संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 452 of 4582

Abhanga 452

English: My parabramha-vēlhāḷā — koṭi ravi-śaśi — my parabramha-vēlhāḷā.

When Viṭhābāī is parabramha-vēlhāḷā with the light of crores of suns and moons — and you have to recognize this register
When standing on the Bhīvarā-tīra giving abhaya-kara — and you accept this image
When the prema-pānhā (love-milk) flows for the kinkara — and you receive this nursing-grace

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

English: 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:

  1. माझी परब्रम्ह वेल्हाळा — कोटि रविशशि — माझी परब्रम्ह वेल्हाळा — my parabramha-vēlhāḷā — koṭi ravi-śaśi — my parabramha-vēlhāḷā. The opening-praise: my parabramha-vēlhāḷā (the loving / friendly / generous para-brahman); with the light of koṭi (crores) of ravi-śaśi (sun-moon). The deva is the parabramha but also vēlhāḷā (loving / accommodating).

  2. 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; my dhyāna is at Your feet; abandoning the cauhīmsī (four others = four cauthāī-duties or four-other-attachments); turn me to Your sōī (side).

  3. 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 the Bhīvarā-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.

  4. 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: the śruti (Vedas / heard-tradition) doesn't know your pāra (further-shore); (yet) raising the arms, (You) give abhaya-kara (hand-of-fearlessness) to the bhaktas. Beyond-Veda yet near-the-bhakta.

  5. वोरसली अमृतधारा — देउनि प्रेमपान्हा — तुकया स्वामीनें किंकरा — ōrasalī amṛta-dhārā — giving prema-pānhā — Tukya-svāmīnē to the kinkara. The closing-nursing-image: the amṛta-dhārā (immortality-stream) overflowed; giving the prema-pānhā (love-milk-flow / love-stream-of-milk); Tukya-svāmīnē (Tuka's mistress / Lady) — to the kinkara (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.)

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the Viṭhābāī-as-feminine-parabramha-nursing register:

  1. The parabramha is vēlhāḷā* — accommodating, loving. Parabramha vēlhāḷā. The Absolute is not just transcendent-cold; it is vēlhāḷā — loving/friendly*.

  2. Place your dhyāna* at Her feet; abandon the four-others. Tyajunīyā cauhīmsī — sōī. Place attention at the deva-feet; abandon competing-attachments*.

  3. Standing on the Bhīvarā-tīra giving abhaya-kara*. Ubhī Bhīvarē-tīrīm — abhaya-kara. The deva stands at Pandharpur giving fearlessness-hand to the bhaktas*.

  4. Beyond-Veda yet near-the-bhakta. Śruti na kaḷē tujhā pāra — yet abhaya-kara. The deva is beyond-knowability but near-protective. Don't conflate transcendence with distance.

  5. Receive the prema-pānhā* — love-milk-stream. Prema-pānhā — kinkara. The deva-mistress overflows with amṛta-dhārā and prema-pānhā for the kinkara (devoted-servant). The maternal-feminine-nursing register.

For today: recognize the parabramha as vēlhāḷā; place dhyāna at the feet, abandon competing-attachments; the deva at Pandhari gives abhaya-kara; transcendence is near, not distant; receive the prema-pānhā — milk of love.

This abhang is Tukaram's-strongest-feminine-deva (Viṭhābāī) register — the deva as Mother / Nursing-Mistress, with prema-pānhā as the gift. Compare 266 mother-bhāva; same maternal-bhakti tradition, here with the deva-as-mother explicit*.

मराठी: ही ओवी Viṭhābāī-as-feminine-parabramha-nursing register नाव सांगते:

  1. Parabramha vēlhāḷā* — accommodating, loving. परब्रम्ह वेल्हाळा. Absolute फक्त transcendent-cold नाही; vēlhāḷā — loving/friendly*.

  2. तुमचं dhyāna* तिच्या पायी ठेवा; चार-others सोडा. त्यजुनियां चौघींसी — सोई. Deva-feet कडे attention; competing-attachments सोडा*.

  3. Bhīvarā-tīra वर standing — abhaya-kara देत. उभी भीवरे-तिरीं — अभयकर. Deva Pandharpur ला उभा आहे bhaktas ला fearlessness-hand देत*.

  4. Beyond-Veda तरी bhakta-near. श्रुती न कळे तुझा पार — तरी अभयकर. Deva beyond-knowability पण near-protective. Transcendence ला distance समजू नका.

  5. Prema-pānhā — love-milk-stream receive करा. प्रेमपान्हा — किंकरा. Deva-mistress amṛta-dhārā आणि prema-pānhā ने overflow करते — kinkara (devoted-servant) साठी. Maternal-feminine-nursing register*.

आज: Parabramha vēlhāḷā ओळखा; Dhyāna पायी ठेवा, competing-attachments सोडा; Pandhari ला deva abhaya-kara देतो; Transcendence near, distant नाही; Prema-pānhā receive करा — love चं milk*.

Tukaram च strongest-feminine-deva (Viṭhābāī) register — Deva as Mother / Nursing-Mistress, prema-pānhā gift म्हणून. 266 mother-bhāva compare; same maternal-bhakti tradition, here deva-as-mother explicit.

Where this applies

Bhakti

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