Abhanga 1484

For today: when the bhakta-child cries, Hari-mother gets a special joy; gives bhātukē by love, gazes attentively, decorates with ornaments, seats on lap and reverently-bows, prevents evil-eye, lifts to the bosom — Padma-nābha, take this vārī.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

Mother-Hari-and-bhakta-child abhang. A 6-verse mother-child intimacy image. Each verse a gesture of mother-love:

(1) āḷavitām bāḷē — mātētē sukha āgaḷē — when the bāḷa cries / calls — the mātā's sukha is special / set-apart. The child's cry brings the mother her own special joy — the act of being-needed.

(2) dyāvē āvaḍī bhātukēm — pāhē nivē kavatukē — gives by āvaḍī (love) — bhātukēm (= the pretend-meal of children's play) — looks (at the child) cool (= calmed) by the kavataka (= cute-spectacle). Bhātukēm — the children's pretend-cooking (Marathi household tradition: bhāta = rice; bhātukēm = the play-rice of toddlers). The mother both feeds and watches in delight. Domestic, intimate.

(3) lēvavūnī aḷankāra — dṛṣṭī karāvī sādara — putting on aḷankāra (= ornaments); — dṛṣṭi (= gazing) — sādara (= attentively, even reverently). Mother decorates and gazes attentively-and-reverently at her child.

(4) āpuliyē padīm — baisavūnī kōḍē vandī — on her own pada (= lap); — having seated — kōḍē (= playfully) vandī (= bows-to / honors). Mother seats child on her own lap and playfully-bows-to-it (= treats the child as a deity).

(5) nēdī lāgōm diṭhī — ucalōnī lāvī kaṇṭhīm — does not let diṭhī (= evil-eye) — touch; — lifting up — places at the kaṇṭha (throat / bosom). Wards off the evil-eye; lifts up and clutches to the bosom. (= protective, fierce, and tender all at once.)

The closing prayer: Tukā mhaṇē lābhā — vārī ghyā vō Padma-nābhā — Tuka says — for the lābha (= profit / gain) — take the vārī (= round / care-attendance) — vō, Padma-nābha. The bhakta asks Hari (called as Padma-nābha, lotus-naveled = mother-image-with-life-in-belly) to take the vārī (= the round-of-the-mother, the rounds-of-care). Vārī puns: the warkari pilgrimage vārī + the mother's round of care. (= the bhakta-as-child asks the mother-Padma-nābha to take the round of mother-care with him.)

[T]

For someone today

For today: when the bhakta-child cries, Hari-mother gets a special joy; gives bhātukē by love, gazes attentively, decorates with ornaments, seats on lap and reverently-bows, prevents evil-eye, lifts to the bosom — Padma-nābha, take this vārī.

Where this applies

• Child's-cry-mother's-special-sukha.* Bāḷē-āḷavitām-mātā-sukha-āgaḷa.
• Pretend-feast-by-love-cute-spectacle.* Bhātukēm-āvaḍī-kavataka.
• Decorate-and-gaze-attentively.* Aḷankāra-dṛṣṭi-sādara.
• Seated-on-lap-playful-bow.* Pada-baisavūnī-kōḍē-vandī.
• Wards-evil-eye-lifts-to-bosom.* Diṭhī-na-kaṇṭhīm-lāvī.
• Padma-nābha-take-the-vārī.* Padma-nābha-vārī-ghyā.

Related verses

• Abhanga 4481
• Abhanga 4482
• Abhanga 4497
• Abhanga 2401 — English: Taking sugar's name knows the sweetness — such is our association with Vaiṣṇavas.