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.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

Hari-runs-for-his-own-honor abhang. The opening: āpuliyā lājā — dhāvē bhaktāñciyā kājā — forhis ownlāja(face / honor) — Hariruns— tobhakta'skāja(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 vrata — took thenāma—Dīna-nātha(= lord-of-the-poor); — tomakethevrata(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 karī — averts theāghāta(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-sāṭīm — standing —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

• When you doubt whether God actually cares about your small, ordinary troubles
• When you feel exposed or in danger and need to trust that something is shielding you
• When you have claimed a role, like protector, parent, or friend, and need to live up to that promise
• When you picture the standing Vitthal image at Pandharpur and want to feel his readiness to act

Related verses

• Abhanga 2448 — The easiest path to God is repeating divine names with love at home, right where you are,
• Abhanga 2467 — What looks like your whole world, like a fig to the insect living inside it, is only a tin
• Abhanga 2494 — Living in devotion turns an ordinary day into a festival and removes the fear of birth and
• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with