संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1274 of 4582

Abhanga 1274

For today: when you're paradesi with no jīvalaga in sight, all directions vōsa — that very desolation is the bhakta's cintā about Hari himself.

When you're the paradesi-bhakta with no jīvalaga in sight, looking at the road for any mūḷa — sakaḷa hī vōsā before the eye

The verse

आपुले गांवींचें न देखेसें जालें । परदेसी एकलें किती कंठूं ॥१॥ म्हणऊनि पाहें मूळ येतां वाटे । जीवलग भेटे कोणी तरी ॥ध्रु.॥ पाहातां अवघ्या दिसतील दिशा । सकळ ही वोसा दृष्टीपुढें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे कोणी न संगे वारता । तुझी वाटे चिंता पांडुरंगा ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: Those of my own gāmva — no longer seen — paradesi, alone — how long can I bear? Therefore I look at the road for the mūḷa coming — that some jīvalaga might meet (me). Looking — all directions appear — all vōsa before the dṛṣṭi. Tuka says: no one tells (me) the news — your cintā arises, Pāṇḍuranga.

मराठी: आपल्या गांवांतले — दिसेनासे झाले — परदेसी, एकटा — किती कंठूं? म्हणून मी पाहतों — मूळ येतां — वाटेवरी — कोणी तरी जीवलग भेटे. पाहतां — अवघ्या दिशा दिसतात — पण सकळ-च वोसा — दृष्टी-पुढें. Tukā म्हणे — कोणी वार्ता संगत नाहीं — तुझी चिंता वाटे, पांडुरंगा.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
आपुले गांवींचें न देखेसें जालें "those of my own gāmva — no longer seen"
परदेसी एकलें किती कंठूं "paradesi (in foreign land), ēkalē (alone) — how long can I bear (kaṇṭhū)?"
म्हणऊनि पाहें मूळ येतां वाटे "therefore I look — for the mūḷa coming on the road"
जीवलग भेटे कोणी तरी "(that) some jīvalaga (close-one) — meet (me)"
पाहातां अवघ्या दिसतील दिशा "looking — all directions appear"
सकळ ही वोसा दृष्टीपुढें "all (are) vōsa (empty) — before the dṛṣṭi (eye)"
कोणी न संगे वारता "no one tells (me) the vāratā (news)"
तुझी वाटे चिंता पांडुरंगा "your cintā arises, Pāṇḍuranga"

What it means

Paradesi-ēkalē abhang — mūḷa-image echoing back to the Sāsuravāsa cluster (1248).

The bhakta is the paradesi (foreign-lander) — not from this gāmva, no jīvalaga (close-companion) in sight. The phrase āpulē gāmvīcēm na dēkhēsē jālēmthose of my own gāmva are no longer to be seen — names the spiritual exile: my people are not visible here.

The familiar warkari image returns: pāhē mūḷa yētām vāṭēI look at the road for the mūḷa coming. Mūḷa = the family-messenger sent to fetch the bride home. Here, even one jīvalaga (close-one) bringing news from the gāmva would be enough.

Pāhātām avaghyā disatīla diśā — sakaḷa hī vōsā dṛṣṭī-puḍhēlooking — all directions appear — all are vōsa (empty) before the eye. The 360-degree desolation. The bhakta's eyes scan the horizon and find no kin anywhere.

The closing turn is striking: kōṇī na sangē vāratā — tujhī vāṭē cintā Pāṇḍurangāno one tells me the news — and (so) your cintā arises, Pāṇḍuranga. The bhakta's cintā about Pāṇḍuranga is rooted in the absence of news about him — Pāṇḍuranga's silence in the gāmva's silence.

[T]

For someone today

For today: when you're paradesi with no jīvalaga in sight, all directions vōsa — that very desolation is the bhakta's cintā about Hari himself.

Where this applies

Related verses