संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1940 of 4582

Abhanga 1940

For today: the saints will have invoked karuṇā for me — that may settle in Nārāyaṇa's mind; after adorning my stammered words, told in detail; said 'his well-being is OK' — quickly send messenger; my state, saints know — informed the kṛpāvanta; Tuka says — with them will come a muṛhāḷī — or some remainder kept.

When you'd describe saints-as-emissaries + muṛhāḷī-bride-fetcher image — santī-bhākilī-karuṇā; bōbaḍīm-uttarē-vistārē; kṣēma-āhē-mūḷa-śīghra; avasthā-santām-kṛpāvantā-niropilī; muṛhāḷī-savē-yē'īla

The verse

होइल माझी संतीं भाकिली करुणा । जे त्या नारायणा मनीं बैसे ॥१॥ शृंगारूनि माझीं बोबडीं उत्तरें । होतील विस्तारें सांगितलीं ॥ध्रु.॥ क्षेम आहे ऐसें होइल सांगितलें । पाहिजे धाडिलें शीघ्र मूळ ॥२॥ अवस्था जे माझी ठावी आहे संतां । होइल कृपावंता निरोपिली ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे सवें येईंल मुर्‍हाळी । किंवा कांहीं उरी राखतील ॥४॥

Literal translation

English: The saints will have invoked karuṇā for me — that may settle in Nārāyaṇa's mind. After adorning my stammered words — they'll have told (the Lord) in detail. They'll have said 'his well-being is OK' — quickly send the messenger. The state I'm in, the saints know — they'll have informed the kṛpāvanta. Tuka says: with them will come a muṛhāḷī — or they'll keep some remainder.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
होइल माझी संतीं भाकिली करुणा "the saints will have invoked karuṇā for me"
जे त्या नारायणा मनीं बैसे "that may settle in Nārāyaṇa's mind"
शृंगारूनि माझीं बोबडीं उत्तरें "after adorning my stammered words"
होतील विस्तारें सांगितलीं "they'll have told (the Lord) in detail"
क्षेम आहे ऐसें होइल सांगितलें "they'll have said 'his well-being is OK'"
पाहिजे धाडिलें शीघ्र मूळ "quickly send the messenger"
अवस्था जे माझी ठावी आहे संतां "the state I'm in — the saints know"
होइल कृपावंता निरोपिली "they'll have informed the kṛpāvanta"
तुका म्हणे सवें येईंल मुर्‍हाळी "Tuka says — with them will come a muṛhāḷī (bride-fetcher)"
किंवा कांहीं उरी राखतील "or they'll keep some remainder"

What it means

Saints-as-emissaries + muṛhāḷī image abhang.

The opening: hō'ila mājhī santī bhākilī karuṇā — jē tyā Nārāyaṇā manī baisēthe saints will have invoked karuṇā for me — that may settle in Nārāyaṇa's mind. The saints have-presented-the-petition; the Lord will-have-considered-it.

The adorning: śṛngārūni mājhīm bōbaḍīm uttarē — hōtīla vistārē sāngitalīmafter adorning my stammered words — they'll have told (the Lord) in detail. The saints take-the-bhakta's-stammering and-present-it-with-eloquence.

The muṛhāḷī image: Tukā mhaṇē savē yē'īla muṛhāḷī — kimvā kāhīm urī rākhatīlawith them will come a muṛhāḷī — or they'll keep some remainder. Muṛhāḷī = in Marāṭhī wedding-tradition, the person sent-from-the-bride's-māhēra to-the-husband's-house to-fetch-the-bride-back-to-her-natal-home. The bhakta is-the-bride; the Lord may-send-a-muṛhāḷī to-fetch-him-back-to-Pandhari-as-māhēra. (= foundational Vārkarī-image of the bhakta-as-bride-being-summoned-home.)

[T]

For someone today

For today: the saints will have invoked karuṇā for me — that may settle in Nārāyaṇa's mind; after adorning my stammered words, told in detail; said 'his well-being is OK' — quickly send messenger; my state, saints know — informed the kṛpāvanta; Tuka says — with them will come a muṛhāḷī — or some remainder kept.

Where this applies

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