Abhanga 413
Tukaram turns an entire home ritual inward, offering his own quieted mind and heartfelt devotion instead of outer objects, and invites Vithai to fill him completely.
The verse
चौक भरियेला आसनीं पाचारिली कुळस्वामिनी । वैकुंठवासिनि ये धांवोनी झडकरी ॥१॥ रंगा येई वो विठाई सांवळिये डोळसे । तुझें श्रीमुख साजिरें तें मी केधवां देखेन ॥ध्रु.॥ रजतमधुपारती । पंचप्राणांची आरती । अवघी सारोनी आइती । ये धांवती झडकरी ॥२॥ मन मारोनियां मेंढा । आशा मनसा तृष्णा सुटी । भक्तिभाव नैवेद्य ताटीं । भरोनि केला हाकारा ॥३॥ डांका अनुहात गजरे । येउनि अंगासी संचरे । आपुला घेउनी पुरस्कार । आरोग्य करीं तुकयासी ॥४॥
Literal translation
Cauk filled — at āsanī — kuḷa-svāminī invoked — Vaikuṇṭha-vāsinī — come running, quickly. Come into ranga, Viṭhāī — sāmvaḷiyē, ḍoḷasē — when will I see Your śrī-mukha sājirē? Raja-tama-dhūpa-ārtī, pañca-prāṇa-ārtī — all readied — come running. Killing the mana (ram) — āśā, manasā, tṛṣṇā released — bhakti-bhāva — naivedya in tāṭī — made hākārā. Ḍānkā — anuhāta-gajara — entering — into anga — taking own puraskāra — make Tuka ārōgya.
मराठी: चौक भरियेला आसनीं — पाचारिली कुळस्वामिनी — वैकुंठवासिनि ये धांवोनी झडकरी. रंगा येई वो विठाई सांवळिये डोळसे — तुझें श्रीमुख साजिरें तें मी केधवां देखेन. रजतमधुपारती — पंचप्राणांची आरती — अवघी सारोनी आइती ये धांवती झडकरी. मन मारोनियां मेंढा — आशा मनसा तृष्णा सुटी — भक्तिभाव नैवेद्य ताटीं — भरोनि केला हाकारा. तुकाराम म्हणतां — डांका अनुहात गजरे — येउनि अंगासी संचरे — आपुला घेउनी पुरस्कार — आरोग्य करीं तुकयासी.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| चौक भरियेला आसनीं | "cauk filled — at the āsanī" |
| पाचारिली कुळस्वामिनी | "kuḷa-svāminī invoked" |
| वैकुंठवासिनि ये धांवोनी झडकरी | "Vaikuṇṭha-vāsinī — come running quickly" |
| रंगा येई वो विठाई सांवळिये डोळसे | "come into the ranga, Viṭhāī — sāmvaḷiyē, ḍoḷasē" |
| तुझें श्रीमुख साजिरें तें मी केधवां देखेन | "Your śrī-mukha sājirē — when will I see?" |
| रजतमधुपारती पंचप्राणांची आरती | "raja-tama-dhūpa-ārtī, pañca-prāṇa-ārtī" |
| अवघी सारोनी आइती ये धांवती झडकरी | "all readied — come running quickly" |
| मन मारोनियां मेंढा | "killing the mana — (as) ram" |
| आशा मनसा तृष्णा सुटी | "āśā, manasā, tṛṣṇā — released" |
| भक्तिभाव नैवेद्य ताटीं भरोनि केला हाकारा | "bhakti-bhāva — naivedya in tāṭī — made hākārā" |
| डांका अनुहात गजरे येउनि अंगासी संचरे | "ḍānkā — anuhāta-gajara — entering — into anga" |
| आपुला घेउनी पुरस्कार आरोग्य करीं तुकयासी | "taking own puraskāra — make Tuka ārōgya" |
What it means
A ḍānkā / Viṭhāī-as-kuḷa-svāminī invocation abhang. First of the 8-abhang ḍānkā cluster (cf. 412 colophon). The ḍānkā is a Marāṭhī possession-trance form: a deity (typically the family-clan-goddess like Tuḷjābhavānī) is invited to descend into a devotee's body through chant, drumming (ḍānkā), incense, and food-offering. Tukaram replaces the standard kuḷa-devatā with Viṭhāī — Viṭhāī as the family-clan-deity. Five claims:
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चौक भरियेला आसनीं — पाचारिली कुळस्वामिनी — वैकुंठवासिनि ये धांवोनी झडकरी — cauk filled at āsanī — kuḷa-svāminī invoked — Vaikuṇṭha-vāsinī come running quickly. The opening-invocation: thecauk(ritual square) is filled at theāsanī(seat); kuḷa-svāminī is invoked;Vaikuṇṭha-vāsinī (the dweller of Vaikuṇṭha = Viṭhāī)—come running quickly.Viṭhāī replaces the standard kuḷa-devatā.
