Abhanga 1495
For today: Hari counts bhakta-favors and calls himself perpetual debtor; takes form from formless when bhaktas sing his fame; fulfills their desires as repayment-gift; for Ambariṣa, took ten births; for Bali, became door-keeper in Pātāla; for Arjuna, drove the chariot; for Puṇḍalika, stays on the brick still — Dīna-nātha is the fitting name.
The verse
मानी भक्तांचे उपकार । रुणीया म्हणवी निरंतर । केला निर्गुणीं आकार । कीर्त मुखें वर्णितां ॥१॥ म्हणोनि जया जे वासना । ते पुरवितो पंढरिराणा । जाला भक्तांचा आंदणा । ते उपकार फेडावया ॥ध्रु.॥ अंबॠषीकारणें । जन्म घेतले नारायणें । एवडें भक्तीचे लहणें । दास्य करी हा दासाचें ॥२॥ म्हणियें करितां शंका न धरी । रक्षपाळ बिळच्या द्वारीं । भक्तीचा आभारी । रीग न पुरे जावया ॥३॥ अर्जुनाचे रथवारु । ते वागवी सर्वेश्वरु । एवडे भक्तीचे उपकारु । मागें मागें हिंडतसे ॥४॥ पुंडलिकाचे द्वारीं । सम पाउलीं विटेवरी । न वजे कट करीं । धरूनि तेथें राहिला ॥५॥ भावभक्तीचा अंकित । नाम साजे दिनानाथ । म्हणोनि राहिला निवांत । तुका चरण धरोनि ॥६॥
Literal translation
English: Counts bhaktas' upakāra — calls himself ṛṇiyā perpetually — made ākāra in the nirguṇa — when their mouth utters his kīrti. Therefore, whatever vāsanā each one (has), Paṇḍharī-rāṇā fulfills — became bhaktas' āndaṇā — to repay those upakāras. For Ambariṣa, Nārāyaṇa took births — so much is bhakti's lahaṇē — he does dāsya of his dāsa. Without śankā, became rakṣa-pāḷa at Bali's door — bhakti's ābhārī — for going (out), entry doesn't suffice. Arjuna's chariot-horses — that, the Sarva-īśvara drove — so much bhakti's upakāra — wanders behind-behind. At Puṇḍalika's door, with sama-pā'ulīm on the brick — does not go — kaṭa-kara, holding, has stayed. Marked by bhāva-bhakti — Dīna-nātha is the fitting name — therefore has stayed quiet — Tuka, having held (his) feet.
मराठी: मानी — भक्तांचे — उपकार; — रुणीया — म्हणवी — निरंतर; — केला — निर्गुणीं — आकार; — कीर्त — मुखें — वर्णितां. म्हणोनि — जया — जे — वासना; — ते — पुरवितो — पंढरि-राणा; — जाला — भक्तांचा — आंदणा; — ते — उपकार — फेडावया. अंबरिषी-कारणें; — जन्म — घेतले — नारायणें; — एवडें — भक्तीचे — लहणें; — दास्य — करी — हा — दासाचें. म्हणियें — करितां — शंका — न — धरी; — रक्ष-पाळ — बळिच्या — द्वारीं; — भक्तीचा — आभारी; — रीग — न — पुरे — जावया. अर्जुनाचे — रथ-वारु; — ते — वागवी — सर्व-ईश्वरु; — एवडे — भक्तीचे — उपकारु; — मागें — मागें — हिंडतसे. पुंडलिकाचे — द्वारीं; — सम — पाउलीं — विटे-वरी; — न — वजे — कट — करीं — धरूनि — तेथें — राहिला. भाव-भक्तीचा — अंकित; — नाम — साजे — दिना-नाथ; — म्हणोनि — राहिला — निवांत; — Tukā — चरण — धरोनि.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| मानी भक्तांचे उपकार | "(Hari) counts (mānī) — bhaktas' — upakāra" |
| रुणीया म्हणवी निरंतर | "ṛṇiyā (debtor) — calls himself — perpetually" |
| केला निर्गुणीं आकार | "made — in (the) nirguṇa — ākāra (form)" |
| कीर्त मुखें वर्णितां | "kīrti — by (their) mouth — when uttered (varṇitām)" |
| म्हणोनि जया जे वासना | "therefore — to whomever — whatever vāsanā" |
| ते पुरवितो पंढरिराणा | "that — fulfills (puravitō) — Paṇḍharī-rāṇā" |
| जाला भक्तांचा आंदणा | "has become — bhaktas' — āndaṇā (= dowry / wedding-gift)" |
| ते उपकार फेडावया | "to repay (phēḍāvayā) — those upakāras" |
| अंबॠषीकारणें जन्म घेतले नारायणें | "for the kāraṇa (sake) of Ambariṣa — Nārāyaṇa took janmas" |
| एवडें भक्तीचे लहणें | "so much (ēvaḍē) — is bhakti's lahaṇē (= privilege)" |
| दास्य करी हा दासाचें | "dāsya — he does — of his dāsa" |
| रक्षपाळ बिळच्या द्वारीं | "rakṣa-pāḷa (= door-keeper) — at Bali's door" |
| भक्तीचा आभारी | "of bhakti — ābhārī (= debtor / obligated)" |
| अर्जुनाचे रथवारु | "Arjuna's — chariot-horses (ratha-vāru)" |
| ते वागवी सर्वेश्वरु | "that — drove (vāgavī) — the Sarva-īśvara" |
| मागें मागें हिंडतसे | "behind-behind — wanders (hiṇḍatasē)" |
| पुंडलिकाचे द्वारीं | "at Puṇḍalika's door" |
