संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.
संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 609 of 4582

Abhanga 609

English: First namana — ēka-damta — ranga — rasāḷa kathā.

When the kīrtana begins with namana to Gaṇēśa — and you have to recognize this register
When the bhakta is drowning in māyā-pūra and bhava-sāgara — and you accept this image
When come-quickly is the final petition — and you receive this closing

The verse

प्रथम नमन तुज एकदंता । रंगीं रसाळ वोडवीं कथा । मति सौरस करीं प्रबळता । जेणें फिटे आतां अंधकार ॥१॥ तुझिये कृपेचें भरितें । आणीक काय राहिलें तेथें । मारग सिद्धाच्यानि पंथें । पावविसी तेथें तूं चि एक ॥ध्रु.॥ आरंभा आदि तुझें वंदन । सकळ करितां कारण । देव ॠषि मुनि आदिकरुन । ग्रंथ पुराण निर्माणी ॥२॥ काय वणूप तुझी गती । एवढी कैची मज मती । दिनानाथ तुज म्हणती करी । करीं सत्य वचन हें चि आपुलें ॥३॥ मज वाहावतां मायेच्या पुरीं । बुडतां डोहीं भवसागरीं । तुज वांचुनि कोण तारी । पाव झडकरी तुका म्हणे ॥४॥

Literal translation

English: First namanaēka-damtarangarasāḷa kathā. Matisaurasaprabaḷaandhakāra dissolves. Your kṛpā-flood — what else remains? — siddha-pantha — You alone make me reach. Ārambha Your vandanakāraṇa of all — deva-ṛṣi-munigranthas-purāṇas. What describe Your gati? — what mati mine? — call You Dīnānātha — make Your vacana sācā. Māyā-pūrabhava-sāgara ḍōha — except You who saves? — come jhaḍakarī, Tuka says.

मराठी: प्रथम नमन तुज एकदंता — रंगीं रसाळ वोडवीं कथा — मति सौरस करीं प्रबळता — जेणें फिटे आतां अंधकार. तुझिये कृपेचें भरितें — आणीक काय राहिलें तेथें — मारग सिद्धाच्यानि पंथें — पावविसी तेथें तूं चि एक. आरंभा आदि तुझें वंदन — सकळ करितां कारण — देव ॠषि मुनि आदिकरुन — ग्रंथ पुराण निर्माणी. काय वणूप तुझी गती — एवढी कैची मज मती — दिनानाथ तुज म्हणती करी — करीं सत्य वचन हें चि आपुलें. मज वाहावतां मायेच्या पुरीं — बुडतां डोहीं भवसागरीं — तुज वांचुनि कोण तारी — पाव झडकरी. तुकाराम म्हणतां — पाव झडकरी.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
प्रथम नमन तुज एकदंता "first namanaēka-damta"
रंगीं रसाळ वोडवीं कथा "rangarasāḷa kathā"
मति सौरस करीं प्रबळता "matisaurasaprabaḷa"
जेणें फिटे आतां अंधकार "andhakāra dissolves"
तुझिये कृपेचें भरितें "kṛpābharita (flood)"
मारग सिद्धाच्यानि पंथें "mārgasiddha-pantha"
पावविसी तेथें तूं चि एक "You alone make me reach"
आरंभा आदि तुझें वंदन "very-beginning Your vandana"
सकळ करितां कारण "kāraṇa of all"
ग्रंथ पुराण निर्माणी "granthas-purāṇas — create"
दिनानाथ तुज म्हणती "they call You Dīnānātha"
करीं सत्य वचन हें चि आपुलें "make Your vacana sācā"
मायेच्या पुरीं "māyā pūra"
बुडतां डोहीं भवसागरीं "drowning bhava-sāgara ḍōha"
पाव झडकरी "come jhaḍakarī"

What it means

A Gaṇēśa-prayer-flooded-by-māyā-come-quickly abhang. Five-verse Gaṇēśa-vandana-with-petition register. The opening abhang of a kathā / kīrtana-cycle. Five claims:

  1. प्रथम नमन तुज एकदंता — रंगीं रसाळ वोडवीं कथा — मति सौरस करीं प्रबळता — जेणें फिटे आतां अंधकारfirst namana — ēka-damta — ranga — rasāḷa kathā — mati — saurasa — prabaḷa — andhakāra dissolves. The opening-Gaṇēśa-namana: first namana (bow) to You, ēka-damta (one-tusked = Gaṇēśa); set forth rasāḷa (juicy, flavorful) kathā in the ranga (kīrtana-arena); make my mati (intellect) saurasa (well-flavored), prabaḷa (strong); by which the andhakāra (darkness, ignorance) now phiṭē (dissolves). Gaṇēśa-as-the-beginning, removing-darkness-of-ignorance.

  2. तुझिये कृपेचें भरितें — आणीक काय राहिलें तेथें — मारग सिद्धाच्यानि पंथें — पावविसी तेथें तूं चि एकYour kṛpā-flood — what else remains? — siddha-pantha — You alone make me reach. The kṛpā-flood-claim: in the bharita (flood) of Your kṛpā; what else remains? (= nothing else needed); on the siddha-pantha (siddhas' path); there You alone make me reach. Gaṇēśa's-kṛpā-as-the-only-vehicle-on-the-siddha-path.

