Abhanga 1357
For today: for the fortunate, this is the work — vaikharī measures the nāma; ānanda nourishes the body, listeners uplift in sanga; sukāḷa at the pangati; daṇḍavata to the acharyas.
The verse
भाग्यवंतां हें चि काम । मापी नाम वैखरी ॥१॥ आनंदाची पुष्टी अंगीं । श्रोते संगीं उद्धरती ॥ध्रु.॥ पिकविलें तया खाणें किती । पंगतीस सुकाळ ॥२॥ तुका करी प्रणिपात । दंडवत आचारियां ॥३॥
Literal translation
For the bhāgya-vanta — this very is the work — vaikharī measures the nāma. Ānanda's puṣṭi on the body — śrōtas in the sanga uddharatī. What was pikavilē — eating it — how much? — sukāḷa at the pangati. Tuka does praṇipāta — daṇḍavata to the acharyas.
मराठी: भाग्यवंतांचें — हें-च काम — वैखरी मापी नाम. आनंदाची पुष्टि अंगीं — श्रोते संगीं उद्धरती. पिकविलें तें खाणें किती — पंगतीस सुकाळ. Tukā करी प्रणिपात — दंडवत — आचारियांना.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| भाग्यवंतां हें चि काम | "for the bhāgya-vanta (fortunate) — this very is the work" |
| मापी नाम वैखरी | "vaikharī (= articulated speech, the lowest of the four levels of vāc) — measures (māpī) — the nāma" |
| आनंदाची पुष्टी अंगीं | "ānanda's puṣṭi (nourishment) — on the body (angīm)" |
| श्रोते संगीं उद्धरती | "the śrōtas (= listeners) — in the sanga — uddhara-tī (are-uplifted)" |
| पिकविलें तया खाणें किती | "what was harvested (pikavilēm) — eating it (khāṇē) — how much (kitī)?" |
| पंगतीस सुकाळ | "at the pangati (= table-row) — sukāḷa (abundance)" |
| तुका करी प्रणिपात | "Tuka does praṇipāta (full bow / supplication)" |
| दंडवत आचारियां | "daṇḍavata (full prostration) — to the ācāriyām (acharyas / teachers)" |
What it means
Closing-respect-to-acharyas abhang. The opening: bhāgyavantām hē chi kāma — māpī nāma vaikharī — for thebhāgya-vanta— this very is the work —vaikharī(= the articulated speech, thefourth-and-lowest level of vāc) measures the nāma. The fortunate ones' single occupation: measuring (= weighing, voicing, telling-out) the nāma with vaikharī.
Ānandāci puṣṭi angīm — śrōtē sangīm uddharatī — ānanda's puṣṭi (= nourishment) on the body — theśrōtas(listeners) — in the sanga —uddharatī(are uplifted). The kīrtana-singer's body shows ānanda's puṣṭi; the listeners (the śrōtas — the kīrtana-audience) are uplifted-in-sanga. Both — the singer and the listeners — gain.
Pikavilē tayā khāṇē kitī — pamgatīsa sukāḷa — what waspikavilē(= harvested / cooked) — eating it —how much? —sukāḷa(abundance) at thepangati(= the table-row). The harvested-and-cooked food is abundant; how much can each eat? — at the pangati (the warkari-table where the meal is served), sukāḷa (overflowing-abundance).
The closing: Tukā karī praṇipāta — daṇḍavata ācāriyām — Tuka doespraṇipāta—daṇḍavatato theācāriyām.Praṇipāta(formal bow) anddaṇḍavata(full body-on-the-ground prostration) to theācāryas(the teachers, the warkari-acharya tradition). Tukaram closes the abhang in the gesture of full prostration to theteaching-lineage.
[T]
For someone today
For today: for the fortunate, this is the work — vaikharī measures the nāma; ānanda nourishes the body, listeners uplift in sanga; sukāḷa at the pangati; daṇḍavata to the acharyas.
Where this applies
- When you are singing or chanting in a group and feel self-conscious about showing your joy openly
- When you host or attend a communal meal and notice how sharing food changes the mood of everyone at the table
- When you feel uplifted by being near people who are joyfully devoted, even if you did nothing yourself
- When you succeed at something spiritual or creative and are tempted to forget the teachers who shaped you