Abhanga 452
The divine, pictured here as the mother goddess Vithabai, is beyond all understanding yet tender enough to nurse her devotee with love, like a mother feeding her child.
The verse
माझी परब्रम्ह वेल्हाळा वो । कोटि रविशशि माझी । परब्रम्ह वेल्हाळा वो ॥१॥ राजस विठाबाई । माझें ध्यान तुझे पायीं वो । त्यजुनियां चौघींसी । लावी आपुलिये सोई वो ॥ध्रु.॥ उभी भीवरेच्या तिरीं वो । दंत हिरया ज्योति । शंखचक्र मिरवे करीं वो ॥२॥ श्रुती न कळे तुझा पार वो । उभारोनि बाहे । भक्तां देत अभयकर वो ॥३॥ वोरसली अमृतधारा वो । देउनि प्रेमपान्हा । तुकया स्वामीनें किंकरा वो ॥४॥
Literal translation
My parabramha-vēlhāḷā — koṭi ravi-śaśi — my parabramha-vēlhāḷā. Rājasa Viṭhābāī — my dhyāna at Your pāya — leaving the cauhīmsī — turn me to your sōī. Standing — Bhīvarā-tīra — teeth — diamond-jyoti — śankha-cakra mirave in hands. Śruti doesn't know your pāra — raising arms — to bhaktas, gives abhaya-kara. Ōrasalī — amṛta-dhārā — giving prema-pānhā — Tukya-svāmīnē — to the kinkara.
मराठी: माझी परब्रम्ह वेल्हाळा — कोटि रविशशि — माझी परब्रम्ह वेल्हाळा. राजस विठाबाई — माझें ध्यान तुझे पायीं — त्यजुनियां चौघींसी — लावी आपुलिये सोई. उभी भीवरेच्या तिरीं — दंत हिरया ज्योति — शंखचक्र मिरवे करीं. श्रुती न कळे तुझा पार — उभारोनि बाहे — भक्तां देत अभयकर. तुकाराम म्हणतां — वोरसली अमृतधारा — देउनि प्रेमपान्हा — तुकया स्वामीनें किंकरा.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| माझी परब्रम्ह वेल्हाळा | "my parabramha-vēlhāḷā" |
| कोटि रविशशि माझी | "koṭi ravi-śaśi — my" |
| राजस विठाबाई | "rājasa Viṭhābāī" |
| माझें ध्यान तुझे पायीं | "my dhyāna at Your pāya" |
| त्यजुनियां चौघींसी | "leaving the cauhīmsī" |
| लावी आपुलिये सोई | "turn me to your sōī" |
| उभी भीवरेच्या तिरीं | "standing — Bhīvarā-tīra" |
| दंत हिरया ज्योति | "teeth — diamond-jyoti" |
| शंखचक्र मिरवे करीं | "śankha-cakra — mirave (shining) in hands" |
| श्रुती न कळे तुझा पार | "śruti doesn't know your pāra" |
| उभारोनि बाहे | "raising the arms" |
| भक्तां देत अभयकर | "to bhaktas — gives abhaya-kara" |
| वोरसली अमृतधारा | "ōrasalī — amṛta-dhārā" |
| देउनि प्रेमपान्हा | "giving prema-pānhā" |
| तुकया स्वामीनें किंकरा | "Tukya-svāmīnē — to the kinkara" |
What it means
A Viṭhābāī-as-parabramha-feminine-deva abhang. The deva is addressed in the feminine form — Viṭhābāī, with attributes of koṭi ravi-śaśi (crores of suns and moons), giving prema-pānhā (love-milk-flow). Five claims:
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माझी परब्रम्ह वेल्हाळा — कोटि रविशशि — माझी परब्रम्ह वेल्हाळा — my parabramha-vēlhāḷā — koṭi ravi-śaśi — my parabramha-vēlhāḷā. The opening-praise: myparabramha-vēlhāḷā(the loving / friendly / generouspara-brahman); with the light ofkoṭi(crores) ofravi-śaśi(sun-moon). The deva is theparabramhabut alsovēlhāḷā(loving / accommodating).