| सम पाउलीं विटेवरी | "with even feet — on the brick" |
| न वजे कट करीं धरूनि तेथें राहिला | "does not go — kaṭa-kara (hand on waist) — holding — there has stayed" |
| भावभक्तीचा अंकित | "ankita (= marked / servant) — of bhāva-bhakti" |
| नाम साजे दिनानाथ | "name — suits — Dīna-nātha" |
| म्हणोनि राहिला निवांत | "therefore — has stayed — nivānta (quiet)" |
| तुका चरण धरोनि | "Tuka — having held — (his) caraṇa (feet)" |
What it means
Hari-as-bhakta's-debtor abhang. A 7-verse catalogue of Hari-as-bhakta-debtor with classical examples. The opening: mānī bhaktāñcē upakāra — ṛṇiyā mhaṇavī nirantara — kēlā nirguṇīm ākāra — kīrti mukhēm varṇitām — (Hari) counts bhaktas' upakāra; — calls himself ṛṇiyā (debtor) — perpetually; — made form — in (the) nirguṇa — when (their) mouth utters his kīrti. The startling theology: Hari, the formless, takes form-from-formless when bhaktas utter his kīrti, in order to honor their upakāra — and calls himself their permanent-debtor. (One of the boldest Hari-as-bhakta's-debtor formulations in the corpus.)
The fulfillment-mechanism: jayā jē vāsanā — pāṇḍharī-rāṇā puravitō — bhaktāñcā āndaṇā — upakāra phēḍāvayā — whatever the bhakta's vāsanā — Paṇḍharī-rāṇā fulfills; — has become — bhaktas' āndaṇā (= wedding-gift / dowry); — to repay the upakāras. Hari-as-the-bhakta's-fulfilling-gift, given to repay the love-debt.
The four classical-examples:
(1) Ambariṣa: for Ambariṣa's sake — Nārāyaṇa took births; — so much is bhakti's privilege; — he does his dāsa's dāsya. (Reference to the Bhāgavata-Purāṇa's King Ambariṣa-and-Durvāsa-incident: Hari took ten births to defend Ambariṣa from Durvāsa's curse; master became servant's servant.)
(2) Bali: without hesitation — became rakṣa-pāḷa (= door-keeper) at Bali's door — bhakti's debtor. (Reference to Vāmana-Bali-incident: Vāmana-Hari pushed Bali to Pātāla; but in repayment-of-bhakti, Hari himself became Bali's door-keeper in Pātāla. Master became servant's gate-guard.)
(3) Arjuna: Arjuna's chariot-horses — the Sarva-īśvara drove — so much is bhakti's upakāra — wanders behind-behind. (= the famous Kṛṣṇa-as-Arjuna's-charioteer; Sarva-īśvara demoted to charioteer/groom because of bhakti-debt.)
(4) Puṇḍalika: at Puṇḍalika's door — with even feet on the brick (viṭā) — kaṭa-kara, holding, has stayed. (= the Viṭṭhal-iconography origin: Pundalika asked the standing-Hari to wait on a brick while he served his parents; Hari has been standing on the brick at Puṇḍalika's door ever since. The icon's kaṭa-kara (hands on waist) and sama-pā'ulīm (even feet) testify.)
The closing: bhāva-bhaktīcā ankita — nāma sājē Dīna-nātha — mhaṇōnī rāhilā nivānta — Tukā caraṇa dharōnī — Marked-by-bhāva-bhakti — the fitting name is Dīna-nātha; — therefore he has stayed quiet (nivānta); — Tuka — having held (his) caraṇa (feet). Dīna-nātha — lord-of-the-poor — is the fitting name. Tuka holds his feet.
[T]
For someone today
For today: Hari counts bhakta-favors and calls himself perpetual debtor; takes form from formless when bhaktas sing his fame; fulfills their desires as repayment-gift; for Ambariṣa, took ten births; for Bali, became door-keeper in Pātāla; for Arjuna, drove the chariot; for Puṇḍalika, stays on the brick still — Dīna-nātha is the fitting name.
Where this applies
- Hari-counts-bhakta-favors-debtor-takes-form-when-bhaktas-sing.* Mānī-upakāra-ṛṇiyā-nirguṇīm-ākāra.
- Fulfills-vāsanā-as-repayment-dowry.* Vāsanā-Paṇḍharī-puravitō-āndaṇā.
- Took-births-for-Ambariṣa-master-does-servant's-service.* Ambariṣa-janma-dāsya.
- Door-keeper-at-Bali's-bhakti-debtor.* Rakṣa-pāḷa-Bali-bhakti-ābhārī.
- Charioteer-for-Arjuna.* Arjuna-ratha-vāru-Sarva-īśvara.
- On-brick-at-Puṇḍalika's-door.* Puṇḍalika-viṭē-varī-kaṭa-kara.
- Marked-by-bhāva-bhakti-Dīna-nātha-fits.* Bhāva-bhakti-ankita-Dīna-nātha.