Abhanga 1861
God willingly makes himself as small and available as an atom for love, meeting you at the size of your devotion, however humble the offering.
The verse
देव बराडी देव बराडी । घाली देंठासाटीं उडी ॥१॥ देव भ्याड देव भ्याड । राखे बळीचें कवाड ॥ध्रु.॥ देव भाविक भाविक । होय दासाचें सेवक ॥२॥ देव होया देव होया । जैसा म्हणे तैसा तया ॥३॥ देव लाहान लाहान । तुका म्हणे अनुरेण ॥४॥
Literal translation
Deva is wretched, deva is wretched — jumps for a fruit-stem. Deva is timid, deva is timid — guards Bali's door. Deva is sincere, sincere — becomes the dāsa's servant. Deva is yes-deva, yes-deva — as one says, thus to him. Deva is small-small — Tuka says — anurēṇa.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| देव बराडी देव बराडी | "deva is barāḍī (wretched) — (repeated)" |
| घाली देंठासाटीं उडी | "jumps — for the sake of (a fruit-)stem (dēṇṭhā)" |
| देव भ्याड देव भ्याड | "deva is bhyāḍa (timid / coward) — (repeated)" |
| राखे बळीचें कवाड | "guards — Bali's door" |
| देव भाविक भाविक | "deva is bhāvika (sincere) — (repeated)" |
| होय दासाचें सेवक | "becomes — the dāsa's servant" |
| देव होया देव होया | "deva is hō'yā (yes-deva) — (repeated)" |
| जैसा म्हणे तैसा तया | "as one says — thus to him" |
| देव लाहान लाहान | "deva is small-small (lāhāna)" |
| तुका म्हणे अनुरेण | "Tuka says — anurēṇa (atom-small)" |
What it means
Deva-deva-litany — comic-littleness abhang. Continues 1858-1865 cluster.
Verse 1 — barāḍī: deva is barāḍī (wretched) — jumps for a fruit-stem. Dēṇṭhā = the stem-of-a-fruit. The deva-jumps-eagerly for a-mere-fruit-stem (= even for a small-offering). (Comic.)
Verse 2 — bhyāḍa: deva is bhyāḍa (timid) — guards Bali's door. Krishna-guards-Bali's-door (= the famous-story where Viṣṇu, after taking-three-strides as Vāmana, became Bali's gatekeeper). The deva is bhyāḍa-enough to-guard a daitya-king's-door. (Comic-elevation-deflation.)
Verse 3 — bhāvika: deva is bhāvika (sincere) — becomes the dāsa's servant. Echoes 1826's Lord-as-bhakta's-servant register.
Verse 4 — hō'yā: deva is hō'yā (yes-deva) — as one says, thus to him. Hō'yā = the yes-man, the agreeable-one. The deva-agrees-to-whatever-the-bhakta-says. (= cosmic-pliability.)
Verse 5 — lāhāna: deva is small-small — Tuka says — anurēṇa. Anurēṇa = atom-small particle / atomic-mote. The cosmic-Lord shrinks-down to-anurēṇa.
The whole-verse-progression deflates-cosmic-deva to: wretched, timid, sincere-servant, yes-man, atom-small.
[T]
For someone today
For today: deva is wretched, wretched — jumps for a fruit-stem; deva is timid, timid — guards Bali's door; deva is sincere, sincere — becomes the dāsa's servant; deva is yes-deva, yes-deva — as one says, thus to him; deva is small-small — Tuka says — anurēṇa.
Where this applies
- When you feel your small offering or effort is too insignificant to matter to God
- When you assume the divine only responds to grand status or elaborate ritual
- When you want reassurance that sincere service, however humble, is met with real care
- When you feel too small or ordinary to be noticed by something greater than yourself