Abhanga 1663
For today: I will eat the leftover-food, I will roll in the courtyard, I will become the sandals at the vaiṣṇavas' feet; give me such a birth now, Devā — this is my soul's longing all-the-time; their foot-dust comes upon my body — venerating it on my head, I will walk behind them; Tuka says — bhāva has remained here only — knowing all-else is vain.
The verse
सेवीन उच्छिष्ट लोळेन अंगणीं । वैष्णवां चरणीं होइन जोडा ॥१॥ ऐसें जन्म आतां मज देई देवा । आवडी हे जीवा सर्व काळ ॥ध्रु.॥ त्यांचे चरणरज येती अंगावरी । वंदीत ते शिरीं जाइन मागें ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे येथें राहिलासे भाव । सकळ ही वाव जाणोनियां ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Will eat the ucchiṣṭa, roll in the courtyard, become the jōḍā at vaiṣṇavas' feet. Give me such a janma now, Devā — this longing in soul all the time. Their caraṇa-rajas come on body — venerating on head, will go behind. Tuka says: here bhāva has remained — knowing all else is vain.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| सेवीन उच्छिष्ट लोळेन अंगणीं | "will eat — ucchiṣṭa; — will roll — in the courtyard" |
| वैष्णवां चरणीं होइन जोडा | "at vaiṣṇavas' feet — will become — jōḍā (sandals)" |
| ऐसें जन्म आतां मज देई देवा | "such janma — now — to me — give, Devā" |
| आवडी हे जीवा सर्व काळ | "this longing — to soul — all the time" |
| त्यांचे चरणरज येती अंगावरी | "their caraṇa-rajas — come — on body" |
| वंदीत ते शिरीं जाइन मागें | "venerating — on head — will go — behind" |
| तुका म्हणे येथें राहिलासे भाव | "Tuka says — here — bhāva has remained" |
| सकळ ही वाव जाणोनियां | "all — vain — knowing" |
What it means
Vaiṣṇava-foot-jōḍā + ucchiṣṭa-eating-self-abasement abhang. Joins the pāya-pōsa (foot-rag) image of 1633.
The opening: sēvīna ucchiṣṭa lōḷēna angaṇīm — vaiṣṇavām caraṇīm hō'ina jōḍā — will eat the ucchiṣṭa, roll in the courtyard, become the jōḍā at vaiṣṇavas' feet. Ucchiṣṭa = leftover-food / left-on-plate (= ritually-impure-leftovers); jōḍā = sandals. Will eat the saints' leftovers; roll in their courtyard; become the very sandals at their feet. The triple self-abasement — eating leftovers, rolling in dust, becoming-sandals.
The longing-petition: aisēm janma ātām maja dē'ī Devā — āvaḍī hē jīvā sarva kāḷa — give me such a janma now, Devā — this longing in soul all-the-time. Don't give me a different birth — give me this birth-of-vaiṣṇava-foot-service.
The dust-on-body: tyāñcē caraṇa-raja yētī angāvarī — vandīta tē śirīm jā'ina māgē — their caraṇa-rajas come on body — venerating on head, will go behind. Caraṇa-raja = foot-dust (= the holiest possible-thing). Will receive their foot-dust on my body; venerate it on my head; go behind them.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē yēthē rāhilāsē bhāva — sakaḷa hī vāva jāṇōniyām — Tuka says: here bhāva has remained — knowing all (else) is vain. Bhāva has settled here only; all-other-things-known-as-vain.
This abhang together with 1633 (tyāñcē pāyīm pāya-pōsa hō'uniyām vāsa karina tēthē) and 1654's Mathurā-rāyā daṇḍavat pāyām establishes Tukaram's self-position-at-the-saints'-feet as the consistent identity-claim.
[T]
For someone today
For today: I will eat the leftover-food, I will roll in the courtyard, I will become the sandals at the vaiṣṇavas' feet; give me such a birth now, Devā — this is my soul's longing all-the-time; their foot-dust comes upon my body — venerating it on my head, I will walk behind them; Tuka says — bhāva has remained here only — knowing all-else is vain.
Where this applies
- Eat-ucchiṣṭa-roll-in-courtyard-vaiṣṇava-jōḍā.* Ucchiṣṭa-angaṇa-vaiṣṇava-jōḍā.
- Give-me-such-janma-longing-all-time.* Aisā-janma-āvaḍī-sarva-kāḷa.
- Foot-dust-on-body-venerated-on-head.* Caraṇa-raja-anga-śira-vandita.
- Bhāva-here-all-else-vain.* Bhāva-yēthē-sakaḷa-vāva.