Abhanga 1641
For today: while walking on the path, step-by-step — meditate on Pāṇḍuranga the māulī; all-bliss attaches taking your back, with its longing pouring rasa into your throat; his pītāmbara casts shade on the loving-one — and his look itself gives the answer of longing; Tuka says — this very should be made our life — Nārāyaṇa in our mouth, our very thirst-and-hunger.
The verse
मारगीं चालतां पाउलापाउलीं । चिंतावी माउली पांडुरंग ॥१॥ सर्व सुख लागे घेउनिया पाठी । आवडींचा कंठीं रस ओती ॥ध्रु.॥ पीतांबरें छाया करी लोभापर । पाहे तें उत्तर आवडीचें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे हें चि करावें जीवन । वाचे नारायण तान भूक ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: On the path, walking step-by-step — meditate on the māulī Pāṇḍuranga. Sarva-sukha attaches, taking the back — with longing pours rasa into the throat. The pītāmbara casts shade on the loving-one — looks with the answer of longing. Tuka says: this very should be made the jīvana — Nārāyaṇa in mouth, thirst-hunger.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| मारगीं चालतां पाउलापाउलीं | "on the path — walking — step-by-step" |
| चिंतावी माउली पांडुरंग | "meditate — the māulī — Pāṇḍuranga" |
| सर्व सुख लागे घेउनिया पाठी | "all sukha — attaches — taking the back" |
| आवडींचा कंठीं रस ओती | "with longing — into the throat — pours rasa" |
| पीतांबरें छाया करी लोभापर | "the pītāmbara — casts shade — on the loving-one" |
| पाहे तें उत्तर आवडीचें | "looks — that uttara — of longing" |
| तुका म्हणे हें चि करावें जीवन | "Tuka says — this very — should be made — the life" |
| वाचे नारायण तान भूक | "in mouth — Nārāyaṇa — thirst-hunger" |
What it means
Pāṇḍuranga-māulī-walking-companion abhang. One of the most lyrical path-companion abhangs in the gatha.
The opening: mārgīm cālatām pāulā-pāulīm — cintāvī mā'ulī Pāṇḍuranga — while walking on the path, step-by-step, meditate on Pāṇḍuranga the māulī. Pāulā-pāulīm = step-by-step; māulī = mother (the vārkarī's-favorite address for Pāṇḍuranga, blending mother-and-deity). Each-step a meditation.
The back-companion: sarva sukha lāgē ghē'uniyā pāṭhī — āvaḍīñcā kaṇṭhīm rasa ōtī — sarva-sukha attaches, taking the back — with longing pours rasa in the throat. Ghē'uniyā pāṭhī = taking the back / following close behind; kaṇṭhīm rasa ōtī = pours rasa in the throat. All-bliss follows close behind, pouring rasa into your throat with its-own-longing. (The bliss as following-and-feeding-companion.)
The pītāmbara-shade: pītāmbarē chāyā karī lōbhā-para — pāhē tēm uttara āvaḍīñcē — the pītāmbara casts shade on the loving-one — looks with the answer of longing. Lōbhā-para = upon-the-loving-one (= the bhakta-with-longing); uttara = answer, response. His pītāmbara (yellow-silk) casts-shade on the loving-bhakta; his very-look gives the answer-of-longing.
The closing-formula: Tukā mhaṇē hēm chi karāvēm jīvana — vācē Nārāyaṇa tāna bhūka — Tuka says: this very should be made the jīvana — Nārāyaṇa in the mouth, thirst-hunger. Tāna bhūka (= thirst, hunger) — keep Nārāyaṇa in the mouth as your very thirst-and-hunger. (Striking: the nāma is the only food and water; one's hunger and thirst are met-by-and-pointed-toward Nārāyaṇa.)
This abhang's concrete-path-walking imagery (step-by-step, back-following, throat-rasa, pītāmbara-shade, look-of-answer, throat-thirst-hunger) gives the abstract bhakti-doctrine an embodied-walking-life-form.
[T]
For someone today
For today: while walking on the path, step-by-step — meditate on Pāṇḍuranga the māulī; all-bliss attaches taking your back, with its longing pouring rasa into your throat; his pītāmbara casts shade on the loving-one — and his look itself gives the answer of longing; Tuka says — this very should be made our life — Nārāyaṇa in our mouth, our very thirst-and-hunger.
Where this applies
- Step-by-step-meditate-on-Pāṇḍuranga-māulī.* Pāulā-pāulīm-mā'ulī-Pāṇḍuranga.
- Sukha-takes-the-back-pours-rasa-in-throat.* Sukha-pāṭhī-kaṇṭhīm-rasa.
- Pītāmbara-shade-loving-look-answer.* Pītāmbara-chāyā-uttara-āvaḍīñcē.
- Nārāyaṇa-as-thirst-and-hunger.* Vācē-Nārāyaṇa-tāna-bhūka.