Abhanga 4539
Needing to prove your importance through anger and punishment is itself the pride that keeps the true divine, and real strength, far away.
The verse
जाणवलें इंद्रा चरित्र सकळ । वांकुल्या गोपाळ दाविताती ॥१॥
तातडिया मेघां आज्ञा करी राव । गोकुळींचा ठाव उरों नेदा ॥२॥
नेदाविया काईं म्हसी वांचों लोक । पुरा सकळिक सिळाधारीं ॥३॥
धाक नाहीं माझा गोवळियां पोरां । सकळिक मारा म्हणे मेघां ॥४॥
म्हणविती देव आपणां तोंवरी । जंव नाहीं वरी कोपलों मी ॥५॥
मीपणें हा देव न कळे चि त्यांसी । अभिमानें रासि गर्वाचिया ॥६॥
अभिमानरासि जयाचिये ठायीं । तुका म्हणे तई देव दुरी ॥७॥
Literal translation
Indra-knew-charitra — Gopāḷas-mocking. Tatāḍī-clouds-ājñā — Gokul-place-no-survival. Leave-stone-rain-on-all-buffalo-people. No-fear-Gopāḷa-boys — kill-all-says-to-clouds. They-call-themselves-deva-until-no-anger-from-above. By-mīpaṇa-Deva-not-known — abhimāna-rāśi-of-garva. Tukā: where-abhimāna-rāśi — Deva-far.
What it means
A 7-verse yamak-bandha — Indra's-rage-and-stone-rain commanded. Indra's mīpaṇa-utterance: they-call-themselves-devas-until-I-don't-roar-anger-from-above. Tukārām's diagnostic-turn: the very mīpaṇa (I-ness) makes-Indra-distant-from-the-true-Deva. Wherever abhimāna-rāśi — Deva-far. The Indra-as-typology-of-prideful-deity is set against the-true-Deva who-stays-near-the-anya-abhimāna-gopāḷas. Pair with 4490 (ananya-chāḍa-tāḷimātra-abhimāna), 4540 (continuing chain).
For someone today
When Indra learns the cowherds are mocking him, he furiously orders the storm clouds to wipe out all of Gokul, declaring that people only call him a god as long as he has not yet roared his anger down on them. Tukaram sees straight through that declaration: the very need to prove his godhood through rage and punishment is what keeps Indra far from the real divine. Wherever pride piles up like this, insisting on being feared and obeyed, the true presence of God stays distant. Needing to prove your importance by punishing those who slight you is itself proof that you have drifted from what actually matters.
मराठी: गोपाळ आपली थट्टा करत आहेत हे कळताच इंद्र संतापून ढगांना संपूर्ण गोकुळ नष्ट करण्याचा आदेश देतो, आणि म्हणतो की जोपर्यंत मी माझा राग वरून बरसवत नाही तोपर्यंतच लोक मला देव मानतात. तुकाराम या वाक्यामागचे सत्य लगेच ओळखतात, स्वतःचे देवपण सिद्ध करण्यासाठी रागावून शिक्षा देण्याची हीच गरज इंद्राला खऱ्या देवापासून दूर ठेवते. जिथे असा अभिमानाचा ढीग साचतो, जिथे भीती आणि आज्ञापालनाचा हट्ट असतो, तिथे देवाची खरी उपस्थिती दूर राहते. आपला मोठेपणा सिद्ध करण्यासाठी अपमान करणाऱ्यांना शिक्षा देण्याची गरज वाटणे हेच दाखवते की आपण खऱ्या गोष्टीपासून दूर गेलो आहोत.
Where this applies
- When someone in power lashes out to prove their importance after being disrespected
- When you feel the urge to punish someone just to show you deserve fear or respect
- When wounded pride pushes a person toward destructive overreaction
- When you notice that insisting on being obeyed is a sign of insecurity, not real strength