Abhanga 1381
Ask others to join you in remembrance now, because time is slipping away, and know that whatever seems to trap you actually has no real hold on you.
The verse
वेळोवेळां हें चि सांगें । दान मागें जगासि ॥१॥ विठ्ठल हे मंगळवाणी । घेऊं धणी पंगती ॥ध्रु.॥ वेचतसे पळें पळ । केलें बळ पाहिजे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे दुश्चित नका । राहों फुका नाड हा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Time-to-time, I say only this — I beg dāna from the world. Viṭṭhala is the mangaḷa-vāṇī — let's take the dhaṇī at the pangati. Paḷa-by-paḷa is being spent — strength must be made. Tuka says: don't stay duścita — this snare is phukā.
मराठी: वेळो-वेळां हें-च सांगें — जगाला दान मागें. विठ्ठल हें मंगळ-वाणी — पंगतीं धणी घेऊं. पळें-पळ वेचत आहे — बळ केलें पाहिजे. Tukā म्हणे — दुश्चित नका — राहूं — फुका — हा नाड (फास).
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| वेळोवेळां हें चि सांगें | "time-to-time — I say only this" |
| दान मागें जगासि | "I beg (māgēm) — dāna — from the jaga (world)" |
| विठ्ठल हे मंगळवाणी | "Viṭṭhala is — the mangaḷa-vāṇī (auspicious-speech)" |
| घेऊं धणी पंगती | "let's take the dhaṇī (brimming-fill) — at the pangati (table-row)" |
| वेचतसे पळें पळ | "paḷa-by-paḷa (= moment-by-moment) — is being spent (vēcatasē)" |
| केलें बळ पाहिजे | "baḷa (strength) — must be made (kēlē-pāhijē)" |
| दुश्चित नका राहों | "do not (nakō) — stay (rāhōm) — duścita (anxious)" |
| फुका नाड हा | "this nāḍa (snare / trap) is phukā (empty / for-nothing)" |
What it means
Tuka's repeated dāna-request abhang. The opening: vēḷō-vēḷām hē chi sāngēm — dāna māgēm jagāsi — time-to-time, I say only this — I beg dāna from the world. Tuka has one repeated request he makes from-the-world: the dāna of taking-up-Viṭṭhala-nāma. The reversal: usually the jaga (world) asks the bhakta for things; here the bhakta asks the world for one specific dāna — the practice of nāma.
The reason: Viṭṭhala hē mangaḷavāṇī — ghē'ūm dhaṇī pangatī — Viṭṭhala is themangaḷa-vāṇī(auspicious-speech) — let us take thedhaṇī(= overflowing-fill) at thepangati(= warkari-table-row). Together, at the pangati, take the brimming-fill of the mangaḷa-vāṇī.
The urgency: vēcatasē paḷē paḷa — kēlē baḷa pāhijē — paḷa-by-paḷa is being spent — strength must be made. Paḷa is the smallest unit of time (about 24 seconds in Indian time-reckoning). Paḷa-paḷa-is-being-spent = the smallest-unit-of-time-by-smallest-unit is wasting away. Baḷa-kēlē-pāhijē — strength must be summoned.
The closing: duścita nakō rāhōm phukā nāḍa hā — don't stay anxious — thisnāḍa(snare / trap) isphukā(empty, with-no-catch). Nāḍa is a snare; phukā nāḍa = the snare you're caught in isphukā(empty / for-nothing-at-all). Don't be anxious: the trap doesn't actually hold.
[T]
For someone today
For today: I have one dāna-request from the world: take Viṭṭhala-nāma at the pangati; paḷa-paḷa is being spent — summon strength; don't be anxious, the snare is empty.
Where this applies
- When you want company on your spiritual path instead of practicing alone
- When you keep putting off the things that matter most for another day
- When you feel time slipping away moment by moment and don't know how to hold onto it
- When you feel trapped or anxious about your circumstances and need reassurance