Abhanga 1612
When the one you love falls silent, ask every honest question you can rather than assuming the worst, and keep watching for them even when little strength is left.
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
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
- When someone you love has gone silent and you keep guessing every possible reason why.
- When you wonder whether your own flaws are the reason someone has turned cold toward you.
- When you imagine the person you're waiting for is tangled up in someone else's emergency, not ignoring you on purpose.
- When you are exhausted and worn thin but still cannot stop watching for the one you love to appear.