Abhanga 3844
Hōūm śabda-sparśa naye mājhā tumhām — my word-touch should not (touch) you; vipra-vrndā tumhām brāmhaṇāmsī — you, vipra-vrnda, brāhmaṇas.
The verse
होऊं शब्दस्पर्श नये माझा तुम्हां । विप्रवृंदा तुम्हां ब्राम्हणांसी ॥१॥
म्हणोनियां तुम्हां करितों विनंती । द्यावें शेष हातीं उरलें तें ॥ध्रु.॥
वेदीं कर्म जैसें बोलिलें विहित । करावी ते नीत विचारूनि ॥२॥
तुमचा स्वधर्म माझा अधिकार । भोजन उत्तर तुका म्हणे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Hōūm śabda-sparśa naye mājhā tumhām — my word-touch should not (touch) you; vipra-vrndā tumhām brāmhaṇāmsī — you, vipra-vrnda, brāhmaṇas. Mhaṇōnīyām tumhām karitōm vinanti — therefore I make a vinanti; dyāve śeṣa hātīm urale te — give the śeṣa by hand that remains. Vedīm karma jaise bōlile vihita — as karma is spoken vihita in Veda; karāvī te nīta vichārūnī — perform the nīta by vichāra. Tumchā svadharma mājhā adhikāra — your svadharma; my adhikāra; bhōjana uttara Tukā mhaṇe — bhojana-uttara, Tukā says.
What it means
★ A striking 3-verse caste-humility text by Tukārām — must-be-read-historically.
The argument: My-śabda-sparśa shouldn't-touch you-brāhmaṇas; therefore-I-request-(by)-vinanti — give-me-the-śeṣa-leftover by-hand. You-perform-your-Vedic-svadharma by-vichāra; my-adhikāra is-only-bhōjana-uttara (eating-the-leftover).
★ Must-be-contextualized with-Tukārām's-other-caste-positions: - 2755 (śūdra-vamśī autobiographical declaration; no-adhikāra-for-akṣara-recitation) - 2973 (inner-quality-over-outer-jāti; no-jāti-business in-Nāma) - 3040 (even-karma-bhraṣṭa brāhmaṇa is-greater than-pretender)
This-text represents-the-formal-deferential-stance Tukārām-takes-when-addressing-the-Brāhmaṇa-establishment; elsewhere he-radically-democratizes (2973) or-claims-radical-humility (2755). The stance varies-by-context.
For someone today
Tukārām's caste-humility text. Even my word-touch should not (touch) you — vipra-vrnda, you brāhmaṇas. Therefore, I make a request to you — give (me) by hand the leftover that remains. The prescribed-karma as spoken in the Veda — perform the justice by consideration. Your svadharma; my adhikāra is eating-the-leftover. The verse permits the formal-deferential-stance toward Brāhmaṇa-establishment — read with-Tukārām's-other-caste-positions for-balance.
Where this applies
- ★ Striking caste-humility — read-historically
- Must-be-contextualized with 2755, 2973, 3040
- Bhōjana-uttara = my-adhikāra deferential-stance