Abhanga 4171
Kāya āmhīm kele aise — nuddharījese sāngāvem — what have we done — such as to be un-redeemable — tell.
The verse
काय आम्हीं केलें ऐसें । नुद्धरीजेसें सांगावें ॥१॥
हरण कोल्हें वैकुंठवासी । कोण त्यासी अधिकार ॥ध्रु.॥
गजा नाड्या सरोवरीं । नाहीं हरी विचारिलें ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे गणिका नष्ट । माझे कष्ट त्याहूनि ॥३॥
Literal translation
Kāya āmhīm kele aise — nuddharījese sāngāvem — what have we done — such as to be un-redeemable — tell. Haraṇa kōlhe vaikuṇṭha-vāsī — kōṇa tyāsī adhikāra — the deer and the jackal (became) vaikuṇṭha-dwellers — who (granted) them adhikāra. Gajā nāḍyā sarōvarīm — nāhīm harī vichārilem — the elephant in ropes in the lake — Hari didn't (delay-to) consider. Tukā mhaṇe gaṇikā naṣṭa — mājhe kaṣṭa tyāhūni — Tukā says: the gaṇikā was corrupt — my suffering more than hers.
What it means
A 3-verse redemption-comparison protest. What-have-I-done-that's-unforgivable; deer-and-jackal (referring to bhakti-puranic-tales where animals achieved liberation) attained-Vaikuṇṭha-without-prerequisite-adhikāra; Gajendra-the-elephant-in-the-crocodile's-rope was-rescued-without-delay; the-gaṇikā-was-corrupt-yet-saved — my-suffering-is-more-than-hers.
For someone today
Tukārām says: if-corrupt-and-animal-souls-were-saved-without-merit, why-am-I-considered-un-redeemable.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's if-they-were-saved-why-not-me canonical
- Companion to 2787 (bhakti-redeems-the-fallen) and 2843 (5-figure redemption-list)