Abhanga 111
This abhang corrects two common misconceptions: (1) that this human life is ordinary; (2) that the rescue is far / expensive / slow. नाव चंद्रभागे तीरीं उभी पुंडलीकाचे द्वारीं — the boat is at Chandrabhaga's bank, at Pundalika's door. It is not somewhere else; it is not waiting for your maturation; it is here, waving you across. The cost is for free. The application: stop treating the rescue as a future-far-away. The boat is already docked. Embrace the feet. The crossing happens उठाउठी — at once.
The verse
आतां उघडीं डोळे । जरी अद्यापि न कळे ॥ तरी मातेचिये खोळे । दगड आला पोटासि ॥१॥ मनुष्यदेहा ऐसा निध । साधिली ते साधे सिद्ध ॥ करूनि प्रबोध । संत पार उतरले ॥ध्रु.॥ नाव चंद्रभागे तीरीं । उभी पुंडलीकाचे द्वारीं ॥ कट धरूनियां करीं । उभाउभी पालवी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे फुकासाठीं । पायीं घातली या मिठी ॥ होतो उठाउठी । लवकरी च उतार ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Open your eyes — if even now it is not understood, it is as if a stone has come into the womb instead of (a child). The human body is such a treasure — what was practised becomes accomplished by it. By awakening, the saints crossed over. The boat (= the deity) is at Chandrabhaga's bank, standing at Pundalika's door — hands on hips, waving us across. Tuka says: for free — embrace these feet — the crossing happens immediately.
मराठी: आता डोळे उघड — आता ही कळत नसेल — तर मातेच्या पोटात दगड आला (असं समज). मनुष्य-देह असा निध; साधलेलं सिद्ध होतं. बोध करून संत पार उतरले. नाव चंद्रभागे तीरी, पुंडलिकाच्या द्वारी उभी; कमरेवर हात — उभा-उभी पालवते. तुकाराम म्हणतात — फुकासाठी — पायी मिठी घाल — उतार लवकरच.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आतां उघडीं डोळे | "open the eyes now" |
| जरी अद्यापि न कळे | "if it is still not understood" |
| तरी मातेचिये खोळे दगड आला पोटासि | "(it is as if) a stone has come into the womb instead of (a child)" — i.e., the birth is wasted |
| मनुष्यदेहा ऐसा निध | "the human-body — such a nidhi (treasure)" |
| साधिली ते साधे सिद्ध | "what was practised becomes accomplished" |
| संत पार उतरले | "the saints crossed over" |
| नाव चंद्रभागे तीरीं | "the boat at Chandrabhaga's shore" |
| उभी पुंडलीकाचे द्वारीं | "(it) stands at Pundalika's door" |
| कट धरूनियां करीं उभाउभी पालवी | "hands on hips, (the deity) waves you to come" |
| फुकासाठीं पायीं घातली या मिठी | "for free — embracing the feet" |
| होतो उठाउठी लवकरी च उतार | "the crossing happens in an instant" |
What it means
A manushyadeha-nidhi (human-body-as-treasure) abhang. The structural claim: human birth is the opportunity; missing it is to have come from the womb as a stone. The boat-image is precise: the deity is already at the shore, waiting. The Pundalika-and-Chandrabhaga frame localizes this: the boat is at Pandharpur (Chandrabhaga is the river there; Pundalika's stone is where Vitthal stands waiting). The rescue is उठाउठी — immediate, instant. The cost is फुकासाठीं — for free. All that is required is पायीं मिठी — embracing the feet. [T] [Tradition]
For someone today
This abhang corrects two common misconceptions: (1) that this human life is ordinary; (2) that the rescue is far / expensive / slow. नाव चंद्रभागे तीरीं उभी पुंडलीकाचे द्वारीं — the boat is at Chandrabhaga's bank, at Pundalika's door. It is not somewhere else; it is not waiting for your maturation; it is here, waving you across. The cost is for free. The application: stop treating the rescue as a future-far-away. The boat is already docked. Embrace the feet. The crossing happens उठाउठी — at once.
मराठी: ही ओवी दोन common misconceptions सुधारते: (१) हा मनुष्य-जन्म सामान्य आहे; (२) उद्धार दूर / महाग / हळू आहे. नाव चंद्रभागे तीरीं उभी पुंडलीकाचे द्वारीं. ती कुठेतरी नाही; तुमच्या maturation ची वाट बघत नाही; ती इथे आहे, उभी-उभी पालवते. किंमत फुकट. lागू: उद्धार future-दूरचा म्हणून ट्रीट करणं थांबवा. नाव docked आहे. पायी मिठी घाला. उतार उठाउठी होतो — एकाच क्षणात.
Where this applies
- Treating this life as ordinary. मनुष्यदेहा ऐसा निध.
- Imagining path is far. Boat at the bank.
- Cost feels prohibitive. फुकासाठीं.