Abhanga 491
English: Hear vacana — Kamaḷā-pati — ranka's vinamtī.
The verse
ऐकें वचन कमळापती । मज रंकाची विनंती ॥१॥ कर जोडितों कथाकाळीं । आपण असावें जवळी ॥ध्रु.॥ घेई ऐसी भाक । मागेन जरि कांहीं आणिक ॥२॥ तुकयाबंधु म्हणे देवा । शब्द इतुका राखावा ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Hear vacana — Kamaḷā-pati — ranka's vinamtī. Hands joined — kathā-kāḷī — please be near. Take this bhāka — even if I ask anything else. Tukyā-bamdhu says: deva — keep at least this śabda.
मराठी: ऐकें वचन कमळापती — मज रंकाची विनंती. कर जोडितों कथाकाळीं — आपण असावें जवळी. घेई ऐसी भाक — मागेन जरि कांहीं आणिक. तुकयाबंधु म्हणतां — देवा — शब्द इतुका राखावा.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ऐकें वचन कमळापती | "hear the vacana — Kamaḷā-pati" |
| मज रंकाची विनंती | "ranka's vinamtī" |
| कर जोडितों कथाकाळीं | "hands joined — kathā-kāḷī" |
| आपण असावें जवळी | "please be near" |
| घेई ऐसी भाक | "take this bhāka" |
| मागेन जरि कांहीं आणिक | "even if I ask anything else" |
| शब्द इतुका राखावा | "keep at least this śabda" |
What it means
A short kathā-time-please-be-near petition abhang. First of the Tukyā-bamdhu (Kānhōbā) cluster (491-496) — six consecutive abhangs by Tukaram's elder brother Kānhōbā. Three claims:
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ऐकें वचन कमळापती — मज रंकाची विनंती — hear vacana, Kamaḷā-pati — ranka's vinamtī. The opening-petition: hear the vacana (word), Kamaḷā-pati (Lord-of-Lakṣmī = Viṣṇu); this is a ranka (poor-man)'s vinamtī (request). Address as Kamaḷā-pati, self as ranka**.
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कर जोडितों कथाकाळीं — आपण असावें जवळी — hands joined at kathā-time — please be near. The single-request: with hands joined — at kathā-kāḷī (kathā-time = the time of recitation / kīrtana), please be near. Be near at the kathā-time.
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घेई ऐसी भाक — मागेन जरि कांहीं आणिक — take this oath — even if I ask anything else later. The contractual-claim: take this bhāka (oath / pledge) — even if I should ask anything else later (don't refuse this one). This is the one-essential-request.
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तुकयाबंधु म्हणे देवा — शब्द इतुका राखावा — Tukyā-bamdhu says: deva, keep at least this śabda. The closing-claim: Tukyā-bamdhu (Kānhōbā) says: deva, keep at least this śabda (word / promise). Minimum-promise-asked.
[T]
For someone today
This abhang names the kathā-time-be-near minimum-petition register:
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Address the deva as Kamaḷā-pati; self as ranka*. Kamaḷā-pati — ranka. Standard-bhakta-address: deva-as-Lord-of-Lakṣmī, self-as-poor-man. Adopt this asymmetry openly*.
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With hands joined at kathā-time*, ask only this: be near. Kara jōḍitōm — kathā-kāḷī — javaḷī. At the kathā-time (the most-charged bhakti-moment), the only-request is: be near. Don't ask for many things; ask for nearness*.
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Take this oath even if I ask other things. Bhāka — māgēna kāmhī āṇika. Even if you slip later and ask for other-things, this oath stands. Lock this minimum-promise.
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Keep at least this śabda*. Śabda itukā rākhāvā. The deva's-promise on this minimum is requested; the rest can be argued later*.
For today: address as Kamaḷā-pati, self as ranka; the only kathā-time-request: be near; lock this oath even if other-asks come later; keep at least this śabda.
This abhang is Kānhōbā Tukārām's-most-direct kathā-time-petition — minimum-essential request: be-near at kathā. Compare 0492 (next abhang in cluster) — same Tukyā-bamdhu mudra.
मराठी: ही ओवी kathā-time-be-near minimum-petition register नाव सांगते:
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Deva ला Kamaḷā-pati address करा; self ला ranka*. कमळा-पति — रंक. Standard-bhakta-address: deva-as-Lord-of-Lakṣmī, self-as-poor-man. Asymmetry openly adopt करा*.
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Kathā-time ला हात जोडून फक्त हेच विचारा: जवळ राहा. कर जोडितों — कथा-काळी — जवळी. Kathā-time ला (most-charged bhakti-moment) only-request: be near. अनेक गोष्टी विचारू नका; nearness मागा*.
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मी इतर गोष्टी विचारलं तरी हा oath घ्या. भाक — मागेन कांहीं आणिक. नंतर slip करून इतर things विचारलं तरी हा oath stand. Minimum-promise lock करा.
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किमान हा śabda* राखा. शब्द इतुका राखावा. देवाचं-promise या minimum वर मागितलेलं; बाकी नंतर argue करता येतं*.
आज: Kamaḷā-pati म्हणून address, self ला ranka; Only kathā-time-request: be near; Other-asks नंतर आले तरी हा oath lock करा; किमान हा śabda राखा.
Kānhōbā Tukārām च-most-direct kathā-time-petition — Minimum-essential request: be-near at kathā. 0492 (cluster मधलं next abhang) — same Tukyā-bamdhu mudra compare.
Where this applies
- Kamaḷā-pati + ranka address. Asymmetric.
- Kathā-kāḷī-near-petition. Single-request.
- Lock this bhāka. Even if other asks later.
- Keep at least this śabda. Minimum.