Abhanga 415

When you are afraid, name your fear plainly, call out loudly with chanting and rhythm, and claim the divine as your own family protector who should not delay once you have done your part.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

A urgent-call-to-Viṭhāī-as-kuḷa-daivata ḍānkā abhang. Third of the cluster. Four claims:

1. विनति घातली अवधारीं — मज देई वो अभय करीं — पीडिलों खेचरीं — आणीक वारी नांवांची — vinati — hear — give abhaya in karī — pīḍilōm khēcarī — and other vārī of nāmas. The opening-petition: hear myvinati; give meabhaya(fearlessness) in your hand; I am afflicted bykhēcarī(sky-female / female-spirit / yoginī); and othervārī(turn-by-turn) ofnāmas(here = afflicting-named-spirits). Petition for protection from possession-affliction.

2. रंगा येई वो एकला रंग वोडवला — हरिनाम उठिला गजर केला हाकारा — come into ranga, alone — ranga surfaced — Hari-nāma uthilā gajara hākārā. The call-claim: come into theranga, alone — theranga(color, ritual-space) hasuvaḍavalā(surfaced); Hari-nāma — uthilā gajara (raised drumbeat) — hākārā (calling-cry) made.The drum-and-Hari-nāma call to the deity.

3. देवांचे दैवते तुज नमिलें आदिनाथे — ये वो कृपावंते भोगा माझ्या धांवति — deva's daivata — namilē Adi-nātha — come, kṛpā-vatī — to my bhōga running. The Viṭhāī-as-Adi-nātha claim: (You) deity of alldevas — I bow to You asAdi-nātha(Original-Lord); come,kṛpā-vatī(full-of-grace) — running to mybhōga(offering). Viṭhāī as the original-deity above the standarddevas.

4. न लवीं आतां वेळ आइत सारिली सकळ — तुका म्हणे कुळ आमुचिये दैवते — don't delay — āyita arranged all — Tuka says: kuḷa, our daivata. The closing-claim: don't delay now; all theāyita(preparation) is arranged; Tuka says:kuḷa— ourdaivata (Viṭhāī is our family-deity).The kuḷa-daivata-replacement is final.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang is an urgent cry to Vithai when someone is scared and afflicted. Tukaram does not tiptoe around the fear; he names it outright and asks for fearlessness in her hand. He calls her with ritual, chanting, and drumbeat, then tells her plainly not to delay because everything is ready. In doing so he claims her as his own family deity, not a distant or foreign power, and insists that when you have prepared with full sincerity, the answer should not be slow in coming.

मराठी: ही ओवी भीतीने ग्रासलेल्या क्षणी विठाईला केलेली एक कळकळीची हाक आहे. तुकाराम आपली भीती लपवत नाहीत, ते स्पष्टपणे सांगतात आणि तिच्या हातून निर्भयता मागतात. ते विठाईला विधी, नामघोष आणि ढोलाच्या तालाने बोलावतात, आणि मग स्पष्टपणे सांगतात की आता उशीर करू नकोस, कारण सगळी तयारी झाली आहे. असे करताना ते विठाईला आपली कुळदेवता मानतात, दूरची किंवा परकी शक्ती नव्हे, आणि सांगतात की जेव्हा तुम्ही मनापासून तयारी केलेली असते, तेव्हा प्रतिसाद उशिरा येऊ नये.

Where this applies

• Abhaya against affliction. Petition Viṭhāī.
• Ranga+gajara call. Ritual-call.
• Viṭhāī as Adi-nātha. Above standard devas.
• Don't delay; preparation done. Timely-arrival.
• Kuḷa-daivata is Viṭhāī. Replacement.

Related verses

• Abhanga 2448 — The easiest path to God is repeating divine names with love at home, right where you are,
• Abhanga 2467 — What looks like your whole world, like a fig to the insect living inside it, is only a tin
• Abhanga 2494 — Living in devotion turns an ordinary day into a festival and removes the fear of birth and
• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with