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राजस विठाबाई — माझें ध्यान तुझे पायीं — त्यजुनियां चौघींसी — लावी आपुलिये सोई — rājasa Viṭhābāī — my dhyāna at Your pāya — leaving the cauhīmsī — turn me to your sōī. The Viṭhābāī-petition: regal Viṭhābāī; mydhyānais at Your feet; abandoning thecauhīmsī(four others = fourcauthāī-duties or four-other-attachments); turn me to Yoursōī(side).
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उभी भीवरेच्या तिरीं — दंत हिरया ज्योति — शंखचक्र मिरवे करीं — standing on Bhīvarā-tīra — teeth diamond-jyoti — śankha-cakra in hands. The standing-image: standing on theBhīvarā-tīra(the bank of the Bhīmā river at Pandharpur); teeth gleaming as diamond-jyoti; śankha and cakra shining in the hands. Standard Viṭhobā-icon transposed to the feminine Viṭhābāī.
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श्रुती न कळे तुझा पार — उभारोनि बाहे — भक्तां देत अभयकर — śruti doesn't know your pāra — raising arms — gives abhaya-kara to bhaktas. The transcendence-and-protection claim: theśruti(Vedas / heard-tradition) doesn't know yourpāra(further-shore); (yet) raising the arms, (You) giveabhaya-kara(hand-of-fearlessness) to the bhaktas. Beyond-Veda yet near-the-bhakta.
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वोरसली अमृतधारा — देउनि प्रेमपान्हा — तुकया स्वामीनें किंकरा — ōrasalī amṛta-dhārā — giving prema-pānhā — Tukya-svāmīnē to the kinkara. The closing-nursing-image: theamṛta-dhārā(immortality-stream) overflowed; giving theprema-pānhā(love-milk-flow / love-stream-of-milk); Tukya-svāmīnē(Tuka's mistress / Lady) — to thekinkara(servant). The deva-mistress nurses Tuka the servant with love-milk. (Pānhā = the milk-flow when a mother sees her child; prema-pānhā = the spontaneous love-flow.)
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For someone today
Tukaram addresses the divine here in her feminine form, as Vithabai, and gives her a mother's warmth rather than distant majesty. This shows that ultimate reality is not cold and untouchable; it is loving and generous. He asks to place all his attention at her feet and let go of every other attachment competing for his heart. Even though scripture cannot fully describe her, she still raises her arms in blessing and gives courage to those who come to her, pouring out love like a mother's milk for her devoted servant. Closeness and vastness are not opposites: the same being who is beyond all knowing is also near enough to nurse you like a child.
मराठी: तुकाराम इथे परमेश्वराला स्त्री रूपात, विठाबाई म्हणून, संबोधतात आणि तिला दूरस्थ वैभवाऐवजी आईची माया देतात. यातून हे स्पष्ट होते की परमतत्त्व थंड आणि अनाकलनीय नसून प्रेमळ आणि उदार आहे. ते आपले सगळे लक्ष तिच्या पायांशी ठेवण्याची आणि मनाला ओढणाऱ्या इतर सर्व आसक्ती सोडण्याची विनंती करतात. जरी वेदांनाही तिचा पूर्ण अंत कळत नसला, तरी ती हात उभारून आशीर्वाद देते आणि तिच्याकडे येणाऱ्यांना धीर देते, आपल्या सेवकावर आईच्या दुधासारखे प्रेम ओतते. जवळीक आणि अफाटपणा हे परस्परविरोधी नाहीत, जी शक्ती सर्व ज्ञानाच्या पलीकडे आहे तीच एखाद्या लहान मुलाला पाजण्याइतकी जवळही आहे.
Where this applies
- Parabramha-vēlhāḷā. Loving Absolute.
- Dhyāna at feet; abandon four-others. Single-pointed.
- Abhaya-kara at Pandhari. Fearlessness-hand.
- Beyond-śruti yet near. Transcendence + closeness.
- Prema-pānhāforkinkara. Maternal-nursing.