  3. आरंभा आदि तुझें वंदन — सकळ करितां कारण — देव ॠषि मुनि आदिकरुन — ग्रंथ पुराण निर्माणीārambha — Your vandana — kāraṇa of all — deva-ṛṣi-muni — granthas-purāṇas — create. The ārambha-kāraṇa-claim: very-beginning, Your vandana (bowing); for all — becoming the kāraṇa (cause); deva-ṛṣi-muni-ādi (devas-sages-and-others)create grantha-purāṇa (texts and purāṇas) (with this opening). Gaṇēśa-as-cause-of-all-text-creation.

  4. काय वणूप तुझी गती — एवढी कैची मज मती — दिनानाथ तुज म्हणती करी — करीं सत्य वचन हें चि आपुलेंwhat describe Your gati? — what mati mine? — call You Dīnānātha — make Your vacana sācā. The Dīnānātha-leverage-claim: what vaṇūpa (describe) Your gati (way / going)?; where do I have such mati?; they call You Dīnānātha; make this Your own vacana (word) sācā (true). Reputation-leverage-via-Dīnānātha-name.

  5. मज वाहावतां मायेच्या पुरीं — बुडतां डोहीं भवसागरीं — तुज वांचुनि कोण तारी — पाव झडकरी तुका म्हणेmāyā-pūra — bhava-sāgara — ḍōha — except You who saves? — come quickly Tuka says. The closing-drowning-petition: I am being carried in māyā's pūra (flood); drowning in the bhava-sāgara's ḍōha (deep-pool); except You — who saves?; come jhaḍakarī (quickly), Tuka says. Drowning-call-for-quick-rescue.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the Gaṇēśa-vandana-with-petition register:

  1. First namana to ēka-damta; set forth rasāḷa kathā in ranga*. Namana — ēka-damta — kathā. Gaṇēśa-prayer at the beginning of any narrative. Beginning-tradition*.

  2. Make mati saurasa and prabaḷa; andhakāra* dissolves. Mati — saurasa-prabaḷa — andhakāra-phiṭē. Petition for clarity-and-strength of intellect; ignorance-dissolves. Intellect-petition*.

  3. Your kṛpā-flood; on the siddha-pantha*. Kṛpā-bharita — siddha-pantha. In the flood of Your kṛpā, the siddha-path is reached only-by-You. Path-trust*.

  4. You are the kāraṇa* of all texts. Kāraṇa — granthas-purāṇas. Gaṇēśa-as-cause-of-all-text-creation. Beginning-of-all-creation*.

  5. Make Your Dīnānātha vacana sācā; come jhaḍakarī* — drowning. Dīnānātha — sācā vacana — māyā-pūra — jhaḍakarī. Reputation-leverage-with-drowning-image. Quick-rescue-petition*.

For today: open a kīrtana / narrative with namana to ēka-damta; petition for clear-and-strong intellect; Your kṛpā on the siddha-path; the Dīnānātha name must be made true; drowning in māyā-flood — come quickly.

This abhang is Tukaram's Gaṇēśa-vandana-with-petition registertraditional kīrtana-opening abhang. Compare 0610 Lambōdara-prathamārambha; both are Gaṇēśa-prayer abhangs, often-used at kīrtana-start. The māyā-pūra-bhava-sāgara-ḍōha image is striking: drowning-in-flood-and-deep-pool.

मराठी: ही ओवी Gaṇēśa-vandana-with-petition register नाव सांगते:

  1. Ēka-damta ला first namana; rangarasāḷa kathā set करा. Namana — ēka-damta — kathā. Narrative-च्या-beginning-ला Gaṇēśa-prayer. Beginning-tradition*.

  2. Mati saurasa आणि prabaḷa करा; andhakāra dissolves. Mati — saurasa-prabaḷa — andhakāra-phiṭē. Intellect-clarity-and-strength साठी petition; ignorance-dissolves. Intellect-petition*.

  3. Your kṛpā-flood; siddha-pantha* वर. Kṛpā-bharita — siddha-pantha. Your-kṛpā-च्या-flood-मध्ये, siddha-path-only-by-You. Path-trust*.

  4. You सर्व texts चे kāraṇa*. Kāraṇa — granthas-purāṇas. Gaṇēśa-cause-of-all-text-creation. Beginning-of-all-creation*.

  5. Dīnānātha vacana sācā करा; jhaḍakarī या — drowning. Dīnānātha — sācā vacana — māyā-pūra — jhaḍakarī. Reputation-leverage-with-drowning-image. Quick-rescue-petition*.

आज: Kīrtana / narrative ēka-damta ला namana ने open करा; Clear-and-strong-intellect साठी petition; Your kṛpā siddha-path-वर; Dīnānātha name make-true; Māyā-flood-drowning — quickly come.

Tukaram च-Gaṇēśa-vandana-with-petition-registerTraditional kīrtana-opening abhang. 0610 Lambōdara-prathamārambha compare; दोन्ही Gaṇēśa-prayer abhangs, kīrtana-start ला often-used. Māyā-pūra-bhava-sāgara-ḍōha image striking: flood-and-deep-pool-मध्ये drowning.

Where this applies

Related verses