संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3109 of 4582

Abhanga 3109

Tukārām's protest — that if your handmaidens fall, it is contrary to justice. If we, your dāsīs, were to fall into ruin, it would seem completely wrong. Where has such justice ever been spoken of? Your Name is in our throats, yet worldly life presses us into distress. Time itself, Tukā says, brings defilement upon us. The verse allows this bhakti protest that uses justice itself as leverage.

When you keep your faith and practice steady but still feel crushed by daily life's demands.
When you want to protest honestly that your struggles seem unfair given your devotion.
When time and circumstance seem to be wearing you down despite everything you're doing right.

The verse

आम्ही तुझ्या दासीं । जरि जावें पतनासी ॥१॥ तरि हें दिसे विपरीत । कोठें बोलिली हे नीत ॥ध्रु.॥ तुझें नाम कंठीं । आम्हां संसार आटी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे काळ । करी आम्हांसी विटाळ ॥३॥

Literal translation

Āmhī tujhyā dāsīm — we, as your dāsīs; jari jāve patanāsī — if (we) were to go to patana. Tari he dise viparīta — then this seems viparīta; kōṭhe bōlilī he nīta — where has this nīti been spoken. Tujhe nāma kaṇṭhīm — your Name is in (our) throat; āmhām samsāra āṭī — samsāra (presses) us in āṭi. Tukā mhaṇe kāḷa — Tukā says: kāḷa; karī āmhāmsī viṭāḷa — does viṭāḷa to us.

What it means

A short 3-verse protest by Tukārām.

The argument: (If) we-your-dāsīs go-to-patana, it's-viparīta (contrary-to-justice). Where-has-such-nīti been-spoken? Your-Name is-in-our-throat — but-samsāra-presses-us in-āṭi. Kāḷa-does-viṭāḷa to-us.

The nīti-argument is canonical Vārkarī-protest: if-the-bhakta-falls, it-violates-justice; the-Lord-cannot-let-his-dāsīs-fall.

For someone today

Tukārām's protest — that if your handmaidens fall, it is contrary to justice. If we, your dāsīs, were to fall into ruin, it would seem completely wrong. Where has such justice ever been spoken of? Your Name is in our throats, yet worldly life presses us into distress. Time itself, Tukā says, brings defilement upon us. The verse allows this bhakti protest that uses justice itself as leverage.

मराठी: तुकारामांचा हा निषेध आहे — तुझ्या दासींचे पतन झाले तर ते अन्यायकारक ठरेल असा. आम्ही तुझ्या दासी असून जर पतनाला गेलो, तर ते अगदी विपरीत दिसेल. अशी नीती कुठे सांगितली गेली आहे? तुझे नाम आमच्या कंठात आहे, तरीही संसार आम्हाला आटीत टाकतो. काळच, तुका म्हणतो, आम्हाला विटाळ करतो. हा अभंग हा भक्तिनिषेध मान्य करतो, जो न्यायालाच दबावाचे साधन म्हणून वापरतो.

Where this applies