Abhanga 4475
Even if God stays distant or withholds his presence, holding the Name close and singing with joy is enough to keep you happy regardless.
The verse
देवासी पैं भांडों एकचत्ति करूनि । आम्हांसि सज्जनीं सांगितलें ॥१॥
आम्हां काय आतां देवें आडो परी । भेटी नेदी तरी सुखें नेदो ॥ध्रु.॥
तो चि नांदो सदा हरि पैं वैकुंठीं । आम्हां देशवटी देवो सुखें ॥२॥
देवें अभिमान चित्तांत धरिला । तरी तो एकला राहो आतां ॥३॥
चित्ती धरोनि नाम असों सुखें येथें । हषॉ गाऊं गीत गोविंदाचें ॥४॥
तुका म्हणे सर्व देवाची नष्टाईं । आम्ही सुखें डुलतसों ॥५॥
Literal translation
We-quarrel-with-Deva-united-mind — sajjanas-told-us. What-Deva-block — no-bhēṭī-sukhē. Hari-Vaikuṇṭha-stay — give-deśavaṭī-sukhē. Deva-abhimāna-chitta — stay-alone. Hold-Name-in-chitta-sukhē — harṣē-sing-Govinda-gīta. Tukā: Deva's-naṣṭāī — we-sukhē-ḍulatasō.
What it means
A 5-verse rare daring-quarrel-stance text. We will indeed quarrel with Deva — making our mind single-minded — the sants have told us this. What can Deva now block us from — if he does not give meeting, let him not give it, sukha-ly. Let Hari indeed dwell forever in Vaikuṇṭha — let him give us banishment — sukha-ly. If Deva has held pride in his chitta — then let him stay alone now. Holding the Name in chitta, we will stay sukha-ly here — with joy, we will sing the Govinda-gīta. Tukā says: all the Deva's rascaldom — we sway with joy. The bold-bhakta-stance: even-if-the-Lord-refuses-meeting — even-if-he-stays-in-his-Vaikuṇṭha-pride — we-still-have-the-Name-and-we'll-sing-Govinda-gīta-with-joy. The naṣṭāī (rascaldom / naughty-stubbornness) is a tender-rebuke. Companion to lovers'-quarrel mode (cf 2842 mother-cuts-throat). Pair with 2842 (mother-cuts-throat petition).
For someone today
Tukārām takes an unusually bold, almost playful stance here, he says the sants themselves told him it's fine to pick a loving quarrel with God with a single minded heart. If God won't grant him a meeting, he says, so be it, let him withhold it, we'll stay happy anyway. Let Hari stay forever in his own heaven if he wants, let him even send us into exile, we'll take it in stride. If God is being proud and distant, Tukārām says, then let him stay alone, because we still hold the Name close in our hearts and we'll keep singing songs of Govinda with real joy regardless. He calls this aloofness a kind of playful mischief on God's part, and says he'll go on swaying with joy no matter what happens.
मराठी: तुकाराम इथे एक असामान्य, जवळजवळ खेळकर पवित्रा घेतात, ते म्हणतात की एकाग्र मनाने परमेश्वराशी प्रेमळ भांडण करणे योग्य आहे असे स्वतः संतांनीच सांगितले आहे. जर परमेश्वर भेट देत नसेल, तर ठीक आहे, तो नको देवो, आम्ही तरीही आनंदी राहू. हरीने आपल्या वैकुंठातच कायम राहावे, त्याने आम्हाला हद्दपार जरी केले, तरीही आम्ही ते सहज स्वीकारू. जर देव गर्विष्ठ आणि दूर राहत असेल, तर तुकाराम म्हणतात, त्याने एकट्यानेच राहावे, कारण आमच्याजवळ नाम आहे आणि आम्ही गोविंदाची गाणी आनंदाने गातच राहू. या दुराव्याला ते देवाची एक प्रकारची खेळकर खोडी म्हणतात, आणि म्हणतात काहीही झाले तरी आम्ही आनंदाने डुलत राहू.
Where this applies
- When someone you love seems distant or withholding and you have to choose how to respond without losing your own joy
- When you feel bold enough to express honest frustration instead of only quiet, polite devotion
- When you decide to keep your own inner practice or joy going even without the outcome you wanted
- When you're tempted to make your happiness entirely dependent on someone else showing up for you