Abhanga 1844
For today: the child runs toward the mother — without considering anything; then her knowing is good — she offers (her) body with delight; doesn't know snake-or-rope, fire — holds anything in hand; without her, doesn't know anything else, Tuka says.
The verse
धांवे माते सोईं । बाळ न विचारितां कांहीं ॥१॥ मग त्याचें जाणें निकें । अंग वोडवी कौतुकें ॥ध्रु.॥ नेणे सर्प दोरी । अगी भलतें हातीं धरी ॥२॥ तीविन तें नेणें । आणीक कांहीं तुका म्हणे ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: The child runs toward the mother — without considering anything. Then her knowing is good — she offers body with delight. Doesn't know snake-or-rope, fire — holds anything in hand. Without her, doesn't know anything else, Tuka says.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| धांवे माते सोईं | "runs — toward the mother" |
| बाळ न विचारितां कांहीं | "the child — without considering — anything" |
| मग त्याचें जाणें निकें | "then her knowing is good" |
| अंग वोडवी कौतुकें | "(she) offers body — with delight (kautuka)" |
| नेणे सर्प दोरी | "doesn't know — snake or rope" |
| अगी भलतें हातीं धरी | "fire — holds anything in hand" |
| तीविन तें नेणें | "without her — (it) doesn't know" |
| आणीक कांहीं तुका म्हणे | "anything else — Tuka says" |
What it means
Child-runs-to-mother-without-discrimination abhang.
The opening: dhāmvē mātē sōīm — bāḷa na vicāritā kāhīm — the child runs toward the mother — without considering anything. The classical-bhakti-image: the child-runs-to-mother instinctively, without-deliberation.
The mother's-response: maga tyācē jāṇē nikē — anga vōḍavī kautukē — then her knowing is good — she offers body with delight. The mother's-knowing compensates for-the-child's-non-knowing; she takes-up-the-child with delight.
The non-discrimination: nēṇē sarpa dōrī — agī bhalatē hātīm dharī — doesn't know snake or rope — fire — holds anything in hand. The child can't-distinguish snake-from-rope, can't-recognize fire, picks-up-anything. (= child has no-discrimination — the world is full-of-dangers — but the mother's-knowing-protects.)
The closing: tīvina tē nēṇē — āṇīka kāhīm Tuka mhaṇē — without her, (it) doesn't know anything else, Tuka says. The child-knows-only-the-mother; without-her, knows-nothing else.
The implicit-teaching: the bhakta-is-like-the-child — runs-to-Hari without-deliberation; the-Lord's-knowing compensates for-the-bhakta's-non-discrimination; the-bhakta knows-only-Hari, nothing-else. The Vārkarī-bhakta-as-the-undiscriminating-child of the all-knowing-mother-Hari.
[T]
For someone today
For today: the child runs toward the mother — without considering anything; then her knowing is good — she offers (her) body with delight; doesn't know snake-or-rope, fire — holds anything in hand; without her, doesn't know anything else, Tuka says.
Where this applies
- Child-runs-to-mother-without-considering.* Dhāmvē-māte-bāḷa-na-vicāra.
- Mother-knows-offers-body-with-delight.* Māte-jāṇē-anga-vōḍavī.
- Child-doesn't-know-snake-rope-fire.* Nēṇē-sarpa-dōrī-agī.
- Without-her-knows-nothing.* Tīvina-na-jāṇē.