Abhanga 1566
English: Bhakti-protector, utsava-sōhaḷa — mangaḷas sung to you by ābaḷa-bāḷa.
The verse
भक्तिप्रतिपाळक उत्सव सोहळा । मंगळें तुज गाती आबळ बाळा ॥१॥ जय देव जय देव जय गरुडध्वजा । श्रीगरुडध्वजा । आरती ओवाळूं तुज भक्तीकाजा ॥ध्रु.॥ मत्स्य कूर्म वराह नरसिंह जालासी । असुरां काळ मुणि ठाके ध्यानासी ॥२॥ जीवनां जीवन तूं चि होसी दातारा । न कळे पार ब्रम्हादिकां सुरवरां ॥३॥ सुदर्शन घरटी फिरे अवश्वरा । सकुमार ना स्थूळ होसी गोजिरा ॥४॥ उत्पत्ति प्रळय तू चि करिसी पाळण । धरूनि राहिला तुका निश्चयीं चरण ॥५॥
Literal translation
English: Bhakti-protector, utsava-sōhaḷa — mangaḷas sung to you by ābaḷa-bāḷa. Jaya Deva! Garuḍa-dhvajā! — we circle the ārtī to you, for bhakti-kāja. Matsya-Kūrma-Varāha-Narasimha you became — Kāla to asuras, fixed in muṇis' dhyāna. Life-of-life, you alone become, Dātāra — limit not known even to Brahmādika-sura-varas. Sudarśana circles the house vigorously — neither child-form nor gross, charming you become. Creation-dissolution, you alone do, and protection — holding, Tuka has stayed at the certain feet.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| भक्तिप्रतिपाळक उत्सव सोहळा | "bhakti-pratipāḷaka (protector) — utsava-sōhaḷā (festival-celebration)" |
| मंगळें तुज गाती आबळ बाळा | "mangaḷas — to you — sing — ābaḷa (women), bāḷa (children)" |
| जय देव जय देव जय गरुडध्वजा | "jaya Deva jaya Deva jaya Garuḍa-dhvajā" |
| आरती ओवाळूं तुज भक्तीकाजा | "ārtī — we circle (ōvāḷūm) — to you — for bhakti-kāja" |
| मत्स्य कूर्म वराह नरसिंह जालासी | "Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Narasimha — you became" |
| असुरां काळ मुणि ठाके ध्यानासी | "to asuras — Kāḷa; — muṇis — fix in dhyāna" |
| जीवनां जीवन तूं चि होसी दातारा | "life-of-life — you alone — become, Dātārā" |
| न कळे पार ब्रम्हादिकां सुरवरां | "doesn't know — limit — even Brahmādikas and sura-varas" |
| सुदर्शन घरटी फिरे अवश्वरा | "Sudarśana — circles the house — vigorously" |
| सकुमार ना स्थूळ होसी गोजिरा | "neither child-form nor gross-form — you become — gōjirā (charming)" |
| उत्पत्ति प्रळय तू चि करिसी पाळण | "creation, dissolution — you alone — do — protection" |
| धरूनि राहिला तुका निश्चयीं चरण | "holding — has stayed — Tuka — at niścayī-caraṇa (= certain feet)" |
What it means
Garuḍa-dhvaja-ārtī. A 5-verse Viṣṇu-ārtī — celebrating the Garuḍa-flag-bearing-Viṣṇu. Listing his avatāras (Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Narasimha — first four of the daśāvatāra); celebrating his Sudarśana-cakra perpetually-circling-the-house (= protecting); affirming his form-paradoxes (neither child nor gross, yet charming); and his trimūrti-functions (creation, dissolution, and protection — all done by him alone).
The ābaḷa-bāḷa-singing opening — even women-and-children sing his mangaḷa-hymns — is a touch-of-domestic-bhakti.
The closing-claim: dharūnī rāhilā Tukā niścayīm caraṇa — holding, Tuka has stayed — at the niścayī-caraṇa (= certain / determined feet). Tuka has firmly held his feet.
[T]
For someone today
For today: bhakti-protector, festival-celebration — even women-and-children sing mangaḷas; jaya, Garuḍa-flag-bearer — we circle the ārtī for bhakti-cause; you took Matsya-Kūrma-Varāha-Narasimha avatāras, are Kāla to asuras, fixed in sages' meditation; life-of-life, no limit known even to Brahmā and other gods; Sudarśana circles the house vigorously, you take neither child-nor-gross form yet are charming; you do creation-dissolution-and-protection alone; Tuka holds firmly at the certain feet.
Where this applies
- Bhakti-protector-festival-women-children-sing.* Bhakti-pratipāḷaka-ābaḷa-bāḷa-mangaḷa.
- Jaya-Garuḍa-dhvaja-ārtī-circling.* Jaya-Garuḍa-dhvaja-ārtī-ōvāḷūm.
- Matsya-Kūrma-Varāha-Narasimha-avatāras.* Matsya-Kūrma-Varāha-Narasimha-jālāsi.
- Life-of-life-no-limit-Brahmā-gods.* Jīvanā-jīvana-Brahmādika-sura-vara.
- Sudarśana-circles-house-vigorously.* Sudarśana-gharaṭī-phirē-avaśvara.
- Creation-dissolution-protection-Tuka-holds-feet.* Utpatti-praḷaya-pāḷaṇa-niścayī-caraṇa.