Abhanga 1554
For today: Viṭhṭhal in the citta strikes sweet while singing; Viṭhṭhal is our life, the cymbals our wealth; Viṭhṭhal is our speech, life-restoring nectar; colored by this color, Tuka is Viṭhṭhal throughout his body.
The verse
विठ्ठल हा चित्ती । गोड लागे गातां गीतीं ॥१॥ आम्हां विठ्ठल जीवन । टाळ चिपळिया धन ॥ध्रु.॥ विठ्ठल हे वाणी । अमृत हे संजिवनी ॥२॥ रंगला या रंगें । तुका विठ्ठल सर्वांगें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Viṭhṭhal in citta — sweet while singing gītīs. To us, Viṭhṭhal is jīvana — tāḷa-cipaḷī are wealth. Viṭhṭhal is vāṇī — amṛta, life-restoring. Colored by this ranga — Tuka is Viṭhṭhal throughout the body.
मराठी: विठ्ठल — हा — चित्ती; — गोड — लागे — गातां — गीतीं. आम्हां — विठ्ठल — जीवन; — टाळ — चिपळिया — धन. विठ्ठल — हे — वाणी; — अमृत — हे — संजिवनी. रंगला — या — रंगें; — Tukā — विठ्ठल — सर्वांगें.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| विठ्ठल हा चित्ती | "Viṭhṭhala — this — in (the) citta" |
| गोड लागे गातां गीतीं | "sweet — strikes — while singing — gītī" |
| आम्हां विठ्ठल जीवन | "to us — Viṭhṭhala — jīvana (life)" |
| टाळ चिपळिया धन | "tāḷa, cipaḷī (cymbals) — dhana" |
| विठ्ठल हे वाणी | "Viṭhṭhala — this — vāṇī" |
| अमृत हे संजिवनी | "amṛta — this — sañjivanī (life-restoring)" |
| रंगला या रंगें | "colored — by this — ranga" |
| तुका विठ्ठल सर्वांगें | "Tuka — Viṭhṭhala — throughout (the) body" |
What it means
Viṭhṭhal-throughout-the-body abhang. A complete-Viṭhṭhal-saturation portrait. The opening: Viṭhṭhala hā citti — gōḍa lāgē gātām gītīm — Viṭhṭhala — in citta; — sweet strikes — while singing gītīs. Viṭhṭhal in citta becomes-sweet when sung in gītī.
The life-and-wealth: āmhām Viṭhṭhala jīvana — tāḷa cipaḷiyā dhana — to us — Viṭhṭhala — isjīvana(life); —tāḷa(large-cymbals),cipaḷī(= small-clap-cymbals / cipala-clappers) —are wealth. Viṭhṭhal = our life; the cymbal-instruments = our wealth. (= the bhajan-instruments are the bhakta's currency. Compare 1421's avaghēm-bhāṇḍavala-Viṭhṭhala-ēkalā — same theme.)
The speech-elixir: Viṭhṭhala hē vāṇī — amṛta hē sañjivanī — Viṭhṭhala — this —vāṇī(speech); —amṛta— this —sañjivanī(life-restoring). Viṭhṭhal-name in speech is the sañjivanī-amṛta (= the life-restoring-elixir; cf. Mṛta-sañjivanī mantra).
The closing-saturation: rangalā yā rangēm — Tukā Viṭhṭhala sarva-angēm — colored by this —ranga; — Tuka —Viṭhṭhala— throughout (the) body. Tuka is Viṭhṭhal throughout the body. (Striking-claim: full-body-saturation; not just citta or vāṇī, but every-anga is Viṭhṭhal. Compare 1510's angā-ālā-Śrī-ranga — same body-Hari claim.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: Viṭhṭhal in the citta strikes sweet while singing; Viṭhṭhal is our life, the cymbals our wealth; Viṭhṭhal is our speech, life-restoring nectar; colored by this color, Tuka is Viṭhṭhal throughout his body.
Where this applies
- When singing or chanting starts to feel genuinely sweet rather than like a chore.
- When you realize your simple daily practices, like a small ritual or song, feel like your real wealth.
- When your speech starts naturally carrying what you love and believe.
- When you want a picture of what it looks like when devotion becomes your whole identity, not just an activity.