Abhanga 1866
For today: prēma resides there — when Hari is uttered with the mouth; may prēma come to that village — (it) eagerly-searches for these Vaiṣṇavas; prēma chases on the back with force — seeing the bhakta as innocent; prēma does not go when driven away — enters by force where kathā is; Tuka says — great is the hope — prēma's home is at the Viṣṇu-dāsa's.
The verse
प्रेम तेथें वास करी । मुखीं उच्चारितां हरी ॥१॥ प्रेम यावें तया गांवा । चोजवीत या वैष्णवां ॥ध्रु.॥ प्रेमें पाठी लागे बळें । भक्त देखोनियां भोळे ॥२॥ प्रेम न वजे दवडितां । शिरे बळें जेथें कथा ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे थोर आशा । प्रेमा घरीं विष्णुदासां ॥४॥
Literal translation
English: Prēma resides there — when Hari is uttered with the mouth. May prēma come to that village — (it) eagerly-searches for these Vaiṣṇavas. Prēma chases on the back with force — seeing the bhakta as innocent. Prēma does not go when driven away — enters by force where kathā is. Tuka says: great is the hope — prēma's home is at the Viṣṇu-dāsa's.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| प्रेम तेथें वास करी | "prēma — there resides (vāsa karī)" |
| मुखीं उच्चारितां हरी | "(when) Hari is uttered — with the mouth" |
| प्रेम यावें तया गांवा | "may prēma come — to that village" |
| चोजवीत या वैष्णवां | "(it) eagerly-searches (cōjavīta) — for these Vaiṣṇavas" |
| प्रेमें पाठी लागे बळें | "prēma — chases on the back — with force" |
| भक्त देखोनियां भोळे | "seeing the bhakta — as bhōḷē (innocent)" |
| प्रेम न वजे दवडितां | "prēma does not go — when driven away" |
| शिरे बळें जेथें कथा | "(it) enters by force — where kathā is" |
| तुका म्हणे थोर आशा | "Tuka says — great is the hope" |
| प्रेमा घरीं विष्णुदासां | "prēma's home — is at the Viṣṇu-dāsa's" |
What it means
Prēma-as-active-pursuer-of-bhaktas abhang. A striking-personification of prēma (devotional-love).
The opening: prēma tēthē vāsa karī — mukhīm uccāritā Hari — prēma resides where Hari is uttered with the mouth. The prēma's-residence is in-the-Hari-name-uttering-mouth.
The eager-search: prēma yāvē tyā gāmvā — cōjavīta yā Vaiṣṇavām — may prēma come to that village — (it) eagerly-searches for these Vaiṣṇavas. Cōjavīta = eagerly-searching, seeking-with-fond-eagerness. Prēma actively-searches-for-the-Vaiṣṇavas.
The chase-image: prēmē pāṭhī lāgē baḷē — bhakta dēkhōniyām bhōḷē — prēma chases on the back with force — seeing the bhakta as innocent. Pāṭhī lāgē = chases / clings-from-behind; bhōḷē = innocent, simple. Striking inversion: the bhakta-doesn't-need-to-chase-prēma; prēma-chases-the-bhakta when-it-sees-his-innocence. (= the simple-innocent-bhakta is the magnet-for-prēma*.)
The force-entry line: prēma na vajē davaḍitām — śirē baḷē jēthē kathā — prēma does not go when driven away — enters by force where kathā is. Davaḍitām = driving-away; śirē baḷē = enters by force. Even-if-driven-away, prēma enters-by-force where Hari-kathā is.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē thōra āśā — prēmā gharī Viṣṇu-dāsām — Tuka says: great is the hope — prēma's home is at the Viṣṇu-dāsa's. Great-hope (= reward / promise) at the Viṣṇu-dāsa's-house, where prēma resides.
This abhang's prēma-as-active-pursuer register is rare and beautiful — the bhakta is not the one chasing-after-prēma; prēma-chases the innocent-bhakta when-Hari-is-uttered or-when-kathā-happens. Prēma is the seeker, the bhakta is the sought.
[T]
For someone today
For today: prēma resides there — when Hari is uttered with the mouth; may prēma come to that village — (it) eagerly-searches for these Vaiṣṇavas; prēma chases on the back with force — seeing the bhakta as innocent; prēma does not go when driven away — enters by force where kathā is; Tuka says — great is the hope — prēma's home is at the Viṣṇu-dāsa's.
Where this applies
- Prēma-resides-where-Hari-is-uttered.* Prēma-vāsa-Hari-mukha.
- Prēma-eagerly-searches-Vaiṣṇavas.* Prēma-yāvē-cōjavīta-Vaiṣṇava.
- Prēma-chases-the-innocent-bhakta.* Prēmē-pāṭhī-lāgē-bhōḷē.
- Prēma-enters-by-force-where-kathā-is.* Prēma-na-vajē-kathā-baḷa.
- Prēma's-home-at-Viṣṇu-dāsa's.* Thōra-āśā-prēmā-gharī-Viṣṇu-dāsa.