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 610 of 4582

Abhanga 610

Begin with a prayer that clears obstacles first, trusting that the same generous presence which removes what blocks you can also carry you through the hardest stretches of life.

When the kīrtana opens with Lambōdara as sakaḷa-siddhi-dātāra — and you have to recognize this register
When Gaurī-bāḷa with anklets makes vighnas flee — and you accept this image
When our dātāra saves the bhava-sāgara — and you receive this closing

The verse

प्रथमारंभीं लंबोदर । सकळ सिद्धींचा दातार । चतुर्भुज फरशधर । न कळे पार वर्णितां ॥१॥ तो देव नटला गौरीबाळ । पायीं बांधोनि घागर्‍यां घोळ । नारदतुंबरसहित मेळ । सुटला पळ विघ्नांसी ॥२॥ नटारंभी थाटियला रंग । भुजा नाचवी हालवी अंग । सेंदुरविलेपनें चांग । मुगुटीं नाग मिरविला ॥३॥ जया मानवतीदेव ॠषि मुनी । पाहातां न पुरें डोळियां धनी । असुर जयाच्या चरणीं । आदीं अवसानीं तो चि एक ॥४॥ सकळां सिद्धींचा दातार । जयाच्या रूपा नाहीं पार । तुका म्हणे आमुचा दातार । भवसागर तारील हा ॥५॥

Literal translation

Very-beginning — Lambōdarasakaḷa-siddhi-dātāracaturbhuja paraśu-dharapāra doesn't fit. Deva — Gaurī-bāḷaghāgariyā ghōḷaNārada-Tumbara mēḷavighnas fled. Naṭa-ārambha ranga set — bhujā nācavīanga haltssēndura-vilēpana cāngamukuṭa nāga shines. Dēva-ṛṣi-muni — eyes not enough — asura at feet — ādi-avasāna He alone. Sakaḷa-siddhi-dātārarūpa no pāra. Tuka says: our dātārabhava-sāgara saves.

मराठी: प्रथमारंभीं लंबोदर — सकळ सिद्धींचा दातार — चतुर्भुज फरशधर — न कळे पार वर्णितां. तो देव नटला गौरीबाळ — पायीं बांधोनि घागर्‍यां घोळ — नारदतुंबरसहित मेळ — सुटला पळ विघ्नांसी. नटारंभी थाटियला रंग — भुजा नाचवी हालवी अंग — सेंदुरविलेपनें चांग — मुगुटीं नाग मिरविला. देव ॠषि मुनी पाहातां न पुरें डोळियां — असुर जयाच्या चरणीं — आदीं अवसानीं तो चि एक. तुकाराम म्हणतां — आमुचा दातार — भवसागर तारील हा.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
प्रथमारंभीं लंबोदर "very-beginning Lambōdara"
सकळ सिद्धींचा दातार "sakaḷa-siddhi-dātāra"
चतुर्भुज फरशधर "caturbhuja paraśu-dhara"
न कळे पार वर्णितां "pāra doesn't fit"
तो देव नटला गौरीबाळ "deva — Gaurī-bāḷa"
पायीं बांधोनि घागर्‍यां घोळ "ghāgariyā ghōḷa"
नारदतुंबरसहित मेळ "Nārada-Tumbara mēḷa"
सुटला पळ विघ्नांसी "vighnas fled"
नटारंभी थाटियला रंग "naṭa-ārambharanga set"
भुजा नाचवी हालवी अंग "bhujā nācavīanga halts"
सेंदुरविलेपनें चांग "sēndura-vilēpana cānga"
मुगुटीं नाग मिरविला "mukuṭa nāga — shines"
देव ॠषि मुनी पाहातां न पुरें डोळियां "dēva-ṛṣi-muni — eyes not enough"
आदीं अवसानीं तो चि एक "ādi-avasāna — He alone"
आमुचा दातार भवसागर तारील "our dātārabhava-sāgara saves"

What it means

A prathamārambha-Lambōdara-Gaurī-bāḷa-bhava-sāgara-saves abhang. Five-verse Gaṇēśa-prayer companion to 0609. Five claims:

  1. प्रथमारंभीं लंबोदर — सकळ सिद्धींचा दातार — चतुर्भुज फरशधर — न कळे पार वर्णितांopening-claim: prathamārambha (very-beginning), Lambōdara (big-bellied = Gaṇēśa);sakaḷa-siddhi-dātāra(giver of all-perfections); caturbhuja (four-armed), paraśu-dhara (axe-bearing);pāra(limit) doesn't fit when described. Gaṇēśa-as-siddhi-giver-beyond-description.

