Abhanga 1830
When you feel forgotten by someone you love, keep reaching toward them anyway, sending your longing forward through whoever or whatever can carry it.
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
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
- When someone you love has gone quiet for a long stretch and you feel the ache of missing them physically, in your throat or chest
- When you keep waiting for a sign or a reunion and start to wonder if you have been forgotten
- When you send word through other people because you cannot reach someone directly yourself
- When you feel like giving up on a long wait but choose to keep calling out instead