Abhanga 1815
Real generosity rushes to help the moment it hears a cry for help, without first weighing the faults of the one asking.
The verse
तुजऐसा कोणी न देखें उदार । अभयदानशूर पांडुरंगा ॥१॥ शरण येती त्यांचे न विचारिसी दोष । न मागतां त्यांस अढळ देसी ॥ध्रु.॥ धांवसी आडणी ऐकोनियां धांवा । कइवारें देवा भक्तांचिया ॥२॥ दोष त्यांचे जाळी कल्पकोटिवरी । नामासाटीं हरि आपुलिया ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे तुज वाणूं कैशा परी । एक मुख हरी आयुष्य थोडें ॥४॥
Literal translation
No one as udāra as you, abhaya-dāna-śūra Pāṇḍuranga. To those who come for refuge, you don't consider the doṣa — without asking, to them you give aḍhaḷa. You run helter-skelter on hearing the dhāmvā — defending, deva, the bhaktas. The doṣas of theirs — of kalpa-kōṭi-varī — you burn — for the sake of your own Name, Hari. Tuka says: how to celebrate you — one mouth, Hari, life is short.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| तुजऐसा कोणी न देखें उदार | "as you — no one — (I) see — (as) udāra (generous)" |
| अभयदानशूर पांडुरंगा | "abhaya-dāna-śūra (= hero of giving abhaya-dāna) — Pāṇḍuranga" |
| शरण येती त्यांचे न विचारिसी दोष | "to those who come for refuge — you don't consider — the doṣa" |
| न मागतां त्यांस अढळ देसी | "without asking — to them — aḍhaḷa (firm position) — you give" |
| धांवसी आडणी ऐकोनियां धांवा | "you run helter-skelter — on hearing the dhāmvā (cry)" |
| कइवारें देवा भक्तांचिया | "defending, deva — the bhaktas" |
| दोष त्यांचे जाळी कल्पकोटिवरी | "the doṣa — of theirs — you burn — (those of) kalpa-kōṭi-varī" |
| नामासाटीं हरि आपुलिया | "for the sake of (your own) Name — Hari" |
| तुका म्हणे तुज वाणूं कैशा परी | "Tuka says — to celebrate you — how, in what manner" |
| एक मुख हरी आयुष्य थोडें | "one mouth — Hari — life is short" |
What it means
Udāra-abhaya-dāna-śūra + how-to-celebrate-with-one-mouth abhang.
The opening: tujaisā kōṇī na dēkhē udāra — abhaya-dāna-śūra Pāṇḍurangā — no one as udāra as you — abhaya-dāna-śūra, Pāṇḍuranga. Udāra = generous, magnanimous; abhaya-dāna-śūra = hero-of-giving-abhaya-dāna (= the heroic-giver of fearlessness-as-gift).
Quality 1 — refuge-without-doṣa-consideration: śaraṇa yētī tyāñcē na vicārisī dōṣa — na māgatām tyānsa aḍhaḷa dēsī — to those who come for refuge, you don't consider the doṣa — without asking, you give them aḍhaḷa. Aḍhaḷa = immovable, firm-position (= unshakable-firm-place / mokṣa-status). You don't-examine-the-refugee's-faults; without-his-asking, you-give-immovable-position.
Quality 2 — running-on-hearing-the-cry: dhāmvasī āḍaṇī aikōniyām dhāmvā — kaivārē dēvā bhaktāñciyā — you run helter-skelter on hearing the dhāmvā — defending the bhaktas, deva. Āḍaṇī = helter-skelter, hastily, askew; kaivāra = defense, taking-the-side. On-hearing-the-bhakta's-cry, you-run-without-thought to-defend-him. (Echoes the Gajendra-rescue.)
Quality 3 — burning-eonic-doṣas: dōṣa tyāñcē jāḷī kalpa-kōṭi-varī — nāmā-sāṭīm Hari āpuliyā — the doṣas of theirs — of kalpa-kōṭi-varī — you burn — for the sake of your own Name, Hari. Kalpa-kōṭi-varī = of multiple-eons. The remarkable line: you-burn-doṣas-of-eons-not-because-of-the-bhakta's-merit but-for-the-sake-of-your-own-Name (= because-the-Name-itself-cannot-be-let-down). (= the Lord-rescues to protect-his-own-reputation-of-Nāma-saving.)
The closing-lament: Tukā mhaṇē tuja vāṇūm kaiśā parī — ēka mukha Hari āyuṣya thōḍē — Tuka says: how to celebrate you — one mouth, Hari, life is short. Vāṇūm = to celebrate, sing-praises; ēka mukha = one mouth; āyuṣya thōḍē = life is short. The bhakta's despair-at-the-task: one mouth, short-life — how-to-celebrate-your-saving-qualities-adequately.
This abhang is one of the canonical praise-of-Pāṇḍuranga abhangs — the abhaya-dāna-śūra + run-on-cry + burn-eonic-doṣas-for-Name's-sake register. Pairs with 1816 as a praise-pair.
[T]
For someone today
For today: no one as udāra as you, abhaya-dāna-śūra Pāṇḍuranga; to those who come for refuge, you don't consider their doṣa — without their asking, you give them firm position; you run helter-skelter on hearing the cry — defending the bhaktas, deva; you burn their doṣas of eons-multiple — for the sake of your own Name, Hari; Tuka says — how to celebrate you — one mouth, Hari, life is short.
Where this applies
- When you feel too flawed or ashamed to ask for help, worrying your past mistakes will be weighed first
- When someone rushes to your side the instant you cry out, without asking questions about how you got there
- When you carry guilt from years of mistakes and wonder if it can ever really be let go
- When you feel words or thanks fall short of the gratitude you actually feel toward someone who saved you