Abhanga 1827
For today: sādhana-wealth — this is my dhana — the entire is Viṭhōbā's feet; cool, this path — the way to my māhēra — very-near, straight, of sukha-form; Vaiṣṇavas' company, singing rāma-songs — adorned as ornament-decoration; the bhava-river — no longer in the way — dry to walk-on, to go on foot; mother and father, both, will watch the path — standing with hands on waist; Tuka says — when will I see the kaḷasa? — sloth, sleep, hunger have fled.
The verse
साधन संपत्ति हें चि माझें धन । सकळ चरण विठोबाचे ॥१॥ शीतळ हा पंथ माहेराची वाट । जवळी च नीट सुखरूप ॥ध्रु.॥ वैष्णवांचा संग रामगाणें गाणें । मंडित भूषण अळंकार ॥२॥ भवनदी आड नव्हतीसी जाली । कोरडी च चाली जावें पायी ॥३॥ मायबाप दोघें पाहातील वाट । ठेवूनिया कटीं कर उभी ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे केव्हां देखेन कळस । पळाली आळस निद्रा भूक ॥५॥
Literal translation
English: Sādhana-wealth — this is my dhana — the entire (is) Viṭhōbā's feet. Cool, this path — the way to māhēra — very-near, straight, of sukha-form. Vaiṣṇavas' company, singing rāma-songs — adorned (as) ornament-decoration. The bhava-river — (in the way) — no longer is — dry to walk-on, to go on foot. Mother-and-father, both, will watch the path — placing on the waist hands, standing. Tuka says: when will I see the kaḷasa? — sloth, sleep, hunger have fled.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| साधन संपत्ति हें चि माझें धन | "sādhana-wealth — this is my dhana" |
| सकळ चरण विठोबाचे | "the entire — (is) Viṭhōbā's feet" |
| शीतळ हा पंथ माहेराची वाट | "cool — this path — the way to māhēra (mother's-house)" |
| जवळी च नीट सुखरूप | "very-near — straight — of the form of sukha" |
| वैष्णवांचा संग रामगाणें गाणें | "Vaiṣṇavas' company — singing rāma-songs" |
| मंडित भूषण अळंकार | "adorned — (as) ornament-decoration" |
| भवनदी आड नव्हतीसी जाली | "the bhava-river — (in the way) — no longer is" |
| कोरडी च चाली जावें पायी | "dry — to walk-on — to go on foot" |
| मायबाप दोघें पाहातील वाट | "mother-and-father — both — will watch the path" |
| ठेवूनिया कटीं कर उभी | "placing on the waist — hands — standing" |
| तुका म्हणे केव्हां देखेन कळस | "Tuka says — when — will I see — the kaḷasa (temple-spire)" |
| पळाली आळस निद्रा भूक | "fled — sloth, sleep, hunger" |
What it means
Vārī-pilgrimage-anticipation abhang. A foundational mood-abhang of the Vārkarī Vārī (pilgrimage to Pandhari).
The opening: sādhana sampatti hē chi mājhē dhana — sakaḷa caraṇa Viṭhōbācē — sādhana-wealth — this is my dhana — the entire (is) Viṭhōbā's feet. Sādhana-sampatti = the wealth-of-sādhana; dhana = wealth. My only-wealth is Viṭhōbā's feet (= the goal of the Vārī).
The path-line: śītaḷa hā pantha māhērācī vāṭa — javaḷī chi nīṭa sukha-rūpa — cool, this path — the way to māhēra — very-near, straight, of sukha-form. Māhēra = the natal-home / mother's-house (= Pandhari as the bhakta's-mother's-home); śītaḷa = cool (= cool-because-pleasing); javaḷī chi nīṭa = very-near, straight; sukha-rūpa = of-the-form-of-sukha. The Vārī-path is cool, the way to mother's-home, very-near, straight, sukha-formed.
The companions: Vaiṣṇavāñcā sanga rāma-gāṇē gāṇē — maṇḍita bhūṣaṇa aḷankāra — Vaiṣṇavas' company, singing rāma-songs — adorned as ornament-decoration. The pilgrimage-companion is Vaiṣṇava-sanga; the song is rāma-gāṇa; together they are the adornment. (= the journey-itself is festive.)
The bhava-river image: bhava-nadī āḍa navhatīsī jālī — kōraḍī chi cālī jāvē pāyī — the bhava-river — (in the way) — no longer is — dry to walk-on, to go on foot. Bhava-nadī = the river of samsāra; āḍa = in-the-way / blocking. The bhava-river that-used-to-block-the-path has-dried-up; the bhakta walks-across dry-footed. (= the samsāra-obstacle has dissolved-as-the-Vārī-mood-takes-hold.)
The watching-parents: māya-bāpa dōghē pāhātīla vāṭa — ṭhē'ūniyā kaṭīm kara ubhī — mother and father, both, will watch the path — placing on the waist hands, standing. The classical-Pāṇḍuranga-pose: Viṭhṭhal and Rakhumāī standing-with-hands-on-the-waist (kaṭāvarī kara) at-the-temple-of-Pandhari, watching for-the-bhakta's-arrival. (= the iconic standing-pose of Viṭhṭhal.)
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē kēvhām dēkhēna kaḷasa — paḷalī āḷasa nidrā bhūka — Tuka says: when will I see the kaḷasa? — sloth, sleep, hunger have fled. Kaḷasa = the temple-spire (= the first-glimpse the Vārkarī gets as he approaches Pandhari); paḷalī = fled, vanished; āḷasa nidrā bhūka = sloth, sleep, hunger. In the eager-anticipation of seeing the kaḷasa, the body's-three-impulses (sloth, sleep, hunger) have vanished. (= the bhakta is wholly-absorbed in the goal.)
This abhang is one of the foundational Vārī-mood abhangs — recited-by-the-Vārkarī-pilgrims as they walk-toward-Pandhari. The journey-the-companions-the-cool-path-the-dry-bhava-river-the-watching-parents-the-temple-spire — all in five short verses.
[T]
For someone today
For today: sādhana-wealth — this is my dhana — the entire is Viṭhōbā's feet; cool, this path — the way to my māhēra — very-near, straight, of sukha-form; Vaiṣṇavas' company, singing rāma-songs — adorned as ornament-decoration; the bhava-river — no longer in the way — dry to walk-on, to go on foot; mother and father, both, will watch the path — standing with hands on waist; Tuka says — when will I see the kaḷasa? — sloth, sleep, hunger have fled.
Where this applies
- Sādhana-wealth-is-Viṭhōbā's-feet.* Sādhana-sampatti-Viṭhōbā-caraṇa.
- Cool-path-way-to-māhēra-of-sukha-form.* Śītaḷa-pantha-māhēra-sukha-rūpa.
- Vaiṣṇava-company-rāma-songs-as-ornament.* Vaiṣṇava-sanga-rāma-gāṇa-aḷankāra.
- Bhava-river-no-longer-walking-dry.* Bhava-nadī-kōraḍī-pāyī.
- Mother-father-watching-path-hands-on-waist.* Mā-bāpa-vāṭa-kaṭīm-kara-ubhī.
- When-will-I-see-temple-spire-impulses-fled.* Kēvhām-kaḷasa-āḷasa-nidrā-bhūka.