संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 576 of 4582

Abhanga 576

English: For us — avatāra — matsya-kūrma-ādi sūkara.

When the avatāra is for-us — for the bhakta's-sake — and you have to recognize this register

When the deva drinks duḥkha and gives sukha — and you accept this exchange

When the deva puts us behind His back and fights kalikāḷa — and you receive this protection

The verse

आम्हासाठीं अवतार । मत्स्यकूर्मादि सूकर ॥१॥ मोहें धांवे घाली पान्हा । नांव घेतां पंढरीराणा ॥ध्रु.॥ कोठें न दिसे पाहतां । उडी घाली अवचिता ॥२॥ सुख ठेवी आम्हासाठीं । दुःख आपणची घोंटी ॥३॥ आम्हां घाली पाठीकडे । पुढें कळिकाळाशीं भिडे ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे कृपानीधी । आम्हां उतरीं नांवेमधीं ॥५॥

Literal translation

English: For us — avatāra — matsya-kūrma-ādi sūkara. Mōhā — runs — pānhā — nāma taken — Pandharī-rāṇā. Nowhere seen — uḍī ghālī avacita. Sukha — keeps — duḥkha — drinks Himself. Puts us behind back — fights — kalikāḷa — in front. Tuka says: kṛpā-nidhī — cross us — in nāva.

मराठी: आम्हासाठीं अवतार — मत्स्यकूर्मादि सूकर. मोहें धांवे घाली पान्हा — नांव घेतां पंढरीराणा. कोठें न दिसे पाहतां — उडी घाली अवचिता. सुख ठेवी आम्हासाठीं — दुःख आपणची घोंटी. आम्हां घाली पाठीकडे — पुढें कळिकाळाशीं भिडे. तुकाराम म्हणतां — कृपानीधी — आम्हां उतरीं नांवेमधीं.

Word-by-word gloss

Marathi	Meaning
आम्हासाठीं अवतार	"for us — avatāra"
मत्स्यकूर्मादि सूकर	"matsya-kūrma-ādi sūkara"
मोहें धांवे घाली पान्हा	"mōhā — runs — pānhā"
नांव घेतां पंढरीराणा	"nāma taken — Pandharī-rāṇā"
कोठें न दिसे पाहतां	"nowhere seen — looking"
उडी घाली अवचिता	"uḍī ghālī avacita"
सुख ठेवी आम्हासाठीं	"sukha — keeps — for us"
दुःख आपणची घोंटी	"duḥkha — drinks Himself"
आम्हां घाली पाठीकडे	"puts us — behind back"
पुढें कळिकाळाशीं भिडे	"fights — kalikāḷa — in front"
तुका म्हणे कृपानीधी	"kṛpā-nidhī"
आम्हां उतरीं नांवेमधीं	"cross us — in nāva"

What it means

A famous avatāra-for-us-deva-shields-and-fights abhang. Beautiful list-of-divine-actions register. Five claims:

आम्हासाठीं अवतार — मत्स्यकूर्मादि सूकर — for us — avatāra — matsya-kūrma-ādi sūkara. The opening-avatāra-claim: for us — avatāra (incarnations) happen; matsya (fish), kūrma (tortoise), and so on (ādi), sūkara (boar). The avatāra-list is for-us; the deva-becomes-fish-tortoise-boar for the bhakta's-sake. Avatāra-for-bhakta. (Compare 0544 bhakti-as-cause-of-avatāra*; same theological-claim but here from the action-list angle.)
मोहें धांवे घाली पान्हा — नांव घेतां पंढरीराणा — mōhā — runs — pānhā — nāma taken — Pandharī-rāṇā. The runs-with-mother-love-claim: with mōhā (love-affection, motherly-love) — He runs; pānhā ghālī (gives the milk-flow, the cow-letting-down-her-milk-for-the-calf); when the nāma is taken — Pandharī-rāṇā (Pandharī-king). The deva-runs-like-a-mother-cow when the nāma is taken. (The pānhā* image: the cow's-milk-let-down at-her-calf's-call is the perfect-image of immediate-loving-response.)
कोठें न दिसे पाहतां — उडी घाली अवचिता — nowhere seen — uḍī ghālī avacita. The suddenly-leaps-in-claim: He cannot be seen anywhere (nowhere seen on looking); (yet) He uḍī ghālī avacita (suddenly leaps in, springs-in-unexpectedly). Invisible-but-suddenly-appearing.
सुख ठेवी आम्हासाठीं — दुःख आपणची घोंटी — आम्हां घाली पाठीकडे — पुढें कळिकाळाशीं भिडे — sukha — keeps — duḥkha — drinks Himself — puts us behind back — fights — kalikāḷa — in front. The exchange-and-shield-claim: He keeps the sukha for us; drinks the duḥkha Himself; puts us behind His pāṭhī (back); fights kalikāḷa (the dark-age) in front. Sukha-for-us, duḥkha-for-Him; bhakta-behind-shielded, deva-fights-in-front. Mother-and-warrior together*.
तुका म्हणे कृपानीधी — आम्हां उतरीं नांवेमधीं — Tuka says: kṛpā-nidhī — cross us — in nāva. The closing-petition-and-image: Tuka says: kṛpā-nidhī (compassion-treasure); cross us — in His nāva (boat). Cross-us-in-Your-boat-of-compassion. Boat-of-deliverance.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the avatāra-for-us-deva-shields-and-fights register:

