Abhanga 4554
Loud boasting about a victory that hasn't actually happened is empty, and arrogance that ignores God ends in humiliation once the truth is seen.
The verse
गोकुळींची गती कोण जाणे परि । पाहों आला वरी इंद्रराव ॥१॥
इंद्रापाशीं मेघ बोलती बडिवार । सकळ संहार करुनि आलों ॥२॥
आतां जीव नाहीं सांगाया ते रानीं । पुरिलें पाषाणीं शिळाधारीं ॥३॥
रिता कोठें नाहीं राहों दिला ठाव । जल्पती तो भाव न कळतां ॥४॥
न कळतां देव बळें हुंबरती । साच ते पावती अपमान ॥५॥
माव न कळतां केली तोंडपिटी । इंद्र आला दृष्टी पाहावया ॥६॥
पाहतां तें आहे जैसें होतें तैसें । नाचती विशेषें तुका म्हणे ॥७॥
Literal translation
A 7-verse yamak-bandha — Indra-arrives-to-see-Gokul-gati / clouds-bombast-samhāra-done-no-jīva-left / not-knowing-bhāva-jalpati-vain-boast / not-knowing-Deva-receive-apamāna / māv-not-known-tōmḍa-piṭī-vain-talk / Indra-drṣṭi-to-see / saw-it-as-was — Gokul-dancing-with-special-intensity.
What it means
A 7-verse yamak-bandha — Indra-arrives-to-see-what-his-clouds-supposedly-destroyed. The dramatic-irony: Indra's-cloud-messengers boast we-destroyed-everyone-no-jīva-left-piled-in-stones — but-this-is-jalpati-(false-boast)-from-not-knowing-bhāva — not-knowing-the-Lord-means-receiving-apamāna. When Indra comes-with-his-own-eyes — he sees-Gokul-thriving-and-dancing-with-special-intensity. Pair with 4539 (Indra-rage-orders), 4555 (Indra-acknowledges-Lord).
For someone today
Indra's storm clouds come back boasting that they've wiped out Gokul completely, certain nothing could have survived their assault. But their loud claims come from not truly understanding who they were up against, and Tukaram says that kind of arrogance toward God only ends in humiliation. When Indra finally comes to see for himself, he finds Gokul untouched and dancing with even greater joy than before. Boasting about a victory you haven't actually confirmed, especially against something under divine protection, only sets you up for embarrassment.
मराठी: इंद्राचे मेघ परत येऊन बढाई मारतात की त्यांनी गोकुळ पूर्णपणे नष्ट केले, त्यांच्या हल्ल्यातून काहीही वाचले नसेल असे त्यांना खात्रीने वाटते. पण त्यांची ही मोठी बडबड आपण कोणाशी सामना करत होतो हे न समजल्यामुळेच होती, आणि तुकाराम म्हणतात देवाला न ओळखता केलेला असा उद्धटपणा शेवटी अपमानातच संपतो. इंद्र स्वतः पाहायला येतो तेव्हा त्याला गोकुळ सुरक्षित आणि आधीपेक्षाही जास्त आनंदाने नाचताना दिसते. जी गोष्ट अजून सिद्ध झालेली नाही तिच्याबद्दल बढाई मारणे, विशेषतः दैवी संरक्षण असलेल्या गोष्टीविरुद्ध, शेवटी लाजिरवाणे ठरते.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's Indra-arrives + clouds-vain-boast + not-knowing-Lord = apamāna + Gokul-thriving canonical