Abhanga 1830
For today: tears in the eyes, my throat fills — let the meeting come, Pāṇḍurange; many days abandoned — why this despair? — where is your chitta caught?; much business — no remembrance of me — my jīva is stuck in the throat; the Vārakarī-saints go to Pandhari — niropa-messages by many hands I send; without you, who can make the cry? — come, oh, swiftly, Pāṇḍurange; how till where can I watch your path? — kṛpāḷu, why have you become forgetful?; holding my remembrance once — Tuka says — come, oh, to take me.
The verse
डोळियां पाझर कंठ माझा दाटे । येऊं देई भेटे पांडुरंगे ॥१॥ बहु दिस टाकिले निरास कां केलें । कोठें वो गुंतलें चत्ति तुझें ॥ध्रु.॥ बहु धंदा तुज नाहीं वो आठव । राहिलासे जीव माझा कंठीं ॥२॥ पंढरीस जाती वारकरी संतां । निरोप बहुतां हातीं धाडीं ॥३॥ तुजविण कोण सांवा धांवा करी । ये वो झडकरी पांडुरंगे ॥४॥ काय तुझी वाट पाहों कोठवरी । कृपाळु कांपरी विसरलासी ॥५॥ एक वेळ माझा धरूनि आठव । तुका म्हणे ये वो न्यावयासी ॥६॥
Literal translation
English: Tears in the eyes, my throat fills — let the meeting come, Pāṇḍurange. Many days abandoned — why have you done despair? — where, oh, is your chitta caught? Much business — no remembrance of me, oh — my jīva remained in the throat. The Vārakarī-saints go to Pandhari — niropa-messages, by many hands, I send. Without you, who can make the cry-and-call? — come, oh, swiftly, Pāṇḍurange. How can I watch your path till where? — kṛpāḷu, (why) have you become forgetful? Holding my remembrance once — Tuka says — come, oh, to take me.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| डोळियां पाझर कंठ माझा दाटे | "tears in the eyes — my throat fills" |
| येऊं देई भेटे पांडुरंगे | "let it come — the meeting — Pāṇḍurange" |
| बहु दिस टाकिले निरास कां केलें | "many days — abandoned — despair — why have you done?" |
| कोठें वो गुंतलें चत्ति तुझें | "where, oh — (is) caught — your chitta" |
| बहु धंदा तुज नाहीं वो आठव | "much business — (of) yours — no remembrance" |
| राहिलासे जीव माझा कंठीं | "remained — my jīva — in the throat" |
| पंढरीस जाती वारकरी संतां | "to Pandhari — the Vārakarī-saints go" |
| निरोप बहुतां हातीं धाडीं | "niropa-messages — by many hands — I send" |
| तुजविण कोण सांवा धांवा करी | "without you — who — the cry-and-call — can make" |
| ये वो झडकरी पांडुरंगे | "come, oh — swiftly — Pāṇḍurange" |
| काय तुझी वाट पाहों कोठवरी | "how — your path — can I watch — till where" |
| कृपाळु कांपरी विसरलासी | "kṛpāḷu — (why) have you become forgetful" |
| एक वेळ माझा धरूनि आठव | "one time — holding — my remembrance" |
| तुका म्हणे ये वो न्यावयासी | "Tuka says — come, oh — to take me" |
What it means
Lover-yearning-pining-for-Pandhari abhang. One of the gatha's tenderest pining-bhakta abhangs.
The opening: ḍōḷiyām pājhara kaṇṭha mājhā dāṭē — yē'ūm dē'ī bhēṭē Pāṇḍurange — tears in the eyes, my throat fills — let the meeting come, Pāṇḍurange. The classical bhakta-yearning-symptoms.
The despair-line: bahu disa ṭākilē nirāsa kām kēlē — kōṭhē vō guntalē chitta tujhē — many days abandoned — why have you caused despair? — where is your chitta caught?. Niropa of chitta — where-is-your-attention?.
The jīva-in-throat: bahu dhandā tuja nāhīm vō āṭhava — rāhilāsē jīva mājhā kaṇṭhī — much business — you have no remembrance — my jīva is stuck in the throat. The classical-symptom of dying-of-yearning — the prāṇa about-to-leave through the throat.
The niropa-by-many-hands: Pandharīsa jātī Vārakarī santām — niropa bahutām hātīm dhāḍī — the Vārakarī-saints go to Pandhari — niropa-messages by many hands I send. Striking image: each Vārakarī walking to Pandhari is-a-messenger carrying-Tuka's-niropa to-Pāṇḍuranga. (= the Vārī as continuous-stream-of-messengers from-the-bhakta to-the-Lord.)
The without-you-cry: tujavīṇa kōṇa sāmvā dhāmvā karī — yē vō jhaḍakarī Pāṇḍurangē — without you, who can make the cry-and-call? — come, oh, swiftly, Pāṇḍurange.
The watching-the-path: kāya tujhī vāṭa pāhōm kōṭhavarī — kṛpāḷu kāmparī visaralāsī — how till where can I watch your path? — kṛpāḷu, why have you become forgetful?.
The closing: ēka vēḷa mājhā dharūni āṭhava — Tukā mhaṇē yē vō nyāvayāsī — holding my remembrance once — Tuka says — come, oh, to take me. Final petition: just-once-remember me, and-come to-take-me-with-you.
This abhang is one of the finest gōpī-mood / pining-bhakta abhangs in the gatha. The niropa-by-many-hands image is unique in the gatha — every Vārakarī walking-toward-Pandhari is a messenger of Tuka's heart.
[T]
For someone today
For today: tears in the eyes, my throat fills — let the meeting come, Pāṇḍurange; many days abandoned — why this despair? — where is your chitta caught?; much business — no remembrance of me — my jīva is stuck in the throat; the Vārakarī-saints go to Pandhari — niropa-messages by many hands I send; without you, who can make the cry? — come, oh, swiftly, Pāṇḍurange; how till where can I watch your path? — kṛpāḷu, why have you become forgetful?; holding my remembrance once — Tuka says — come, oh, to take me.
Where this applies
- Tears-throat-filled-let-the-meeting-come.* Pājhara-kaṇṭha-bhēṭē.
- Many-days-abandoned-where-is-your-chitta.* Bahu-disa-guntalē-chitta.
- Jīva-stuck-in-throat.* Jīva-mājhā-kaṇṭhī.
- Vārakarī-niropa-by-many-hands.* Vārakarī-niropa-bahutām-hātīm.
- Without-you-no-cry-come-swiftly.* Tujavīṇa-sāmvā-jhaḍakarī.
- Till-where-can-I-watch-your-path.* Vāṭa-kōṭhavarī.
- Remember-me-once-come-to-take.* Ēka-vēḷa-āṭhava-nyāvayāsī.