Abhanga 3465
Caught-in-vēṭha — for-free.
The verse
एकाचिये वेठी । सांपडलों फुकासाटीं ॥१॥
घेतों काम सत्ताबळें । माझें करूनि भेंडोळें ॥ध्रु.॥
धांवे मागें मागें । जाय तिकडे चि लागे ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे नेलें । माझें सर्वस्वें विठ्ठलें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Caught-in-vēṭha — for-free. He-takes-work-by-sattā-balē — making-me-bhēṇḍōḷē. Runs-behind-me — attaches-wherever-I-go. Tukā: my-everything-taken-by-Viṭhṭhal.
What it means
★ A striking 3-verse Lord-takes-everything text using the 17th-c. concrete-image of vēṭha (forced-corvée-labor — an unpaid-state-service). I've been caught in unpaid-labor; the Lord takes work by authority; he tails me everywhere; he has taken my entire-property (sarvasva). Sharp social-image of forced-labor turned into bhakti-paradox.
For someone today
Tukārām: the-Lord-has-taken-my-everything by-his-authority.
Where this applies
- ★ Tukārām's Lord-takes-everything; caught-in-vēṭha canonical
- 17th-c. social-image: vēṭha (unpaid-corvée-labor)
- my-sarvasva-taken-by-Viṭhṭhal canonical-line