संत साहित्य
Work in progress. Translations and commentary are AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies or hallucinations — please use your own judgement and check against the original sources.
संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1549 of 4582

Abhanga 1549

For today: Hari runs to the bhakta's cause for his own honor's sake; he took the name Dīna-nātha to make the vow true; he averts the blow and spreads his pītāmbara as shade; he stands hands-on-waist for this very purpose.

When you'd see why Hari acts for the bhakta — for his own honor; for the name-vow's truth; averts blows; makes pītāmbara-shadow

The verse

आपुलिया लाजा । धांवे भक्तांचिया काजा ॥१॥ नाम धरिलें दिनानाथ । सत्य करावया व्रत ॥ध्रु.॥ आघात निवारी । छाया पीतांबरें करी ॥२॥ उभा कर कटीं । तुका म्हणे याजसाटीं ॥३॥

Literal translation

English: For his own lāja — Hari runs to bhakta's kāja. He took the name Dīna-nātha — to make the vrata true. He averts āghāta — makes shadow with pītāmbara. Standing kara-kaṭi — Tuka says — for this very sāṭīm.

मराठी: आपुलिया — लाजा; — धांवे — भक्तांचिया — काजा. नाम — धरिलें — दिना-नाथ; — सत्य — करावया — व्रत. आघात — निवारी; — छाया — पीतांबरें — करी. उभा — कर — कटीं; — Tukā म्हणे — याजसाटीं.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
आपुलिया लाजा "for his ownlāja (face / honor)"
धांवे भक्तांचिया काजा "(Hari) runs (dhāvē) — to bhakta's — kāja (work / cause)"
नाम धरिलें दिनानाथ "the nāmataken / borne (dharilēm) — Dīna-nātha"
सत्य करावया व्रत "to maketrue — the vrata (vow)"
आघात निवारी "āghāta (blow) — he averts (nivārī)"
छाया पीतांबरें करी "shadow — by (his) pītāmbara (yellow garment) — he makes"
उभा कर कटीं "standingkara (hand) — at kaṭi (waist)"
तुका म्हणे याजसाटीं "Tuka says — for this very purpose (yāja-sāṭīm)"

What it means

Hari-runs-for-his-own-honor abhang. The opening: āpuliyā lājā — dhāvē bhaktāñciyā kājāfor his own lāja (face / honor) — Hari runs — to bhakta's kāja (cause). Hari runs to the bhakta's cause for his own honor's sake (= his reputation as bhakta-protector). (Compare 1482's brīda-laṭikēm-na — your reputation shouldn't become false; same theme.)

The vow-fulfillment: nāma dharilēm Dīna-nātha — satya karāvayā vratatook the nāmaDīna-nātha (= lord-of-the-poor); — to make the vrata (vow) — true*. He took the name Dīna-nātha — to make the vow real (= having taken the title, he must act-as-protector-of-the-poor).

The protections: āghāta nivārī — chāyā pītāmbarē karīaverts the āghāta (blow); — makes — shadow — by (his) pītāmbara (= yellow-garment). Hari deflects the blow; spreads his pītāmbara as a shade. (Compare Pārijāta-haraṇa, Draupadī-vastra-haraṇa* — same pītāmbara-as-protective-cloth imagery.)

The closing-iconographic: ubhā kara kaṭīm — yāja-sāṭīmstanding — kara-kaṭi (= hands-on-waist); — for this very purpose. Viṭṭhal stands hands-on-waist on the brick — for this very-purpose (= to receive bhaktas-and-protect them). The standing-Viṭṭhal-iconography is purposive-poised-readiness.

[T]

For someone today

For today: Hari runs to the bhakta's cause for his own honor's sake; he took the name Dīna-nātha to make the vow true; he averts the blow and spreads his pītāmbara as shade; he stands hands-on-waist for this very purpose.

Where this applies

Related verses