Abhanga 1939
True welcome means asking about the other person first, listening patiently, and being willing to give everything of yourself for their sake.
The verse
क्षेम मायबाप पुसेन हें आधीं । न घलीं हें मधीं सुख दुःख ॥१॥ न करीं तांतडी आपणांपासूनि । आइकेन कानीं सांगतीं तें ॥ध्रु.॥ अंतरींचें संत जाणतील गूज । निरोप तो मज सांगतील ॥२॥ पायांवरी डोईं ठेवीन आदरें । प्रीतिपडिभरें आळिंगून ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे काया करीन कुरवंडी । ओवाळून सांडीं त्यांवरून ॥४॥
Literal translation
I'll first ask for mā-bāpa's well-being — won't put sukha-duḥkha in the middle. Won't be hasty from my side — I'll listen with ears to what they tell. The inner-secret the saints will know — they'll tell me the message. Head on (their) feet with respect — with prīti-fullness, embrace. Tuka says: I'll make my body a kuravaṇḍī — wave-around-and-cast-aside over them.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| क्षेम मायबाप पुसेन हें आधीं | "I'll first ask for mā-bāpa's well-being" |
| न घलीं हें मधीं सुख दुःख | "won't put sukha-duḥkha in the middle" |
| न करीं तांतडी आपणांपासूनि | "won't be hasty from my side" |
| आइकेन कानीं सांगतीं तें | "I'll listen with ears to what they tell" |
| अंतरींचें संत जाणतील गूज | "the inner-secret — the saints will know" |
| निरोप तो मज सांगतील | "they'll tell me the message" |
| पायांवरी डोईं ठेवीन आदरें | "head on (their) feet — with respect" |
| प्रीतिपडिभरें आळिंगून | "with prīti-fullness — embrace" |
| तुका म्हणे काया करीन कुरवंडी | "Tuka says — I'll make my body — a kuravaṇḍī" |
| ओवाळून सांडीं त्यांवरून | "wave-around-and-cast-aside — over them" |
What it means
Bhakta-receiving-the-Vārkarīs + body-as-kuravaṇḍī abhang.
The opening-priority: kṣēma māya-bāpa pusēna hē ādhī — na ghalīm hē madhī sukha duḥkha — I'll first ask mā-bāpa's well-being — won't interrupt with sukha-duḥkha. Proper-protocol: first-news-of-Lord, then-the-bhakta's-own-news.
The patience: na karīm tāntaḍī āpaṇāmpāsūnī — āikēna kānī sāngatī tē — won't be hasty from my side — I'll listen what they tell.
The saints-as-inner-knowers: antarīñcē santa jāṇatīla gūja — niropa tō maja sāngatīla — saints will know the inner-secret — tell me the message.
The pranāma: pāyāmvarī ḍōīm ṭhēvīna ādarē — prīti-paḍibharē āḷingūna — head on feet with respect — embrace with prīti-fullness.
The kuravaṇḍī image: Tukā mhaṇē kāyā karīna kuravaṇḍī — ōvāḷūna sāṇḍīm tyāmvarūna — I'll make my body a kuravaṇḍī — wave-around-and-cast-aside over them. Kuravaṇḍī = the ritual-act of waving-an-object-around-the-beloved-and-casting-it-aside (as substitute-for-evil/inauspicious-removal); often-with-lights or-grain or-water. The bhakta-offers his-own-body to-be-waved-around-the-saints and-cast-aside as ultimate-welcome-gesture.
[T]
For someone today
For today: I will first ask after my beloved parents' wellbeing, without bringing in my own joys and sorrows. I won't rush things on my end — I'll listen carefully to whatever they choose to tell me. The saints will know the deeper truth in their hearts, and they'll share that message with me. I'll bow my head to their feet with reverence, and embrace them with a heart full of love. Tuka says: I will offer my whole body as a sacrifice, waving it around them and letting it go, to keep them safe.
मराठी: आजसाठी: मी आधी माझ्या मायबापांची खुशाली विचारेन, त्यात माझे सुखदुःख मध्ये आणणार नाही. मी घाई करणार नाही — ते जे काही सांगतील ते मी शांतपणे ऐकेन. संत त्यांच्या अंतःकरणातले गूज जाणतील आणि तो निरोप मला सांगतील. मी आदराने त्यांच्या पायांवर डोके ठेवेन, आणि प्रेमाने भरून त्यांना आलिंगन देईन. तुका म्हणतो: मी माझा देह त्यांच्यावरून ओवाळून टाकीन, त्यांच्या रक्षणासाठी अर्पण करीन.
Where this applies
- When someone you love returns from a journey and you resist the urge to talk about yourself first
- When you are waiting to hear news and choose patience over pressing for details
- When you trust that a wiser or more experienced person will share what matters in their own time
- When you want to show someone total welcome and are willing to set your own needs aside for their sake