The avatāra* is for us. Avatāra — matsya-kūrma-sūkara. The deva becomes-fish-tortoise-boar for the bhakta's-sake. Avatāra-for-bhakta*.
Runs with mother-love; gives pānhā when nāma* taken. Mōhā — pānhā — nāma — Pandharī-rāṇā. The deva-responds-immediately-like-a-mother-cow when the nāma is taken. Trust-the-immediacy*.
Invisible to seek; suddenly-leaps-in. Kōṭhē na disē — uḍī ghālī avacita. Don't-look-for-Him-by-eyes; He-leaps-in-when-needed.
He keeps sukha for us; drinks duḥkha Himself; puts us behind; fights kalikāḷa*. Sukha — duḥkha — pāṭhī — kalikāḷa. Mother-protector and warrior-fighter; sukha-for-us, suffering-for-Him; us-behind, Him-in-front. Deva-as-protector-and-fighter*.
Cross us in Your nāva*. Utarī nāvē-madhīm. Boat-of-deliverance petition. Final-petition*.

For today: the avatāra is for-us; the deva responds-immediately-like-a-mother-cow when the nāma is taken; He keeps sukha for us and drinks duḥkha Himself; He shields-us and fights-kalikāḷa; cross us in Your boat of compassion.

This abhang is Tukaram's avatāra-and-deva-actions-for-us register — one of the most-celebrated bhakti-image-lists. Compare 0544 bhakti-as-cause-of-avatāra; same theological-claim but here from the action-list angle. The pānhā and uḍī-ghālī-avacita images are striking and physical.

मराठी: ही ओवी avatāra-for-us-deva-shields-and-fights register नाव सांगते:

Avatāra आपल्यासाठी. अवतार — मत्स्य-कूर्म-सूकर. Deva bhakta-साठी fish-tortoise-boar होतो. Avatāra-for-bhakta*.
Mother-love ने धावतो; nāma घेतलं की pānhā* देतो. मोहा — पान्हा — नाम — पंढरीराणा. Nāma घेतल्यावर देव mother-cow सारखा immediate respond करतो. Immediacy-trust करा*.
Looking वर invisible; suddenly leaps in. कोठे न दिसे — उडी घाली अवचिता. Eyes-ने-शोधू नका; गरज पडल्यावर leaps in.
Sukha आपल्यासाठी; duḥkha स्वतः drinks; आपल्याला पाठीमागे; kalikāḷa समोर fights. सुख — दुःख — पाठी — कळिकाळ. Mother-protector आणि warrior-fighter; sukha-आपल्यासाठी, suffering-त्याला; आपल्याला-behind, त्याला-front. Deva-protector-and-fighter*.
Your nāva* मध्ये पार करा. उतरी नावे-मधीं. Boat-of-deliverance petition. Final-petition*.

आज: Avatāra आपल्यासाठी; Nāma घेतल्यावर mother-cow सारखा देव immediate respond करतो; Sukha आपल्यासाठी, duḥkha स्वतः drinks; shield-and-kalikāḷa-fight; Your boat-of-compassion मध्ये cross करा*.

Tukaram च-avatāra-and-deva-actions-for-us-register — Most-celebrated bhakti-image-lists पैकी एक. 0544 bhakti-as-cause-of-avatāra compare; तीच theological-claim पण इथे action-list angle ने. Pānhā आणि uḍī-ghālī-avacita images striking and physical.

Where this applies

Avatāra for us. Bhakta-purpose.
Pānhā with mōhā. Mother-cow immediacy.
Sukha-duḥkha exchange. Mother-and-warrior.
Cross us in nāva. Boat-petition.