Abhanga 1333
For today: call Viṭṭhala, see Viṭṭhala, make Viṭṭhala your jīva-bhāva — the body fills with Him, kāma-krōdha empty their own house.
The verse
बोलावा विठ्ठल पाहावा विठ्ठल । करावा विठ्ठल जीवभाव ॥१॥ येणें सोसें मन जालें हांवभरी । परती माघारी घेत नाहीं ॥ध्रु.॥ बंधनापासूनि उकलली गांठी । देतां आली मिठी सावकाशें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे देह भारिला विठ्ठलें । कामक्रोधें केलें घर रितें ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Call Viṭṭhala — see Viṭṭhala — make Viṭṭhala (your) jīva-bhāva. By this yearning, the mind has become yearning-full — does not take a returning-back step. The bandhana-knot has been opened — embracing came at sāvakāśa. Tuka says: the body has been filled by Viṭṭhala — kāma-krōdha emptied (its) house.
मराठी: बोलावा विठ्ठल — पाहावा विठ्ठल — करावा विठ्ठल — जीव-भाव. येणें सोसानें — मन हांव-भरी झालें — परती-माघारी घेत नाहीं. बंधनापासूनि — गांठी उकलली — मिठी सावकाशें देतां आली. Tukā म्हणे — देह विठ्ठलानें भारिला — काम-क्रोधानें घर रिकामें केलें.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| बोलावा विठ्ठल पाहावा विठ्ठल | "call (bōlāvā) Viṭṭhala — see (pāhāvā) Viṭṭhala" |
| करावा विठ्ठल जीवभाव | "make (karāvā) Viṭṭhala — (your) jīva-bhāva" |
| येणें सोसें मन जालें हांवभरी | "by this sōsa (yearning) — the mind has become hāmva-bharī (yearning-full)" |
| परती माघारी घेत नाहीं | "doesn't take a paratī-māghārī (returning-back) step" |
| बंधनापासूनि उकलली गांठी | "from the bandhana — the gāṇṭhī (knot) — has been opened (ukalalī)" |
| देतां आली मिठी सावकाशें | "embracing — came (ālī) — at sāvakāśa (with leisure)" |
| देह भारिला विठ्ठलें | "the body — has been bhārilā (filled) — by Viṭṭhala" |
| कामक्रोधें केलें घर रितें | "(this) emptied the house of kāma-krōdha" |
What it means
THE bōlāvā-pāhāvā-karāvā Viṭṭhala abhang — among the most-recited warkari kīrtana-lines.
The triple-imperative is built on a tight Marathi-grammatical pattern: three verbs in vidhyartha (let-it-be-done) form, each governing Viṭṭhala as object:
- Bōlāvā Viṭṭhala — call Viṭṭhala (with the voice — kīrtana, japa, nāma-smaraṇa)
- Pāhāvā Viṭṭhala — see Viṭṭhala (with the eye — darśana, dhyāna, mūrti-pūjā)
- Karāvā Viṭṭhala jīva-bhāva — make Viṭṭhala your jīva-bhāva (= make him the very bhāva of your jīva — your essential life-feeling)
This triple — call-see-be — covers vāk, cakṣus, antaḥkaraṇa (speech, eye, inner-instrument). All three faculties Viṭṭhala-bound.
The dhruva: yēṇē sōsē mana jālēm hāmva-bharī — paratī māghārī ghēta nāhīm — by this sōsa (yearning), the mind has become hāmva-bharī (yearning-full) — and does not take a returning-back step. Hāmva-bharī — fully-aroused-and-yearning — the mind that has tasted Viṭṭhala-bhāva can't re-step back into worldliness.
The closing image: bandhanāpāsūnī ukalalī gāṇṭhī — dētām ālī miṭhī sāvakāśē — the bandhana-knot has been opened from the bandhana itself; embracing came at sāvakāśa (with leisure). The knot of samsāric-bondage opens; the embrace of Viṭṭhala comes naturally.
Deha bhārilā Viṭṭhalē — kāma-krōdhē kēlē ghara ritē — the body has been filled by Viṭṭhala — (and so) kāma-krōdha have emptied (their) house. When Viṭṭhala fills the deha, kāma-krōdha have nowhere to dwell — they leave the house empty.
[T]
For someone today
For today: call Viṭṭhala, see Viṭṭhala, make Viṭṭhala your jīva-bhāva — the body fills with Him, kāma-krōdha empty their own house.
Where this applies
- Call-Viṭṭhala-see-Viṭṭhala-make-Viṭṭhala-jīva-bhāva.* Triple-imperative.
- Yearning-full-mind-no-going-back.* Hāmva-bharī-paratī-māghārī.
- Bandhana-knot-opens-embrace-comes.* Ukalalī-gāṇṭhī-miṭhī-sāvakāśē.
- Viṭṭhala-fills-body-kāma-krōdha-empty-house.* Bhārilā-Viṭṭhalē-ghara-ritē.