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 938 of 4582

Abhanga 938

English: Viṭhō — hātī — gati.

When one way is known to catch Viṭhō by hand; don't fear — and you have to recognize this register
When speak the piteous-cry; He comes to hand — and you accept this image
When only-by-bhāva-baḷa rarely; but in Vaiṣṇava-mēḷa He stands at the call — and you allow this image

The verse

विठो सांपडावया हातीं । ठावी जाली एक गती । न धरीं भय चित्तीं । बळ किती तयाचें ॥१॥ लागे आपण चि हातीं । किंव भाकावी काकुलती । करी मग चित्तीं । असेल तें तयाचें ॥ध्रु.॥ एकलिया भावबळें । कैं सांपडे तो काळें । वैष्णवांच्या मेळें। उभा ठाके हाकेसी ॥२॥ बांधा माझिया जीवासी । तुका म्हणे प्रेमपाशीं । न सोडीं तयासी । सर्वस्वासी उदार ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Viṭhō — hātīgati. Bhaya — none. Baḷa — His. Āpaṇa cihātī. Kīmva-kākulatīcitti — His. Bhāva-baḷakāḷē. Vaiṣṇava-mēḷaubhāhāka. Tuka says: bind — jīvāprema-pāśaudāra.

मराठी: Viṭhō हातीं सांपडावया एक गती ठावी जाली — चित्तीं भय न धरीं — त्याचें बळ किती?. आपण-च हातीं लागे — कीव-काकुलती भाकावी — मग त्याच्या चित्तीं असेल ते करी. एकलियां भाव-बळें — कैं काळें सांपडे? — Vaiṣṇavāñcyā मेळें — हाकेसी उभा ठाके. Tuka म्हणे: माझ्या जीवाला प्रेम-पाशीं बांधा — सोडीं त्याला नकाहीं — सर्वस्वासी उदार आहे.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
विठो सांपडावया हातीं "Viṭhō — sāmpaḍāvayāhātī"
ठावी जाली एक गती "ṭhāvīgati"
न धरीं भय चित्तीं "bhayacitta"
बळ किती तयाचें "baḷa — His"
लागे आपण चि हातीं "āpaṇa cihātī"
किंव भाकावी काकुलती "kīmva-kākulatī"
करी मग चित्तीं असेल तें तयाचें "citti — His"
एकलिया भावबळें "bhāva-baḷa"
कैं सांपडे तो काळें "sāmpaḍēkāḷē"
वैष्णवांच्या मेळें "Vaiṣṇava-mēḷa"
उभा ठाके हाकेसी "ubhāhāka"
बांधा माझिया जीवासी प्रेमपाशीं "bind — jīvāprema-pāśa"
न सोडीं तयासी सर्वस्वासी उदार "udāra"

What it means

A one-way-to-catch-Viṭhō-by-hand-don't-fear-no-resistance-He-comes-to-hand-speak-piteous-cry-then-His-will-only-by-bhāva-baḷa-rare-but-in-Vaiṣṇava-mēḷa-He-stands-at-the-call-bind-my-jīva-with-prema-pāśa-don't-release-generous-to-all abhang. Catch-Viṭhō-by-piteous-cry-or-Vaiṣṇava-mēḷa register. Three claims:

  1. विठो-सांपडावया-गती-ठावी — भय-नकाहीं — बळ-त्याचें-किती — आपण-हातीं-लागे — कीव-काकुलती-भाकावी. He-comes-to-hand-on-piteous-cry-claim. One gati known to catch Viṭhō; don't bhaya — what baḷa (resistance) is His?; He himself comes to hand; speak the kīmva-kākulatī*; then-whatever-is-in-His-citta gets done.

  2. एकलिया-भाव-बळें-कैं-काळें-सांपडे — Vaiṣṇava-मेळें-हाकेसी-उभा. Vaiṣṇava-mēḷa-instant-claim. By bhāva-baḷa alone, when does He get caught in kāḷa?; but in the Vaiṣṇava-mēḷa, He stands at the very *hāka. Vaiṣṇava-sanga-makes-it-instant.

  3. Tuka: प्रेम-पाशीं-जीव-बांधा — सोडीं-नकाहीं — सर्वस्वासी-उदार. Bind-with-prema-pāśa-claim. Tuka says: bind my jīva with prema-pāśa; don't release Him; (He is) udāra to sarvasvāsi. Bind-Him-with-love-don't-let-Him-go.

[T]

For someone today

This abhang names the catch-Viṭhō-by-piteous-cry-or-Vaiṣṇava-mēḷa register:

  1. One way to catch Viṭhō; don't fear — no resistance; piteous-cry brings Him. Easy-to-catch.

  2. Bhāva-baḷa alone is rare; but in Vaiṣṇava-mēḷa He stands at the call. Mēḷa-instant.

  3. Bind my jīva with prema-pāśa; don't release; He is generous to all. Bind-with-prema.

For today: one gati known to catch Viṭhō; no bhaya, no baḷa; speak kīmva-kākulatī, He comes to hand; bhāva-baḷa alone is rare; Vaiṣṇava-mēḷa — instant-call; bind my jīva with prema-pāśa; don't release; udāra to sarvasvāsi*.

This abhang is Tukaram's catch-Viṭhō-by-piteous-cry-or-Vaiṣṇava-mēḷa registerone of the most-precise easy-catch statements. Compare 0922 take-me-where-saints-have-gone-fulfill-lāḍa (Tuka's mudra); same saint-mediation but here organized as easy-catch-method. The bāndhā prema-pāśīm (bind with prema-pāśa) is the precise lover's-rope image*.

मराठी: ही ओवी catch-Viṭhō-by-piteous-cry-or-Vaiṣṇava-mēḷa register नाव सांगते:

  1. कीव-काकुलती; हातीं-लागे. Easy-to-catch.

  2. Vaiṣṇava-मेळ-हाकेसी. Mēḷa-instant.

  3. प्रेम-पाशीं-बांधा. Bind-with-prema.

आज: Viṭhōgati एकच; bhaya नकाहीं; baḷa त्याचं काय?; Kīmva-kākulatīhātī lāgē; Bhāva-baḷa एकले rarely — Vaiṣṇava-mēḷa — instant; Jīva prema-pāśa-त bāndhā; सोडीं नकाहीं.

Tukaram च-catch-Viṭhō-by-piteous-cry-or-Vaiṣṇava-mēḷa-registerMost-precise easy-catch statements पैकी एक. 0922 (Tuka mudra) compare; तीच saint-mediation पण इथे easy-catch-method च्या मार्गाने. Bāndhā prema-pāśīm precise lover's-rope image.

Where this applies

Related verses