संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1239 of 4582

Abhanga 1239

For today: bhāva-power makes the cosmic-immense small enough for embrace; saints described the dhyāna; ask for the darśana with eyes-on-feet and hands joined.

When you wake the deity and remember saints' description of his form — by bhāva-power he became small enough for embrace; fulfill my ārta

The verse

भावबळें कैसा जालासी लाहान । मागें संतीं ध्यान वर्णियेलें ॥१॥ तें मज उचित करूनियां देवा । दाखवीं केशवा मायबापा ॥ध्रु.॥ पाहोनियां डोळां बोलेन मी गोष्टी । आळंगुनि मिठी देइन पांयीं ॥२॥ चरणीं दृष्टी उभा राहेन समोर । जोडोनियां कर पुढें दोन्ही ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे उत्कंठित वासना । पुरवीं नारायणा आर्त माझें ॥४॥

Literal translation

English: By bhāva-power how you became small — saints before described the dhyāna. Make that auspicious for me, Deva — show (yourself), Kēśava, mayabāpa. Having seen with eyes, I will speak matters; embracing, I'll give miṭhī at the feet. Eyes on feet, I'll stand before you, both hands joined forward. Tuka says: utkanthita vāsanā — fulfill my ārta, Nārāyaṇa.

मराठी: भाव-बळानें कसा लाहान (छोटा) झालास — मागें संतांनीं हा ध्यान वर्णिला. तें मला उचित करून, देवा, दाखव — केशवा, मायबापा. डोळ्यांनीं पाहून मी (हृदयांतल्या) गोष्टी सांगेन — आलिंगून, पायांना मिठी देईन. चरणीं दृष्टि — समोर उभा राहेन — दोन्हीं हात पुढें जोडून. Tukā म्हणे — उत्कंठित वासना — आर्त — हें पुरव, नारायणा.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
भावबळें कैसा जालासी लाहान "by bhāva-power, how (= such) you became lāhāna (small)"
मागें संतीं ध्यान वर्णियेलें "before, the saints described the dhyāna"
तें मज उचित करूनियां देवा "make that ucita (auspicious) for me, Deva"
दाखवीं केशवा मायबापा "show, Kēśava, mayabāpa"
पाहोनियां डोळां बोलेन मी गोष्टी "having seen with eyes, I will speak gōṣṭī"
आळंगुनि मिठी देइन पांयीं "embracing, I will give miṭhī (clasp) at the feet"
चरणीं दृष्टी उभा राहेन समोर "eyes on feet, I will stand in front (samōra)"
जोडोनियां कर पुढें दोन्ही "joining both hands forward"
उत्कंठित वासना "utkanthita (longing-anguished) vāsanā"
पुरवीं नारायणा आर्त माझें "fulfill, Nārāyaṇa, my ārta (urgent request)"

What it means

Opens the Bhupāḷyā ॥८॥ sub-series. Bhupāḷyā are the morning wake-up songs sung at dawn for the deity in the temple. This first one establishes the mode: bhāva-baḷē jālā-sī lāhānaby the bhakta's bhāva-power, you (the cosmic-immense) became small (lāhāna) enough for embrace. The bhakti-paradox: cosmic-immense lover, contracted to embraceable size by the lover's longing.

The bhakta's planned posture is precise — three actions to be performed at darśana: 1. Pāhōniyām ḍōḷām bōlēna — having seen with eyes, speak the heart's matters 2. Āḷanguni miṭhī dē'in pāyīm — embracing, clasp the feet 3. Caraṇīm dṛṣṭī ubhā samōra — kara dōnnhī jōḍunī — eyes-on-feet, stand before, both hands joined

The closing utkanthita vāsanā — puravīm ārtaanguished-longing — fulfill the urgent need, Nārāyaṇa — sets the bhupāḷyā mood: the bhakta has already kept vigil all night.

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For someone today

For today: bhāva-power makes the cosmic-immense small enough for embrace; saints described the dhyāna; ask for the darśana with eyes-on-feet and hands joined.

Where this applies

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