Abhanga 1664
English: For embracing, the daṇḍa-bāho throb.
The verse
क्षेम देयाला हो । स्फुरताती दंड बाहो ॥१॥ आतां झडझडां चालें । देई उचलूं पाउलें ॥ध्रु.॥ सांडीं हंसगती । बहु उत्कंठा हे चित्ती ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे आईं । श्रीरंगे विठाबाईं ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: For embracing, the daṇḍa-bāho throb. Now walk with haste — let me lift the steps. Abandon the hamsa-gati — much utkaṇṭhā in chitta. Tuka says: mother — Śrī-ranga-Viṭha-bā'ī.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| क्षेम देयाला हो | "for embracing" |
| स्फुरताती दंड बाहो | "throb — daṇḍa-bāho (= arms)" |
| आतां झडझडां चालें | "now — with haste — walk" |
| देई उचलूं पाउलें | "let me lift — steps" |
| सांडीं हंसगती | "abandon — hamsa-gati" |
| बहु उत्कंठा हे चित्ती | "much utkaṇṭhā — in chitta" |
| तुका म्हणे आईं | "Tuka says — mother (āī)" |
| श्रीरंगे विठाबाईं | "Śrī-ranga — Viṭha-bā'ī" |
What it means
Embrace-petition + Viṭha-bā'ī-as-mother abhang.
The arms-throb: kṣēma dēyālā hō — sphuratātī daṇḍa-bāhō — for embracing — daṇḍa-bāho (arms) throb. Kṣema (= "well-being / embrace") dē'yā-lā = for-giving; daṇḍa-bāho sphuratātī = the upper-arms (daṇḍa) and forearms (bāho) throb. Throbbing of arms is a folk-omen-of-meeting-the-beloved (compare 1594).
The hasten-prayer: ātām jhaḍa-jhaḍām cālē — dē'ī ucalūm pā'ulēm — now, walk with haste — let me lift the steps. Jhaḍa-jhaḍa = quick-quick / shaking-down quickly. Walk swiftly; let me lift my steps faster.
The abandon-grace: sāṇḍīm hamsa-gati — bahu utkaṇṭhā hē chittī — abandon the hamsa-gati — much utkaṇṭhā in chitta. Hamsa-gati = the slow-graceful-gait of a swan (= a traditional poetic-image for the dignified-slow-walk of beautiful-women / royalty / divinities). Abandon the slow-graceful-walk — the bhakta wants the deity to come hastily, not in slow-grace; much utkaṇṭhā in chitta won't allow waiting.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē ā'īm — Śrī-rangē Viṭha-bā'īm — Tuka says: mother — Śrī-ranga-Viṭha-bā'ī. Viṭha-bā'ī = the feminine form of Viṭṭhal — Viṭṭhal-as-mother. (Distinct from the more-common māulī-Pāṇḍuranga: Viṭha-bā'ī uses the feminine-noun-suffix -bā'ī directly, making the deity grammatically-feminine.) The mother-vocative-with-feminine-name.
[T]
For someone today
For today: for the embrace, my upper-and-fore-arms are throbbing; now walk with haste — let me lift my steps faster; abandon the slow-graceful-swan-gait — much eagerness is in my chitta; Tuka says — mother — Śrī-ranga-Viṭha-bā'ī.
Where this applies
- Arms-throb-for-embrace.* Kṣēma-daṇḍa-bāhō-sphuratī.
- Walk-with-haste-lift-steps.* Jhaḍa-jhaḍām-pā'ulēm-ucalūm.
- Abandon-hamsa-gati-utkaṇṭhā-in-chitta.* Hamsa-gati-sāṇḍī-utkaṇṭhā.
- Mother-Śrī-ranga-Viṭha-bā'ī.* Ā'ī-Śrī-ranga-Viṭha-bā'ī.