Abhanga 1555
For today: the Viṭhṭhal-Viṭhṭhal mantra is the simplest, makes pāpa rootless; the fortunate carry this spell in mind and hear with curiosity; Viṭhṭhal is a simple-guileless-deity, Kāḷa shouldn't crave his bhakta; whatever your caste, Viṭhṭhal-in-citta makes you pure.
The verse
विठ्ठल विठ्ठल मंत्र सोपा । करी पापा निर्मूळ ॥१॥ भाग्यवंता छंद मनीं । कोडें कानीं ऐकती ॥ध्रु.॥ विठ्ठल हे दैवत भोळें । चाड काळें न धरावी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे भलते याती । विठ्ठल चित्ती ते शुद्ध ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Viṭhṭhal-Viṭhṭhal mantra is sōpā — makes pāpa nirmūḷa. The bhāgyavanta has chanda in mind — kōḍē listens in ears. Viṭhṭhal is bhōḷa-daivata — Kāḷa shouldn't hold a cāḍa for him. Tuka says: whatever yāti — Viṭhṭhal in citta, that one is śuddha.
मराठी: विठ्ठल — विठ्ठल — मंत्र — सोपा; — करी — पापा — निर्मूळ. भाग्यवंता — छंद — मनीं; — कोडें — कानीं — ऐकती. विठ्ठल — हे — दैवत — भोळें; — चाड — काळें — न — धरावी. Tukā म्हणे — भलते — याती; — विठ्ठल — चित्ती — ते — शुद्ध.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| विठ्ठल विठ्ठल मंत्र सोपा | "Viṭhṭhala Viṭhṭhala — mantra — sōpā (simple)" |
| करी पापा निर्मूळ | "makes — pāpa — nir-mūḷa (= root-less)" |
| भाग्यवंता छंद मनीं | "the bhāgyavanta — has the chanda — in mind" |
| कोडें कानीं ऐकती | "with kōḍa (= curiosity) — they hear — in ears" |
| विठ्ठल हे दैवत भोळें | "Viṭhṭhala — this — daivata — bhōḷā (simple / guileless)" |
| चाड काळें न धरावी | "cāḍa (= relish / preference) — by Kāḷa — should not be held" |
| तुका म्हणे भलते याती | "Tuka says — whatever yāti (caste)" |
| विठ्ठल चित्ती ते शुद्ध | "Viṭhṭhala in citta — that one — is śuddha" |
What it means
Viṭhṭhal-mantra-is-simple abhang. The opening: Viṭhṭhala Viṭhṭhala mantra sōpā — karī pāpā nirmūḷa — Viṭhṭhala Viṭhṭhala — mantra — sōpā (simple); — makes — pāpa — nir-mūḷa (= rootless). The simplest possible mantra: just two repetitions of "Viṭhṭhala" — and pāpa is uprooted*.
The fortunate-listeners: bhāgyavantā chanda manīm — kōḍē kānīm aikatī — the bhāgyavanta — has the chanda — in mind; — with kōḍa (= curiosity / fond-attention) — they hear — in ears. Only the fortunate carry this chanda in mind and listen with kōḍa.
The deity-character: Viṭhṭhala hē daivata bhōḷē — cāḍa kāḷē na dharāvī — Viṭhṭhala — this — daivata — bhōḷā (= simple / guileless); — cāḍa (= relish) — by Kāḷa — should not be held. Viṭhṭhala is the simple-guileless-deity — Kāḷa shouldn't have a craving for his (devotee). (= because Viṭhṭhala is simple, even Time-of-end can't get-attached-to-his-bhakta. Bhōḷa-Sambhu / bhōḷa-daivata — easy-to-please.)
The closing: bhalatē yāti — Viṭhṭhala cittī tē śuddha — whatever yāti — Viṭhṭhala in citta — that one — is śuddha. Whatever caste — Viṭhṭhal-in-citta makes them pure. (Compare 1553's varṇa-dharma-sama-Brahma + bīja-japatō-dvija — same theme; here even more direct.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: the Viṭhṭhal-Viṭhṭhal mantra is the simplest, makes pāpa rootless; the fortunate carry this spell in mind and hear with curiosity; Viṭhṭhal is a simple-guileless-deity, Kāḷa shouldn't crave his bhakta; whatever your caste, Viṭhṭhal-in-citta makes you pure.
Where this applies
- Viṭhṭhal-mantra-simple-makes-sin-rootless.* Viṭhṭhala-mantra-sōpā-pāpa-nirmūḷa.
- Fortunate-have-spell-in-mind.* Bhāgyavanta-chanda-mana.
- Viṭhṭhal-simple-deity-Kāḷa-no-craving.* Viṭhṭhala-bhōḷa-daivata-Kāḷa-cāḍa-na.
- Whatever-caste-Viṭhṭhal-in-citta-pure.* Bhalatē-yāti-Viṭhṭhala-cittī-śuddha.