Abhanga 1641
Turn every ordinary step you take into quiet remembrance of the Divine, letting devotion become as constant and necessary to you as hunger and thirst.
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
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.
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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
- When you're walking somewhere ordinary, like to work or the store, and want to make the walk itself meaningful.
- When you feel alone and want to imagine comfort following close behind you, step by step.
- When you crave constant comfort and want to turn that craving toward something steady and always available, like repeating a name or prayer.
- When your daily routine feels empty and you want a simple practice you can weave into every step you take.