Abhanga 517
English: Bhagavanta show kṛpā — give me such a śiṣya.
The verse
कृपा करावी भगवंतें । ऐसा शिष्य द्यावा मातें ॥१॥ माझें व्रत जो चालवी । त्यासि द्यावें त्वां पालवी ॥ध्रु.॥ व्हावा ब्रम्हज्ञानी गुंडा । तिहीं लोकीं ज्याचा झेंडा ॥२॥ तुका तुका हाका मारी । माझ्या विठोबाच्या द्वारीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Bhagavanta show kṛpā — give me such a śiṣya. The one who carries my vrata — give him pālavī. Should be brahmajñānī-guṇḍa — whose jhēmḍā in tihīm-loka. Calls Tuka-Tuka — at my Viṭhōbā's door.
मराठी: कृपा करावी भगवंतें — ऐसा शिष्य द्यावा मातें. माझें व्रत जो चालवी — त्यासि द्यावें त्वां पालवी. व्हावा ब्रम्हज्ञानी गुंडा — तिहीं लोकीं ज्याचा झेंडा. तुका तुका हाका मारी — माझ्या विठोबाच्या द्वारीं.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कृपा करावी भगवंतें | "Bhagavanta — show kṛpā" |
| ऐसा शिष्य द्यावा मातें | "give me — such a śiṣya" |
| माझें व्रत जो चालवी | "the one who carries my vrata" |
| त्यासि द्यावें त्वां पालवी | "give him — pālavī" |
| व्हावा ब्रम्हज्ञानी गुंडा | "should be — brahmajñānī-guṇḍa" |
| तिहीं लोकीं ज्याचा झेंडा | "whose jhēmḍā — in tihīm-loka" |
| तुका तुका हाका मारी | "calls — Tuka-Tuka" |
| माझ्या विठोबाच्या द्वारीं | "at my Viṭhōbā's door" |
What it means
A give-me-such-a-śiṣya-petition abhang. Unusual register: Tukaram asks the deva for a future-disciple who will carry his vrata. Four claims:
-
कृपा करावी भगवंतें — ऐसा शिष्य द्यावा मातें — Bhagavanta show kṛpā — give me such a śiṣya. The opening-petition: Bhagavanta — show kṛpā; give me such a śiṣya (disciple). Don't-want-anything-else — but-give-me-this-one-specific-thing. The bhakta asks not for himself but for a successor*.
-
माझें व्रत जो चालवी — त्यासि द्यावें त्वां पालवी — the one who carries my vrata — give him pālavī. The vrata-carrier-claim: the one who cālavī (continues, carries-forward) my vrata (vow, mission); give him pālavī (the cover-cloth, the protective-mantle). Mantle-of-protection-for-the-vrata-carrier. Pālavī is the cloth-corner-of-the-mother's-sari that the child holds onto for safety.
-
व्हावा ब्रम्हज्ञानी गुंडा — तिहीं लोकीं ज्याचा झेंडा — should be brahmajñānī-guṇḍa — whose jhēmḍā in tihīm-loka. The aspiration-claim: should be a brahmajñānī-guṇḍa (a knowledge-of-brahma bully = a forceful-bhakti-warrior with knowledge); whose jhēmḍā (flag, banner) flies in the tihīm-loka (three worlds). Bold-aspiration: the disciple should be a brahma-knower-and-fighter whose-flag-is-known-in-the-three-worlds. Don't ask for a small-disciple.
-
तुका तुका हाका मारी — माझ्या विठोबाच्या द्वारीं — calls Tuka-Tuka — at my Viṭhōbā's door. The closing-scene: the disciple calls Tuka-Tuka (calls-Tuka-by-name); at my Viṭhōbā's door. Disciple-calls-Tukaram-at-Viṭhōbā's-door. The future scene: a disciple loud-and-bold standing at Pandharī's-temple-door calling Tuka's-name.
[T]
For someone today
This abhang names the give-me-such-a-śiṣya register:
-
Ask the deva for the right śiṣya*. Kṛpā — aisā śiṣya dyāvā. The right-disciple is the deva's gift; ask for him*.
-
The one who carries the vrata gets the pālavī*. Vrata cālavī — pālavī. The disciple who continues the mission gets the protective-mantle from the deva. Don't worry-about-protection of the vrata-carrier*.
-
Aspire boldly: brahma-knower-bully, flag-in-three-worlds. Brahmajñānī-guṇḍa — tihīm-loka jhēmḍā. Don't ask for a small-disciple; aspire to a strong-and-bold one. Bold-aspiration.
-
The disciple calls Tuka at Viṭhōbā*'s door. Tukā-Tukā hākā — Viṭhōbā-dvārī. The future scene: the disciple is bold-enough to call by-name at the temple-door. Loud-and-bold disciple is the aspiration*.
For today: ask the deva for the right śiṣya; the vrata-carrier gets the pālavī; aspire to a brahma-knower-bully with flag-in-three-worlds; the disciple calls Tuka at Viṭhōbā's-door.
This abhang is Tukaram's petition-for-a-successor register — unusual: the bhakta thinks-about-after-himself. Compare 0518 jātō Vārāṇasī; same forward-thinking register but here pointing-to-the-disciple, not winding-up-affairs. Notice the pālavī-image: maternal-protection for the next generation.
मराठी: ही ओवी give-me-such-a-śiṣya register नाव सांगते:
-
Deva कडे right śiṣya* मागा. कृपा — ऐसा शिष्य द्यावा. Right-disciple देवाची gift; मागा*.
-
Vrata चालवणाऱ्याला pālavī मिळते. व्रत चालवी — पालवी. Mission continue करणारा disciple देवाकडून protective-mantle मिळवतो. Vrata-carrier च्या protection ची चिंता नका*.
-
Boldly aspire: brahma-knower-bully, flag-in-three-worlds. ब्रम्हज्ञानी गुंडा — तिहीं लोकीं झेंडा. Small-disciple मागू नका; strong-and-bold aspire करा. Bold-aspiration.
-
Disciple Tuka ला Viṭhōbā*-दारी हाक मारतो. तुका तुका हाका — विठोबा-द्वारीं. Future scene: disciple bold-enough name-by-name temple-door ला हाक मारायला. Loud-and-bold disciple aspire*.
आज: Deva कडे right śiṣya मागा; Vrata-carrier ला pālavī मिळते; Brahma-knower-bully flag-in-three-worlds aspire करा; Disciple Tuka ला Viṭhōbā-दारी हाक मारतो*.
Tukaram च-petition-for-a-successor-register — Unusual: bhakta आपल्या-नंतर-चं विचार करतो. 0518 jātō Vārāṇasī compare; तीच forward-thinking register पण इथे disciple-कडे-pointing, winding-up-affairs नाही. Pālavī-image note करा: next-generation साठी maternal-protection.
Where this applies
- Ask deva for śiṣya. Right-disciple-gift.
- Vrata-carrier gets pālavī. Mantle-of-protection.
- Bold-aspiration: brahma-bully + flag. Don't-ask-small.
- Disciple calls Tuka at door. Loud-bold-future.