संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 746 of 4582

Abhanga 746

English: Viṭṭhal — nāvāḍā — phukācā — āḷavilyā — exchange — vāca.

When Viṭṭhal is the boatman for free — and you have to recognize this register
When hands at hip, stands without sitting, doesn't look at provisions or caste — and you accept this image
When meets immediately on call — and you receive this final image

The verse

विठ्ठल नावाडा फुकाचा । आळविल्या साटीं वाचा ॥१॥ कटीं कर जैसे तैसे । उभा राहिला न बैसे ॥ध्रु.॥ न पाहे सिदोरी । जाती कुळ न विचारी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे भेटी । हाका देतां उठाउठीं ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Viṭṭhal — nāvāḍāphukācāāḷavilyā — exchange — vāca. Kaṭi-kara — just-so — ubhā — stands — na baisē. Doesn't see — sidōrījāti-kuḷa — not — consider. Tuka says: bhēṭīhākāuṭhā-uṭhīm.

मराठी: विठ्ठल नावाडा फुकाचा — वाचेने आळविल्या-साठीं. कटीं कर जैसे तैसे — उभा राहिला, न-बैसे. सिदोरी न पाहे — जाति-कुळ न विचारी. Tuka म्हणे: भेटी — हाका दिली की उठा-उठीं.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
विठ्ठल नावाडा फुकाचा "Viṭṭhal — nāvāḍāphukācā"
आळविल्या साटीं वाचा "āḷavilyā — exchange — vāca"
कटीं कर जैसे तैसे "kaṭi-kara — just-so"
उभा राहिला न बैसे "ubhā — stands — na baisē"
न पाहे सिदोरी "doesn't see — sidōrī"
जाती कुळ न विचारी "jāti-kuḷa — not — consider"
भेटी हाका देतां उठाउठीं "bhēṭīhākāuṭhā-uṭhīm"

What it means

A Viṭṭhal-boatman-for-free-hands-at-hip-stands-no-jāti-meets-immediately-on-call abhang. Viṭṭhal-the-cheap-ferry register. Three claims:

  1. विठ्ठल नावाडा फुकाचा — वाचेने आळविल्या-साठीं — कटीं-कर — उभा-राहिला-न-बैसे. Viṭṭhal-free-boatman-stands-claim. Viṭṭhal is a nāvāḍā (boatman, ferryman)phukācā (for-free, no-cost); in exchange-for-being-āḷavilyā (called, addressed) by the vāca; with hands at the kaṭi, just-so; He has ubhā rāhilā (stood-up) — na baisē (doesn't sit-down). Free-boatman-standing-ready*.

  2. सिदोरी-न-पाहे — जाति-कुळ-न-विचारी. No-provisions-no-jāti-claim. He doesn't look at the sidōrī (food-bundle, the traveller's-pouch — i.e., He doesn't ask if you have what to pay or eat); doesn't consider jāti (caste, race) or kuḷa (lineage). No-fare-no-caste-restriction.

  3. Tuka: भेटी — हाका-देतां — उठा-उठीं. Meets-immediately-on-call-claim. Tuka says: the bhēṭī (meeting); when hākā (calls) are given; uṭhā-uṭhīm (on-rising — i.e., immediately-as-the-call-rises, the moment-it-leaves-the-mouth). Meets-immediately-on-call.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the Viṭṭhal-the-cheap-ferry register:

  1. Viṭṭhal is a free boatman; in exchange for being called. Free-boatman.

  2. Hands at hip; stands without sitting; doesn't look at provisions or caste. Standing-ready-no-restriction.

  3. Meets immediately on call. Immediate-on-call.

For today: Viṭṭhal is the free boatman who crosses for-no-fee — only-in-exchange-for-being-called; He stands with hands-at-hip and doesn't-sit-down — always-ready-to-ferry; doesn't look at sidōrī or jāti-kuḷa; meets immediately when called.

This abhang is Tukaram's Viṭṭhal-the-cheap-ferry-and-meets-on-call registerone of the most-confidence-building Viṭhṭhal-images. Compare 0710 bhava-sindhu-Pāṇḍuranga-ferry (Tuka's mudra); same Pandharī-as-ferry but here organized through free-no-fee-no-caste-meets-on-call. The phukācā nāvāḍā (free boatman) is one of Tukaram's most-Vārkarī-friendly Viṭhṭhal-images*.

मराठी: ही ओवी Viṭṭhal-the-cheap-ferry register नाव सांगते:

  1. Viṭṭhal नावाडा फुकाचा; वाच-आळविल्याच्या-बदल्यात. Free-boatman.

  2. कटीं-कर; उभा-न-बैसे; sidōrī-jāti-कुळ-न-विचारी. Standing-ready-no-restriction.

  3. हाका-दिली-की उठा-उठीं भेटी. Immediate-on-call.

आज: Viṭṭhal free boatman — no-fee — फक्त-called-बदल्यात; कटीं-कर, उभा-न-बैसे — always-ready-to-ferry; sidōrī किंवा jāti-kuḷa न-पाहे; Call-केली-की-immediately-meets*.

Tukaram च-Viṭṭhal-the-cheap-ferry-and-meets-on-call-registerMost-confidence-building Viṭhṭhal-images पैकी एक. 0710 bhava-sindhu-Pāṇḍuranga-ferry (Tuka mudra) compare; तीच Pandharī-as-ferry पण इथे free-no-fee-no-caste-meets-on-call च्या मार्गाने. Phukācā nāvāḍā Tukaram च्या most-Vārkarī-friendly Viṭhṭhal-images पैकी एक.

Where this applies

Related verses