Abhanga 1910
Tukaram questions why every part of his body has failed to reach what his heart longs for, and simply wants, however humbled, to finally arrive.
The verse
कां माझे पंढरी न देखती डोळे । काय हें न कळे पाप यांचें ॥१॥ पाय पंथें कां हे न चलती वाट । कोण हें अदृष्ट कर्म बळी ॥ध्रु.॥ कां हें पायांवरी न पडे मस्तक । क्षेम कां हस्तक न पवती ॥२॥ कां या इंद्रियांची न पुरे वासना । पवित्र होईंना जिव्हा कीर्ती ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे कई जाऊनि मोटळें । पडेन हा लोळें महाद्वारीं ॥४॥
Literal translation
Why don't my eyes see Pandhari — what pāpa of theirs, I don't know? Why don't feet walk the path — what is this adṛṣṭa-karma's force? Why doesn't head fall on the feet — why don't hands embrace? Why isn't the indriya-vāsanā fulfilled — won't the tongue become pure by kīrti? Tuka says: when shall I go (as) bundle — fall-rolling at the great-door?.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कां माझे पंढरी न देखती डोळे | "why don't (my) eyes — see Pandhari" |
| काय हें न कळे पाप यांचें | "what pāpa of theirs — I don't know" |
| पाय पंथें कां हे न चलती वाट | "why don't feet — walk the path" |
| कोण हें अदृष्ट कर्म बळी | "what (is) this adṛṣṭa-karma's force" |
| कां हें पायांवरी न पडे मस्तक | "why doesn't head — fall on the feet" |
| क्षेम कां हस्तक न पवती | "why don't hands embrace (kṣēma)" |
| कां या इंद्रियांची न पुरे वासना | "why isn't — the indriya-vāsanā fulfilled" |
| पवित्र होईंना जिव्हा कीर्ती | "won't the tongue become pure — by kīrti" |
| तुका म्हणे कई जाऊनि मोटळें | "Tuka says — when shall I go (as) bundle" |
| पडेन हा लोळें महाद्वारीं | "fall-rolling at the great-door (mahā-dvāra)" |
What it means
Body-parts-yearning-for-Pandhari abhang. Letter-sent-with-saints cluster.
The bhakta enumerates the body-parts that yearn-for-Pandhari but-have-failed-to-arrive:
- Eyes: don't-see-Pandhari (pāpa-of-the-eyes)
- Feet: don't-walk-the-path (adṛṣṭa-karma-baḷī)
- Head: doesn't-fall-on-the-feet
- Hands: don't-embrace (kṣēma)
- Indriyas: vāsanā-not-fulfilled
- Tongue: not-yet-pure-by-kīrti
Each body-part is asked: why-haven't-you-arrived-at-Pandhari-yet?. The bhakta's-body in segments-yearning-for-the-darśana-and-touch.
The closing — mahā-dvāra-rolling: Tukā mhaṇē ka'ī jā'ūni mōṭaḷē — paḍēna hā lōḷē mahā-dvārī — Tuka says: when shall I go (as) bundle — fall-rolling at the great-door?. Mōṭaḷē = bundle (= the body curled-up); lōḷē = roll, tumble; mahā-dvāra = the great-door of-the-Pandhari-temple. When-shall-I-go-bundled-up and-tumble-rolling at-the-temple's-great-door?.
This is one of the cluster's most-tender body-yearning abhangs — the bhakta's-body imagined-segment-by-segment as-yearning-for-darśana.
[T]
For someone today
For today: why don't my eyes see Pandhari — what pāpa of theirs, I don't know?; why don't feet walk the path — what (is) this adṛṣṭa-karma's force?; why doesn't head fall on the feet — why don't hands embrace?; why isn't the indriya-vāsanā fulfilled — won't the tongue become pure by kīrti?; Tuka says — when shall I go (as) bundle — fall-rolling at the great-door?.
Where this applies
- When you feel frustrated with yourself for not yet reaching a goal you deeply long for
- When you question why your body or willpower keeps falling short of what your heart wants
- When you notice you haven't yet built the habit, like prayer or quiet reflection, that would bring you peace
- When your longing is so strong that you would rather arrive humbled and undone than not arrive at all