Abhanga 1887
For today: no value of wood — the bee is bound by the flower; bound by prēma-prīti — that is not released by anything done; puts a cushion in the cloth-fold — the father, weak, for the child; Tuka says — by bhāva, by fear, deva must take form.
The verse
नाही काष्ठाचा गुमान । गोवी भ्रमरा सुमन ॥१॥ प्रेम प्रीतीचे बांधलें । तें न सुटे कांहीं केलें ॥ध्रु.॥ पदरीं घालीं पिळा । बाप निर्बळ साटी बाळा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे भावें । भेणें देवा आकारावें ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: No value of wood — the bee is bound by the flower. Bound by prēma-prīti — that is not released by anything done. Puts a cushion in the cloth-fold — the father, weak, for the child. Tuka says: by bhāva — by fear — deva must take form.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नाही काष्ठाचा गुमान | "no value (gumāna) of wood (kāṣṭha)" |
| गोवी भ्रमरा सुमन | "the bee is bound (gōvī) — by the flower (sumana)" |
| प्रेम प्रीतीचे बांधलें | "bound by prēma-prīti" |
| तें न सुटे कांहीं केलें | "that is not released — by anything done" |
| पदरीं घालीं पिळा | "puts in the cloth-fold (padara) — a cushion (piḷā)" |
| बाप निर्बळ साटी बाळा | "the father, weak — for the child" |
| तुका म्हणे भावें | "Tuka says — by bhāva" |
| भेणें देवा आकारावें | "by fear — deva must take form (ākāra)" |
What it means
Bee-bound-by-flower + prēma-prīti-binds-the-Lord abhang. Part of Śivājī-cluster (1877-1890).
The opening: nāhī kāṣṭhācā gumāna — gōvī bhramarā sumana — no value of wood — the bee is bound by the flower. Kāṣṭha = wood; gumāna = value, importance; sumana = flower. The bee-doesn't-care-about-wood-(of-the-tree); it-is-bound-by-the-flower (sumana) (= the bhakta is bound-by-prēma, not-by-substance / not-by-cosmic-grandeur).
The prēma-prīti binding: prēma prītīcē bāndhilē — tē na suṭē kāhīm kēlē — bound by prēma-prīti — that is not released by anything done. The Lord-himself is bound-by-prēma-prīti — no-action-can-release-this-binding. (= the bhakta's-prēma is-the-Lord's-permanent-bondage.)
The cushion-image: padarī ghālī piḷā — bāpa nirbaḷa sāṭī bāḷa — puts a cushion in the cloth-fold — the father, weak, for the child. Padara = the end-fold of a cloth (= the parent's-cloth-fold where babies are tucked); piḷā = cushion / soft-padding; nirbaḷa = weak, helpless. The father-puts-a-cushion in-the-cloth-fold — the father becomes-weak for-the-child's-sake. (= the all-mighty-Lord becomes-weak in-the-presence-of-the-child-bhakta, providing-soft-cushioning.)
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē bhāvē — bhēṇē devā ākārāvē — Tuka says: by bhāva — by fear — deva must take form. Bhē = fear; ākāra = form, shape. By the bhakta's-bhāva and-by-(love's)-fear, deva must-take-form for-the-bhakta. (= the bhakta's-bhāva compels-the-formless-Lord to-take-form.)
In the Śivājī-context: the bhakta is bound-by-prēma (not-by-Śivājī's-royal-substance); the all-mighty-Lord becomes-weak-for-the-bhakta-child; the formless-Lord takes-form-for-the-bhakta's-bhāva — none-of-this-changes by-Śivājī's-honors.
[T]
For someone today
For today: no value of wood — the bee is bound by the flower; bound by prēma-prīti — that is not released by anything done; puts a cushion in the cloth-fold — the father, weak, for the child; Tuka says — by bhāva, by fear, deva must take form.
Where this applies
- Bee-bound-by-flower-not-wood.* Kāṣṭha-gumāna-na-bhramara-sumana.
- Prēma-prīti-binds-not-released.* Prēma-prīti-bāndhilē-suṭē-na.
- Cushion-in-cloth-fold-father-weak-for-child.* Padarī-piḷā-bāpa-nirbaḷa-bāḷa.
- Bhāva-and-fear-make-deva-take-form.* Bhāva-bhē-devā-ākāra.