Abhanga 1544
For today: the bhakti-treasure-boat has moored at Candrabhāgā-bank; loot the uncountable wealth-heap, saints; the Hari-name-mast went up, the sail is fluttering; Tuka is the porter near at hand — but Viṭhṭhala himself carries the load.
The verse
तारूं लागलें बंदरीं । चंद्रभागेचिये तिरीं ॥१॥ लुटा लुटा संतजन । अमुप हें रासी धन ॥ध्रु.॥ जाला हरिनामाचा तारा । सीड लागलें फरारा ॥२॥ तुका जवळी हमाल । भार चालवी विठ्ठल ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Tārūm lāgalēm bandarī — at Candra-bhāgā-tirī. Loot, loot, saints — amupa hē rāsī of dhana. Hari-nāma's tārā jālā — sīḍa fluttered. Tuka, near, is hamāla — Viṭhṭhal carries the bhāra.
मराठी: तारूं — लागलें — बंदरीं; — चंद्रभागेचिये — तिरीं. लुटा — लुटा — संत-जन; — अमुप — हें — रासी — धन. जाला — हरि-नामाचा — तारा; — सीड — लागलें — फरारा. Tukā — जवळी — हमाल; — भार — चालवी — विठ्ठल.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| तारूं लागलें बंदरीं | "the boat (tārūm) — has moored (lāgalēm) — at the bandar (port)" |
| चंद्रभागेचिये तिरीं | "at the Candra-bhāgā's — bank (tirīm)" |
| लुटा लुटा संतजन | "loot, loot — samta-jana" |
| अमुप हें रासी धन | "amupa (uncountable) — this — rāsī — of dhana" |
| जाला हरिनामाचा तारा | "the Hari-nāma's — tārā (= line / mast / cordage) — happened" |
| सीड लागलें फरारा | "the sīḍa (sail) — fluttered (pharārā)" |
| तुका जवळी हमाल | "Tuka — near at hand — hamāla (= porter / loader)" |
| भार चालवी विठ्ठल | "the load — carries (cālavī) — Viṭhṭhala" |
What it means
Boat-at-Candrabhāgā-loot-the-wealth abhang. A vivid-cargo-arrival image. The opening: tārūm lāgalēm bandarīm — Candra-bhāgēciyē tirīm — the boat — has moored — at the port; — at Candra-bhāgā's bank. (Candra-bhāgā = Bhīmā river at Paṇḍharī.) The treasure-boat has docked at Paṇḍharī. (Compare 1470's bahutāñcyā-bhāgyēm-lāgalēm-jāhāja — same ship-moored image.)
The invitation: luṭā luṭā samta-jana — amupa hēm rāsī dhana — loot, loot, saints — uncountable — this — heap — of wealth. Loot the cargo, saints — uncountable wealth-heap. Striking permission: come and loot — there's so much treasure.
The sail: jālā Hari-nāmācā tārā — sīḍa lāgalēm pharārā — of Hari-name — the tārā (= cord / mast-line) — happened; — the sīḍa (sail) — started fluttering (pharārā). The Hari-name-mast went up; the sail started fluttering (= the bhakti-vessel is in full sail, ready). Pharārā — onomatopoeia for flag / sail-flapping in wind.
The closing-image: Tukā javaḷī hamāla — bhāra cālavī Viṭhṭhala — Tuka — near at hand — hamāla (= porter / loader); — the load — carries — Viṭhṭhala. Tuka places himself as the humble-porter at the docks; but Viṭhṭhal himself carries the load (= Hari does the actual heavy-lifting; Tuka just stands-by). (Tuka's commercial-imagery; bandar-hamāla is the dock-porter-coolie.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: the bhakti-treasure-boat has moored at Candrabhāgā-bank; loot the uncountable wealth-heap, saints; the Hari-name-mast went up, the sail is fluttering; Tuka is the porter near at hand — but Viṭhṭhala himself carries the load.
Where this applies
- Boat-moored-at-Candrabhāgā.* Tārūm-lāgalēm-Candra-bhāgā-tirīm.
- Loot-loot-saints-uncountable-wealth.* Luṭā-luṭā-samta-amupa-rāsī-dhana.
- Hari-name-mast-sail-fluttering.* Hari-nāma-tārā-sīḍa-pharārā.
- Tuka-porter-Viṭhṭhal-carries-load.* Hamāla-bhāra-Viṭhṭhala.