संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.
संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 3832 of 4582

Abhanga 3832

The verse

समर्थासी लाज आपुल्या नामाची । शरण आल्याची लागे चिंता ॥१॥ न पाहे तयाचे गुण दोष अन्याय । सुख देउनि साहे दुःख त्याचें ॥ध्रु.॥ मान भलेपण नाहीं फुकासाटीं । जयावरि गांठी झीज साहे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे हें तूं सर्व जाणसी । मज अधिरासी धीर नाहीं ॥३॥

Literal translation

Samartha-has-lāja-of-his-Name — chinta-about-śaraṇāgata. Doesn't-look-at-guṇa-doṣa-anyāya — gives-sukha-bears-his-duḥkha. Honour-not-phukā — where-bound-bears-jhīja. Tukā: you-know-all — I-impatient-no-dhīra.

What it means

★★ THE canonical 3-verse samartha-bears-the-cost doctrine. The mighty one is concerned for his own Name's honour — he is anxious about anyone who has come to refuge. He doesn't look at the refugee's qualities, defects, or wrongs — he gives him joy and bears his pain. Honour and good-name are not for free — where one is bound (in relationship), one bears the wear-and-tear. All this you know — but I, the impatient one, have no patience. The fundamental claim: the Lord's yaśa (reputation) is at stake in every refugee — therefore he bears the cost (duḥkha, jhīja). This is Tukārām's most economical articulation of Lord-takes-on-the-bhakta's-suffering-because-his-own-Name-is-at-stake. Pair with 3824 (reputational-leverage), 2843 (canonical-5-figure-redemption-list — brahmāṇḍa-nāyaka-I-his-ankita).

For someone today

Tukārām: the-Lord-bears-the-bhakta's-duḥkha — because-his-own-Name's-honour-is-at-stake — honour-is-not-free.

Where this applies

Related verses