संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 4206 of 4582

Abhanga 4206

When someone you deeply love goes silent, it is honest and right to ask directly for a response rather than suffer quietly.

When you feel like your prayers or heartfelt words are being met with silence.
When you recognize that everything good in your life actually comes from a source beyond yourself.
When you long for even a small word of comfort or acknowledgment from someone you love.

The verse

मौन कां धरिलें विश्वाच्या जीवना । उत्तर वचना देई माझ्या ॥१॥ तूं माझें संचित तूं चि पूर्वपुण्य । तूं माझें प्राचीन पांडुरंगा ॥ध्रु.॥ तूं माझें सत्कर्म तूं माझा स्वधर्म । तूं चि नित्यनेम नारायणा ॥२॥ कृपावचनाची वाट पाहातसें । करुणा वोरसें बोल कांहीं ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे प्रेमळाच्या प्रियोत्तमा । बोल सर्वोत्तमा मजसवें ॥४॥

Literal translation

Mauna-why-taken-Viśva-Jīvana — give-uttara. You-are-my-sañchita-pūrva-puṇya-prāchīna-Pāṇḍurangā. You-are-my-sat-karma-sva-dharma-nitya-nēma-Nārāyaṇā. Watching-krpā-vachana — say-some-bōl. Tukā: priyōttama-of-prēmaḷa — speak-with-me.

What it means

A 4-verse canonical mauna-protest petition. Why have you taken silence, Life-of-the-world? Give an answer to my speech. You are my sañchita, you my prior-merit, you my ancient-(store), Pāṇḍurangā. You are my good-karma, you my own-dharma, you my daily-rule, Nārāyaṇā. I'm watching for the path of your gracious-word; with karuṇā-overflow, say some word. Tukā says: most-beloved of the loving, supreme-one, speak with me. The identification-litany: you are my sañchita / pūrva-puṇya / prāchīna / sat-karma / sva-dharma / nitya-nēma — therefore your silence is my silence; speak! Pair with 4179 (Deva-why-abōlā), 4200 (delay-not-Viṭhṭhal's).

For someone today

Tukaram asks God directly why he has gone silent, pleading for some kind of response to his heartfelt words. He reminds Vitthal that everything good in his life traces back to him: his accumulated merit, his past good fortune, his right conduct, his sense of duty, his daily discipline, all of it is really God working through him. So he waits, watching for any sign of grace, begging for just one word of compassion in return. It is an honest, almost demanding prayer that treats silence from someone you love as painful and worth calling out.

मराठी: तुकाराम देवाला थेट विचारतात, तू असा गप्प का बसला आहेस, आणि माझ्या हृदयातल्या शब्दांना काहीतरी उत्तर दे अशी विनवणी करतात. ते पांडुरंगाला आठवण करून देतात की त्यांच्या आयुष्यातलं सगळं चांगलं — त्यांचं संचित, पूर्वपुण्य, सत्कर्म, स्वधर्म, नित्यनेम — हे सगळं खरं तर देवाचंच काम आहे. म्हणून ते कृपेच्या एका शब्दाची वाट पाहत राहतात, करुणेने काहीतरी बोल अशी याचना करतात. ही एक प्रामाणिक, जवळजवळ हट्टी प्रार्थना आहे, जी आपल्या प्रिय व्यक्तीचं मौन दुःखदायक मानते आणि त्याविरुद्ध स्पष्टपणे आवाज उठवते.

Where this applies

Related verses