Abhanga 479
Tukaram pictures Vitthal as a mother who answers every childlike demand the moment it is made, without scolding or delay. Once she has picked the child up, she never sets it down again; she carries it on her hip and keeps feeding it mouthful after mouthful of the sweetest nectar there is. This is an image of a love that does not wait for you to earn it or explain yourself. You are allowed to ask, to want, even to whine like a child, because that kind of mothering does not run out of patience.
The verse
पुरविली आळी । जे जे केली ते ते काळीं ॥१॥ माय तरी ऐसी सांगा । कृपाळुवा पांडुरंगा ॥ध्रु.॥ घेतलें नुतरी । उचलोनि कडियेवरी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे घांस । मुखीं घाली ब्रम्हरस ॥३॥
Literal translation
Fulfilled the āḷī — whatever made, at whatever time. Mother (like this) tell — kṛpāḷu Pāṇḍuranga. Once taken-up doesn't put down — lifts onto the kaḍī. Tuka says: grāsa in mouth — Brahma-rasa.
मराठी: पुरविली आळी — जे जे केली ते ते काळीं. माय तरी ऐसी सांगा — कृपाळुवा पांडुरंगा. घेतलें नुतरी — उचलोनि कडियेवरी. तुकाराम म्हणतां — घांस मुखीं घाली ब्रम्हरस.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| पुरविली आळी | "fulfilled the āḷī" |
| जे जे केली ते ते काळीं | "whatever made — at whatever time" |
| माय तरी ऐसी सांगा कृपाळुवा पांडुरंगा | "mother (like this) tell — kṛpāḷu Pāṇḍuranga" |
| घेतलें नुतरी | "once taken-up — doesn't put down" |
| उचलोनि कडियेवरी | "lifts onto the kaḍī" |
| घांस मुखीं घाली ब्रम्हरस | "grāsa in mouth — Brahma-rasa" |
What it means
A short Pāṇḍuranga-as-mother abhang. Three claims:
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पुरविली आळी — जे जे केली ते ते काळीं — fulfilled the āḷī — whatever made, at whatever time. The opening-claim: (Pāṇḍuranga) has fulfilled myāḷī(childlike-whim / impulsive-demand); whatever I made (= demanded), at whatever time. Childlike-whim-fulfilled.
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माय तरी ऐसी सांगा — कृपाळुवा पांडुरंगा — mother — tell — kṛpāḷu Pāṇḍuranga. The deva-as-mother claim: tell (me where to find) such a mother — (like) thekṛpāḷu Pāṇḍuranga. Pāṇḍuranga is the mother who indulges every whim.
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घेतलें नुतरी — उचलोनि कडियेवरी — once taken-up doesn't put down — lifts onto kaḍī. The mother-image: once she has taken up (the child), she doesn't put it down; lifts the child onto thekaḍī(hip). The kaḍiyēvarī-uchalōnī image — the iconic-mother-with-child carry.
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तुका म्हणे घांस — मुखीं घाली ब्रम्हरस — Tuka says: grāsa in mouth — Brahma-rasa. The closing-claim: Tuka says: she puts agrāsa(mouthful / morsel) in the mouth — ofBrahma-rasa(the essence of Brahman / immortality-juice). Brahma-rasa fed-as-baby-food.
[T]
For someone today
Tukaram pictures Vitthal as a mother who answers every childlike demand the moment it is made, without scolding or delay. Once she has picked the child up, she never sets it down again; she carries it on her hip and keeps feeding it mouthful after mouthful of the sweetest nectar there is. This is an image of a love that does not wait for you to earn it or explain yourself. You are allowed to ask, to want, even to whine like a child, because that kind of mothering does not run out of patience.
मराठी: तुकाराम विठ्ठलाला अशा आईच्या रूपात पाहतात, जी मूल जे जे मागेल ते ते लगेच पुरवते, कोणतीही खंत न बाळगता किंवा उशीर न लावता. एकदा तिने मुलाला उचलून घेतलं की ती त्याला परत खाली ठेवत नाही; कडेवर घेऊन ती त्याला घासा-घासाने अमृतासारखा गोड घास भरवत राहते. हे असं प्रेम आहे जे तुम्ही ते मिळवावं किंवा समर्थन द्यावं याची वाट पाहत नाही. तुम्हाला मागायचा, हवं ते हवं म्हणायचा, अगदी लहान मुलासारखं हट्ट करायचा अधिकार आहे, कारण अशा आईच्या मायेला कधी थकवा येत नाही.
Where this applies
- Āḷī fulfilled when-made. Childlike-whim-allowed.
- Tell such a kṛpāḷu mother. Mother-supremacy.
- Once-taken, lifted-on-hip. Permanent-care.
- Brahma-rasaasgrāsa. Immortality-feed.