Abhanga 1622
For today: what is it costing you to give me your meeting? — just speaking one or two words; am I secretly stealing your form, that out of fear you've stayed hidden?; what use to me is your Vaikuṇṭha — don't fear, meet me now; Tuka says — I don't want your stipend or any share — but I have a longing for darśana.
The verse
काय तुझें वेचे मज भेटी देतां । वचन बोलतां एक दोन ॥१॥ काय तुझें रूप घेतों मी चोरोनि । त्या भेणें लपोनि राहिलासी ॥ध्रु.॥ काय तुझें आम्हां करावें वैकुंठ । भेवों नको भेट आतां मज ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे तुझी नलगे दसोडी । परि आहे आवडी दर्शनाची ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: What's spent of yours when you give me bhēṭī — speaking one or two vacana? Am I secretly stealing your form, that out of fear you've stayed hidden? What use to us is your Vaikuṇṭha? — don't fear, meet me now. Tuka says: I don't want your dasōḍī — but I have āvaḍī for darśana.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| काय तुझें वेचे मज भेटी देतां | "what — of yours — spent — when giving me bhēṭī" |
| वचन बोलतां एक दोन | "speaking vacana — one or two" |
| काय तुझें रूप घेतों मी चोरोनि | "what — am I taking — your form — secretly" |
| त्या भेणें लपोनि राहिलासी | "out of that fear — hiding — you have stayed" |
| काय तुझें आम्हां करावें वैकुंठ | "what — of yours — do we need — Vaikuṇṭha" |
| भेवों नको भेट आतां मज | "don't fear — meet me — now" |
| तुका म्हणे तुझी नलगे दसोडी | "Tuka says — your — not needed — dasōḍī (official-share)" |
| परि आहे आवडी दर्शनाची | "but — there is — āvaḍī — of darśana" |
What it means
Bhakta-pleads-for-darśana-without-cost abhang. A teasing-intimate-tone with the Lord — what could it cost you to just show up?
The cost-question: kāya tujhēm vēcē maja bhēṭī dētām — vacana bōlatām ēka dōna — what's spent of yours when giving me bhēṭī — speaking one or two words? Vēcē = expended, spent. The bhakta-as-merchant-haggling: what is it costing you? — just showing up and speaking a word or two.
The form-stealing-joke: kāya tujhēm rūpa ghētōm mī cōrōni — tyā bhēṇē lapōni rāhilāsī — am I secretly stealing your form, that out of fear you've stayed hidden? (Striking-formulation: teasing the Lord for hiding-as-if-the-bhakta-were-a-thief.)
The Vaikuṇṭha-rejection: kāya tujhēm āmhām karāvēm Vaikuṇṭha — bhēvōm nakō bhēṭa ātām maja — what use to us is your Vaikuṇṭha? — don't fear, meet me now. We don't want your Vaikuṇṭha-property — we want only your-meeting; don't worry about giving us your-real-estate. (= darśana-only, not Vaikuṇṭha-residence.)
The closing-clarification: Tukā mhaṇē tujhī nalagē dasōḍī — parī āhē āvaḍī darśanācī — Tuka says: I don't want your dasōḍī — but I have āvaḍī for darśana. Dasōḍī = the daily-official-share / the king's-stipend-to-his-subjects. I don't want your stipend, I just want darśana. (Compare 1579's na karīm tapa-sādhanē rē muktīcē sāyāsa — same pattern of not-wanting-the-prize, only-wanting-darśana.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: what is it costing you to give me your meeting? — just speaking one or two words; am I secretly stealing your form, that out of fear you've stayed hidden?; what use to me is your Vaikuṇṭha — don't fear, meet me now; Tuka says — I don't want your stipend or any share — but I have a longing for darśana.
Where this applies
- What's-it-cost-to-meet-me-just-speak-a-word.* Vēcē-bhēṭī-vacana-ēka-dōna.
- Am-I-stealing-your-form-that-you-hide.* Rūpa-cōrōni-bhēṇē-lapōni.
- Don't-need-your-Vaikuṇṭha-meet-me-now.* Vaikuṇṭha-nakō-bhēṭa-ātām.
- Don't-want-stipend-only-darśana-longed-for.* Dasōḍī-nalagē-darśana-āvaḍī.