Abhanga 1308
After waiting faithfully with open hands, it's alright to ask directly for love to become mutual and for the distance between you to finally close.
The verse
पाहातोसी काय । आतां पुढें करीं पाय ॥१॥ वरि ठेवूं दे मस्तक । ठेलों जोडूनि हस्तक ॥ध्रु.॥ बरवें करीं सम । नको भंगों देऊं प्रेम ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे चला । पुढती सामोरे विठ्ठला ॥३॥
Literal translation
What are you looking at? — now bring (your) feet forward. Let me place (my) head on them — I have stood with joined hands. Make (us) good and equal — don't let prēma break. Tuka says: come face-to-face, Viṭṭhalā.
मराठी: पाहातोसी काय? — आतां पुढें पाय कर — मला त्यांवर मस्तक ठेवूं दे — हस्त जोडून ठेलों आहें. बरवें कर — सम-अधिक — प्रेम भंगूं देऊं नकोस. Tukā म्हणे — पुढती (पुढें-च) ये — सामोरें — विठ्ठला.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| पाहातोसी काय | "what are you looking at?" |
| आतां पुढें करीं पाय | "now — bring (your) feet forward (puḍhē karīm)" |
| वरि ठेवूं दे मस्तक | "let me place (my) head on (them) above (vari)" |
| ठेलों जोडूनि हस्तक | "I have stood — with joined (jōḍūnī) hands (hastaka)" |
| बरवें करीं सम | "make (us) baravē (good) and sama (equal)" |
| नको भंगों देऊं प्रेम | "don't let prēma break (bhangō)" |
| पुढती सामोरे विठ्ठला | "come face-to-face (sāmōrē), Viṭṭhalā" |
What it means
Bring-your-feet-forward abhang. The opening is the bhakta's gentle impatience: pāhātōsī kāya — ātām puḍhē karīm pāya — what are you looking at? — now bring your feet forward. The bhakta has been standing with jōḍūnī hastaka (joined hands) waiting for darśana; Hari has been looking but not yet bringing the feet forward.
The plea: baravēm karīm sama — nakō bhangōm dē'ūm prēma — make us good (baravē) and equal (sama) — don't let prēma break. Sama (equal / matched) is the bhāva-state in which bhakta-and-Hari are paired. Bhangō nakō — don't break (the prēma).
The closing — calā — puḍhatī sāmōrē Viṭṭhalā — come — face-to-face, Viṭṭhalā. Imperative calā (come / move) addressed to Hari himself — the bhakta has waited; now come.
[T]
For someone today
For today: don't just look — bring your feet forward; let me place my head; don't let prēma break; come face-to-face.
Where this applies
- When you've been faithfully waiting for someone or something and feel ready to ask them to finally meet you halfway
- When a relationship, even with God, has become one-sided and you want it to feel mutual again
- When you're afraid a love or bond you care about is quietly slipping away and want to speak up before it breaks
- When you feel it's time to stop waiting patiently and instead ask directly for closeness