Abhanga 1814

For today: without the mother, the child — no other festivity satisfies; thus is my chitta — without you, Pandhari-nātha; the cātaka waits for the cloud's drop — refuses river or ocean; the sārasa at night meditates on the sun's light; fish without water, calf to the cow, pativratā by the husband's news, the miser by his greed-of-wealth; Tuka says — what — without you, does the prāṇa stay?.

The verse

Literal translation

What it means

Seven-fold yearning-similes for-without-you-Pandhari-nātha abhang. One of the most-quoted yearning-abhangs in the gatha — a classical seven-similes register.

Simile 1 — Mother and child: mātēvīṇa bāḷā — āṇika na mānē sōhaḷā — without the mother, the child — no other festivity satisfies. The foundational maternal-yearning. (Vārkarī's mother-Hari register.)

The application: taisē jālē mājhyā chittī — tujavīṇa Pandhari-nāthā — thus my chitta — without you, Pandhari-nātha.

Simile 2 — Cātaka and cloud-drop: vāṭa pāhē mēghā bindu — nēghē cātaka saritā sindhū — the cātaka waits for the cloud's drop — doesn't take from sarita or sindhū. The cātaka-bird drinks-only-the-monsoon-cloud's-drop, refusing-river-water-and-ocean-water. (= exclusive-source-of-life.)

Simile 3 — Sārasa at night: sārasānsī niśīm — dhyāna-ravīcyā prakāśīm — to the sārasa-bird at night — the dhyāna of the sun's light. The sārasa (= a kind of crane) at-night yearns-for-the-day-light (= waits-for-the-sun-to-rise; meditates-on-its-coming).

Simile 4 — Fish without water; calf and cow: jīvanāvīṇa matsya — jaisē dhēnū-lāgīm vatsa — fish without water — as the calf to the cow. Two-fold: fish-without-water dies; calf-without-mother-cow yearns.

Simile 5 — Pativratā and husband: pati-vratē jiṇē — bhratārācyā vartamānē — the pativratā's life — by the husband's news. The faithful-wife's life-and-vitality is-determined by-news-of-the-husband's-state.

Simile 6 — Miser and wealth: kṛpaṇācē dhana — lōbhā-lāgīm jaisē mana — the miser's wealth — as the mind for greed. The miser's-mind-clings-to-wealth as-greed-clings-to-its-object.

The closing: Tukā mhaṇē kāya — tujavīṇa prāṇa rāhē — Tuka says: what — without you, does the prāṇa stay?. The summary: seven-fold-yearning, all-yielding to: without-you, the prāṇa cannot-stay.

This abhang is foundational for Vārkarī kīrtana ekānta-mood. The seven-similes (māta-bāḷa, cātaka-mēgha, sārasa-ravi, matsya-jala, dhēnū-vatsa, pati-vratā-bhratāra, kṛpaṇa-dhana) recur-in-other-abhangs but here-stacked-tight. Among the most-recited bhakta-yearning-portraits in the gatha.

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For someone today

For today: without the mother, the child — no other festivity satisfies; thus is my chitta — without you, Pandhari-nātha; the cātaka waits for the cloud's drop — refuses river or ocean; the sārasa at night meditates on the sun's light; fish without water, calf to the cow, pativratā by the husband's news, the miser by his greed-of-wealth; Tuka says — what — without you, does the prāṇa stay?.

Where this applies

• When you miss someone so deeply that nothing else, no distraction or substitute, brings any comfort
• When you realize your devotion or love has narrowed to one true source and imitations no longer satisfy you
• When you are waiting through a hard, dark stretch of time for a specific relief you know is coming, like the crane waiting for dawn
• When someone else's wellbeing feels so tied to your own that their news determines how you feel, like the devoted wife or the pining calf

Related verses

• Abhanga 2377 — This detailed meditation on Vitthal standing on a brick at Pandharpur, out of love for his
• Abhanga 2540 — Even the smallest, most helpless creature that cries out to God in danger is sheltered and
• Abhanga 4481 — Tukaram promises that sincerely calling on the Lord's name, knowingly or unknowingly, with
• Abhanga 4482 — Tukaram teaches that no ritual equals sincerely speaking the Lord's name, that self-center