निमित्ताचा धनी का बनतोस? हा अभंग हा जाहीर बदनामीचा भक्तिनिषेध दबाव म्हणून वापरण्याची परवानगी देतो.
Where this applies
- When you feel someone's reputation for kindness doesn't match how they've actually treated you
- When you've given everything to a relationship or cause and feel the other side hasn't shown up
- When you want to speak honestly, even publicly, about a broken promise instead of staying quiet out of politeness
- When you need permission to challenge authority or tradition when it fails to live up to its own claims