  2. तो देव नटला गौरीबाळ — पायीं बांधोनि घागर्‍यां घोळ — नारदतुंबरसहित मेळ — सुटला पळ विघ्नांसीdeva-as-Gaurī-bāḷa: the deva becameGaurī-bāḷa(Gaurī's-child); feet bound withghāgariyā(anklet-bells),ghōḷa(rolling-clatter); Nārada-Tumbara mēḷa (band of musicians);vighnasfled. Child-Gaṇēśa-with-anklets-and-musical-band; vighnas-flee.

  3. नटारंभी थाटियला रंग — भुजा नाचवी हालवी अंग — सेंदुरविलेपनें चांग — मुगुटीं नाग मिरविलाGaṇēśa-dance-and-iconography: innaṭa-ārambha(drama-opening), ranga (atmosphere) is set;bhujā nācavī(arms danced),anga halts(body sways); sēndura-vilēpana (sindūra-anointing) is cānga (fine);on the mukuṭa, a nāga (snake) miravilā (shines / decorates).Dancing-Gaṇēśa with the iconographic-marks: sindūra, snake-on-crown.

  4. जया मानवतीदेव ॠषि मुनी — पाहातां न पुरें डोळियां धनी — असुर जयाच्या चरणीं — आदीं अवसानीं तो चि एकwho is honored by all: dēva-ṛṣi-muni honor Him;eyes are not satisfied (na purē) seeing Him;at His caraṇa are the asura (in submission);ādi-avasāna(beginning-and-end) — He alone. All-honor-Him; eyes-can't-get-enough; even-asuras-at-His-feet; from-beginning-to-end-He-is-One.

  5. सकळां सिद्धींचा दातार — जयाच्या रूपा नाहीं पार — तुका म्हणे आमुचा दातार — भवसागर तारील हाclosing-our-dātāra-claim: sakaḷa-siddhi-dātāra; rūpa has no pāra; Tuka says: ourdātāra; (He) will save thebhava-sāgara. Gaṇēśa-as-our-savior-of-bhava-sāgara. (Tukaram-distinctively-makes Gaṇēśa-the-bhava-sāgara-saver, normally Viṣṇu's-role.)

[T]

For someone today

This is another opening prayer to Ganesha, the big-bellied giver of every accomplishment, so vast in form that words cannot capture him fully. Tukaram pictures him as Gauri's playful child, anklet-bells jingling on his feet, dancing with Narada and Tumbara's band of musicians while every obstacle simply flees before him. Gods, sages, and even demons bow at his feet, and no one can look their fill of his radiant, sindur-anointed form with the snake shining on his crown. Tukaram closes by calling Ganesha his own provider, the one who will carry him across the ocean of worldly life, a role usually reserved for Vishnu.

मराठी: ही आणखी एक गणेशाला केलेली प्रारंभ-प्रार्थना आहे, तो सर्व सिद्धी देणारा, इतका विशाल की शब्दांत त्याचं वर्णनच मावत नाही. तुकाराम त्याला गौरीचं खेळकर बाळ म्हणून चित्रित करतात, पायात घागऱ्यांची घुंगरं वाजवत, नारद-तुंबरांच्या वाद्यमेळ्यासोबत नाचणारा, ज्याच्यासमोर प्रत्येक विघ्न पळून जातं. देव, ऋषी आणि अगदी असुरसुद्धा त्याच्या चरणी नतमस्तक होतात, आणि त्याचं तेजस्वी, शेंदूर लावलेलं आणि मुकुटावर नाग मिरवणारं रूप पाहून डोळे तृप्त होत नाहीत. शेवटी तुकाराम गणेशाला आपला दाता म्हणतात, जो त्यांना भवसागरातून पार नेईल, ही भूमिका सहसा विष्णूची मानली जाते.

Where this applies

Related verses