Abhanga 1551
For today: the cow grazes in the forest, her mind on the calf at home; mother, do likewise — give me a place at your feet, keep me there; fish out of water flounders if not pulled out; the body itself loves life-and-breath.
The verse
धेनु चरे वनांतरीं । चत्ति बाळकापें घरीं ॥१॥ तैसें करीं वो माझे आईं । ठाव देऊनि राखें पायीं ॥ध्रु.॥ न काढितां तळमळी । जिवनाबाहेर मासोळी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे कुडी । जीवाप्राणांची आवडी ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Dhēnu grazes in vanāntara — citta on bāḷaka at home. Do likewise, my āī — give me ṭhāva, keep me at pāya. Not pulled out, taḷamaḷī — fish out of jīvana (water). Tuka says: kuḍī — āvaḍī of jīva-prāṇa.
मराठी: धेनु — चरे — वनांतरीं; — चत्ति — बाळकापें — घरीं. तैसें — करीं — वो — माझे — आईं; — ठाव — देऊनि — राखें — पायीं. न — काढितां — तळमळी; — जिवना-बाहेर — मासोळी. Tukā म्हणे — कुडी; — जीवा-प्राणांची — आवडी.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| धेनु चरे वनांतरीं | "the dhēnu (cow) — grazes — in the vanāntara (deep-forest)" |
| चत्ति बाळकापें घरीं | "(her) citta — to the bāḷaka — at home" |
| तैसें करीं वो माझे आईं | "so — do — O my āī" |
| ठाव देऊनि राखें पायीं | "having given — ṭhāva — keep — at (your) pāya" |
| न काढितां तळमळी | "when not pulled out — flounders (taḷamaḷī)" |
| जिवनाबाहेर मासोळी | "out of water (jīvana) — the māsōḷī (fish)" |
| तुका म्हणे कुडी | "Tuka says — the kuḍī (= body)" |
| जीवाप्राणांची आवडी | "of jīva-prāṇa — āvaḍī (love / attachment)" |
What it means
Cow-grazing-mind-on-calf abhang. A beautiful mother-image. The opening: dhēnu carē vanāntarīm — citti bāḷakāpēm gharīm — the dhēnu (cow) — grazes — in the vana (forest); — (her) citta — on the bāḷaka (calf) — at home. The cow grazes in the forest, but her mind is on the calf at home. (Beautiful mother-image: physical-presence-in-forest, mental-presence-with-calf*.)
The mother-prayer: taisēm karīm vō mājhē āīm — ṭhāva dē'ūnī rākhē pāyīm — do likewise, O my āī (mother); — give me ṭhāva (place) — keep me at (your) pāya. Mother, do the same — give me a place and keep me at your feet. (The bhakta-as-calf request: even when you're elsewhere, keep your mind on me*.)
The fish-image: na kāḍhitām taḷamaḷī — jīvanā-bāhēra māsōḷī — when not pulled out — flounders; — out of jīvana (water) — the fish. If not pulled out (of difficulty), the bhakta flounders like fish out of water. The pun on jīvana: water and life; out of water = out of life. Pull me out of this difficulty before I die-like-a-fish-out-of-water*.
The closing-self-witness: kuḍī — jīva-prāṇāñcī āvaḍī — the kuḍī (body); — has āvaḍī (love) — for jīva-prāṇa (life-and-breath). The body itself loves life-and-breath; I'm flopping for help while still alive.
[T]
For someone today
For today: the cow grazes in the forest, her mind on the calf at home; mother, do likewise — give me a place at your feet, keep me there; fish out of water flounders if not pulled out; the body itself loves life-and-breath.
Where this applies
- Cow-grazes-mind-on-calf-mother-do-likewise.* Dhēnu-vanāntara-bāḷaka-gharīm-mātā-pāya.
- Fish-out-of-water-flounders.* Jīvanā-bāhēra-māsōḷī-taḷamaḷī.
- Body-loves-life-and-breath.* Kuḍī-jīva-prāṇa-āvaḍī.