Abhanga 1612
For today: where are you stuck, by whose calls? — has sleep come to you, Lord?; where caught — in bhakti-love-joy? — the gopikās' mouths refuse to release your name; what distress of whose has befallen you? — the path is far, can't be walked?; what fault of mine do you see, that Śrīpati has grown angry?; tell me what has become of my fate — life remains only in my eyes, Tuka says.
The verse
कोठें गुंतलासी कोणांच्या धांवया । आली देवराया निद्रा तुज ॥१॥ कोठें गुंतलासी भक्तिप्रेमसुखें । न सुटेती मुखें गोपिकांचीं ॥ध्रु.॥ काय पडिलें तुज कोणाचें संकट । दुरी पंथ वाट न चालवे ॥२॥ काय माझे तुज गुण दोष दिसती । म्हणोनि श्रीपती कोपलासी ॥३॥ काय जालें सांग माझिया कपाळा । उरला जीव डोळां तुका म्हणे ॥४॥
Literal translation
English: Where are you stuck, by whose calls? — has sleep come to you, Devarāya? Where stuck — in bhakti-prema-sukha? — Gopikās' mouths don't release (your name). What sankaṭa of whose has befallen you? — the path is far, the way cannot be walked. What guṇa-doṣa of mine appears to you, that Śrīpati has grown angry? What has become, tell me, of my kapāḷa — life remains only in my eyes, Tuka says.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कोठें गुंतलासी कोणांच्या धांवया | "where — are you stuck — by whose calls?" |
| आली देवराया निद्रा तुज | "has come, O Devarāya — sleep — to you?" |
| कोठें गुंतलासी भक्तिप्रेमसुखें | "where stuck — in bhakti-prema-sukha?" |
| न सुटेती मुखें गोपिकांचीं | "don't release — Gopikās' mouths" |
| काय पडिलें तुज कोणाचें संकट | "what's befallen — to you — whose sankaṭa (distress)?" |
| दुरी पंथ वाट न चालवे | "the path is far, the way — cannot be walked" |
| काय माझे तुज गुण दोष दिसती | "what — of mine — to you — guṇa-dōṣa — do appear?" |
| म्हणोनि श्रीपती कोपलासी | "that Śrīpati — you have grown angry?" |
| काय जालें सांग माझिया कपाळा | "what has become — tell — of my fate (kapāḷa)?" |
| उरला जीव डोळां तुका म्हणे | "life remains — only in eyes — Tuka says" |
What it means
Distressed-call abhang. Companion to 1611 (same opening kōṭhē guṇtalāsī).
The five-fold-question is the anxious-bhakta's-survey-of-possible-causes for the Lord's delay:
Q1 — distraction by others' calls?: kōṭhē guṇtalāsī kōṇāñcyā dhāvayā — ālī Devarāyā nidrā tuja — where are you stuck, by whose calls? — has sleep come to you, Devarāya? (= are other bhaktas calling you somewhere else? has sleep overcome you?)
Q2 — Gopikā-distraction?: kōṭhē guṇtalāsī bhakti-prēma-sukhē — na suṭētī mukhē Gōpikāñcīm — where stuck in bhakti-prema-sukha? — gopikās' mouths don't release (your name). Gopikāmcīm mukhēm na suṭētī — the gopikās' mouths refuse to let go (your name) — image of the gopikās chanting your name endlessly, holding you with them.
Q3 — caught in someone's distress?: kāya paḍilēm tuja kōṇācēm sankaṭa — durī pantha vāṭa na cālavē — what sankaṭa of whose has befallen you? — the path is far, can't be walked.
Q4 — angry at me?: kāya mājhē tuja guṇa-dōṣa disatī — mhaṇōni Śrīpatī kōpalāsī — what guṇa-doṣa of mine do you see, that Śrīpati has grown angry?
Q5 — what about my fate?: kāya jālēm sānga mājhiyā kapāḷā — uralā jīva ḍōḷām — what has become, tell me, of my fate? — life remains only in my eyes. Kapāḷa (lit. forehead) = fate, destiny written-on-the-forehead. Life remains only in my eyes — the bhakta is at the brink-of-death; only the eyes still hold life — the eyes still watching for you.
The Gopikā-mouth-image (Q2) is striking: the gopikās' mouths grip the Lord's name and refuse to let go; the Lord himself is held there by the chanting.
[T]
For someone today
For today: where are you stuck, by whose calls? — has sleep come to you, Lord?; where caught — in bhakti-love-joy? — the gopikās' mouths refuse to release your name; what distress of whose has befallen you? — the path is far, can't be walked?; what fault of mine do you see, that Śrīpati has grown angry?; tell me what has become of my fate — life remains only in my eyes, Tuka says.
Where this applies
- Where-stuck-whose-calls-sleep-come.* Kōṭhē-guṇtalāsī-dhāvayā-nidrā.
- Stuck-in-bhakti-prema-gopikās'-mouths-grip-name.* Bhakti-prema-sukha-gōpikā-mukha-na-suṭē.
- Whose-sankaṭa-far-path-unwalkable.* Sankaṭa-dūra-pantha-na-cālavē.
- My-guṇa-doṣa-Śrīpati-angry.* Guṇa-dōṣa-Śrīpati-kōpa.
- Life-only-in-eyes-watching.* Uralā-jīva-ḍōḷām.