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रंगा येई वो विठाई सांवळिये डोळसे — तुझें श्रीमुख साजिरें तें मी केधवां देखेन — come into ranga, Viṭhāī — sāmvaḷiyē, ḍoḷasē — when will I see Your beautiful śrī-mukha? The call-image: come into theranga(color, ritual-space), Viṭhāī; dark-and-large-eyed; when will I see Your beautifulśrī-mukha? Female-form Viṭhāī, sāmvaḷī-ḍoḷas, awaited-darśana.
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रजतमधुपारती — पंचप्राणांची आरती — अवघी सारोनी आइती — raja-tama-dhūpa-ārtī — pañca-prāṇa-ārtī — all readied. The transformed-ritual-elements: raja-tama (the two guṇas, transformed into incense) — dhūpa-ārtī; the pañca-prāṇa-ārtī (the five-prāṇas as the ārtī).Internal-pūjā ritual: the inner-elements become the offerings.
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मन मारोनियां मेंढा — आशा मनसा तृष्णा सुटी — भक्तिभाव नैवेद्य ताटीं — भरोनि केला हाकारा — killing the mana (as ram) — āśā-manasā-tṛṣṇā released — bhakti-bhāva naivedya in tāṭī — made hākārā. The internal-sacrifice image: killing themanaas the ram (in the typicalkuḷa-devatāworship, a ram is sacrificed) — theāśā, manasā, tṛṣṇā(hope, intent, thirst) are released as theprasāda-meat;bhakti-bhāva is the naivedya in the plate;(I) made the hākārā (announcing-call).The Tantra-ḍānkā mind-killing-as-ram-sacrifice imagery.
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डांका अनुहात गजरे — येउनि अंगासी संचरे — आपुला घेउनी पुरस्कार — आरोग्य करीं तुकयासी — ḍānkā — anuhāta-gajara — entering — into anga — taking own puraskāra — make Tuka ārōgya. The closing-possession-image: theḍānkādrum, theanuhāta-gajara(unstruck-drumbeat sound); enter into (Tuka's)anga;take own puraskāra (the offering / honor);make Tuka ārōgya (well, healthy).The deva-possession is the cure.
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For someone today
In this vivid ritual verse, Tukaram calls out urgently for Vithai to come, the way a family would call in its own household deity for an old invocation ceremony. But instead of laying out external offerings, he offers what is inside him: he quiets his restless desires and cravings, and lets his devotion itself become the food set out for God. There is no need to wait for outer ceremony, because the truest worship is a mind and heart made ready through discipline. Tukaram closes wanting this presence to enter him completely and restore him to wholeness.
मराठी: या अभंगात तुकाराम कुळस्वामिनीला बोलावण्याच्या पारंपरिक विधीचे रूप घेतात, पण ते बाह्य वस्तू न मांडता स्वतःच्या आतल्या गोष्टी अर्पण करतात. ते आपल्या मनातील अस्वस्थ इच्छा आणि तृष्णा शांत करतात आणि त्यांची भक्तीच देवाला वाढलेला नैवेद्य बनते. बाहेरच्या विधीची वाट पाहण्याची गरज नाही, कारण खरी पूजा म्हणजे स्वतःचे मन आणि हृदय सिद्ध करणे. शेवटी तुकाराम इच्छा व्यक्त करतात की हे दैवी अस्तित्व त्यांच्यात पूर्णपणे भरून राहावे आणि त्यांना संपूर्ण, निरोगी बनवावे.
Where this applies
- Replace kuḷa-devatā with Viṭhāī. Invite Vaikuṇṭha-vāsinī.
- Internal-pūjā: inner-elements as offerings. Tantra-mode.
- Kill mana as ram. Internal-sacrifice.
- Bhakti-bhāvaisnaivedya. Inner-food.
- Ḍānkā-anuhāta enters the body. Possession-trance.