Abhanga 1928
Real devotion shows up as joy you can feel, hearing the name gives rest, saying it never bores you, and the heart keeps running back for more of that sweetness.
The verse
ऐकोनियां कीर्ती । ऐसी वाटती विश्रांती ॥१॥ माते सुख डोळां पडे । तेथें कोण लाभ जोडे ॥ध्रु.॥ बोलतां ये वाचे । वीट नये जिव्हा नाचे ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे धांवे । वासना ते रस घ्यावे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Hearing the kīrti — thus feels viśrānti. Mother — the sukha falls in the eyes — what gain compares with that? Coming to speech — no boredom — tongue dances. Tuka says: runs — vāsanā to take the rasa.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ऐकोनियां कीर्ती | "hearing the kīrti" |
| ऐसी वाटती विश्रांती | "thus feels viśrānti (rest)" |
| माते सुख डोळां पडे | "mother — the sukha falls in the eyes" |
| तेथें कोण लाभ जोडे | "what gain compares with that" |
| बोलतां ये वाचे | "coming to speech" |
| वीट नये जिव्हा नाचे | "no boredom — tongue dances" |
| तुका म्हणे धांवे | "Tuka says — runs" |
| वासना ते रस घ्यावे | "the vāsanā — to take the rasa" |
What it means
Hearing-kīrti-feels-viśrānti + tongue-dances abhang. Letter-sent-with-saints cluster.
The opening: aikōniyām kīrtī — aisī vāṭatī viśrāntī — hearing the kīrti — thus feels viśrānti. Even-just-hearing the Lord's-kīrti gives-rest (viśrānti) to-the-bhakta.
The mother-line: mātē sukha ḍōḷām paḍē — tēthē kōṇa lābha jōḍē — mother — the sukha falls in eyes — what gain compares?. (Mother-Lord), the sukha-falls in-the-eyes (when-they-see-you); no-other-gain-compares.
The dancing-tongue: bōlatām yē vācē — vīṭa nayē jivhā nācē — coming to speech — no boredom — tongue dances. The tongue-dances (= dances-with-joy) when-it-recites-the-Name; no-tedium.
The closing-running: Tukā mhaṇē dhāmvē — vāsanā tē rasa ghyāvē — Tuka says: runs — vāsanā to take the rasa. Vāsanā = desire; rasa = the bhakti-rasa. The vāsanā-runs-after-rasa.
This abhang describes the joy of bhakti-experience within-the-letter — what-the-bhakta-feels when-the-Lord-is-experienced.
[T]
For someone today
For today: hearing the kīrti — thus feels viśrānti; mother — sukha falls in eyes — what gain compares?; coming to speech — no boredom — tongue dances; Tuka says — runs — vāsanā to take the rasa.
Where this applies
- When hearing someone praise a person or practice you love instantly puts your mind at ease.
- When repeating a name, prayer, or mantra never grows boring, unlike your other daily routines.
- When you catch yourself craving more of a particular kind of joy and decide to simply follow it.
- When nothing material compares to the plain joy of seeing or hearing about someone you love.