संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3802 of 4582

Abhanga 3802

If you feel distant from God, look first at your own half-hearted effort instead of blaming God, because good relationships aren't abandoned from the other side.

When you feel far from God and are tempted to blame circumstances instead of yourself

When you honestly admit that your devotion or effort has not been wholehearted

When you accept a difficult outcome as something your own actions brought about

The verse

भले लोक नाहीं सांडीत ओळखी । हे तों झाली देखी दुसर्‍याची ॥१॥ असो आतां यासी काय चाले बळ । आपुलें कपाळ वोडवलें ॥ध्रु.॥ समर्थासी काय कोणें हें म्हणावें । आपुलिया जावें भोगावरि ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे तुम्हां बोल नाहीं देवा । नाहीं केली सेवा मनोभावें ॥३॥

Literal translation

Bhalē-lōka-don't-drop-acquaintance — other-side's-failure. What-power — own-kapāḷa-came-out. To-samartha-what-can-be-said — go-with-own-bhoga. Tukā: no-blame-on-you-Deva — I-didn't-do-sevā-manōbhāve.

What it means

A 3-verse self-blame text. Good people don't abandon their acquaintances — this (failure) is from the other side. What can power do? My own forehead-(-fate) has come out. To the mighty, what can be said? Let me face my destiny. There is no blame on you, Deva — I didn't do service with whole-heart. Tukārām accepts responsibility cleanly: he doesn't blame Deva for distance — he blames his own incomplete sevā.

For someone today

Tukaram takes full responsibility here instead of blaming God for feeling distant. Good people, he says, don't abandon those close to them, so if the connection feels broken, the failure must be on his own side, not God's. He compares it to fate showing its true face, something no amount of effort or power can argue away, and says there's no point complaining to someone so much greater than yourself — you simply have to face what your own actions have brought. In the end he admits plainly that God isn't at fault; he himself has not served with a whole and sincere heart.

मराठी: तुकाराम इथे देवाला दोष न देता स्वतःच जबाबदारी स्वीकारतात. चांगली माणसे जवळच्या लोकांना सोडत नाहीत, असे ते म्हणतात, त्यामुळे जर नाते तुटल्यासारखे वाटत असेल, तर ती चूक स्वतःचीच असणार, देवाची नव्हे. ते याची तुलना नशिबाचे खरे रूप उघड होण्याशी करतात, जे कोणत्याही प्रयत्नाने किंवा सामर्थ्याने बदलता येत नाही, आणि म्हणतात की स्वतःपेक्षा खूप मोठ्या असलेल्याकडे तक्रार करण्यात अर्थ नाही — आपल्याच कृतींनी जे घडवले आहे ते स्वीकारावेच लागते. शेवटी ते स्पष्टपणे कबूल करतात की यात देवाचा दोष नाही; त्यांनीच मनापासून, प्रामाणिक अंतःकरणाने सेवा केली नाही.

Where this applies

When you feel distant from God and are tempted to blame God instead of examining yourself
When you want to complain about your circumstances instead of owning your part in them
When you realize your own effort or devotion has been half-hearted rather than sincere
When you must accept a hard outcome as the result of your own past actions

Cosmology / Avatāra Autobiographical