Abhanga 1943
In separation from what you love, no amount of work or distraction quiets the restless waiting, and few people can fully understand it.
The verse
नाहीं हानि परी न राहावे निसुर । न पडे विसर काय करूं ॥१॥ पुसाविसी वाटे मात कापडियां । पाठविती न्याया मूळ मज ॥ध्रु.॥ आणीक या मना नावडे सोहळा । करितें टकळा माहेरींचा ॥२॥ बहु कामें केलें बहु कासावीस । बहु जाले दिस भेटी नाहीं ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे त्याचें न कळे अंतर । अवस्था तों फार होते मज ॥४॥
Literal translation
No harm but can't stay still — no forgetting — what to do? Want to ask the kāpaḍī — they'll send a messenger to take me. Another — this mind doesn't like festivities — makes ṭakaḷā of māhēra. Much work done, much desperation — many days have passed, no meeting. Tuka says: his inner is not understood — much state in me.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नाहीं हानि परी न राहावे निसुर | "no harm but can't stay still" |
| न पडे विसर काय करूं | "no forgetting — what to do" |
| पुसाविसी वाटे मात कापडियां | "want to ask the kāpaḍī (cloth-traders)" |
| पाठविती न्याया मूळ मज | "they'll send a messenger to take me" |
| आणीक या मना नावडे सोहळा | "this mind doesn't like other festivities" |
| करितें टकळा माहेरींचा | "makes ṭakaḷā (chatter / fuss) of māhēra" |
| बहु कामें केलें बहु कासावीस | "much work done — much desperation" |
| बहु जाले दिस भेटी नाहीं | "many days have passed — no meeting" |
| तुका म्हणे त्याचें न कळे अंतर | "Tuka says — his inner is not understood" |
| अवस्था तों फार होते मज | "much state in me" |
What it means
Asking-cloth-traders-for-messenger abhang.
The opening: nāhīm hāni parī na rāhāvē nisura — na paḍē visara kāya karūm — no harm but can't stay still — no forgetting, what to do?. Restless-without-news.
The kāpaḍī-line: pusāvīsi vāṭē māta kāpaḍiyām — pāṭhavitī nyāyā mūḷa maja — want to ask the kāpaḍī — they'll send a messenger to take me. Kāpaḍī = cloth-traders / travelers (who travel village-to-village). The bhakta wants-to-ask-the-traveling-cloth-merchants for-news (= they-might-have-passed-through-Pandhari).
The chatter: āṇīka yā manā nāvaḍē sōhaḷā — karitē ṭakaḷā māhēriñcā — this mind doesn't like other festivities — makes ṭakaḷā of māhēra. Mind-only-talks-māhēra.
The work-and-time: bahu kāmē kēlē bahu kāsāvīsa — bahu jālē disa bhēṭī nāhīm — much work, much desperation, many days, no meeting.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē tyācē na kaḷē antara — avasthā tōm phāra hōtē maja — Tuka says: his inner not understood — much state in me.
[T]
For someone today
For today: no harm but can't stay still — no forgetting, what to do?; want to ask the kāpaḍī — they'll send a messenger to take me; this mind doesn't like other festivities — makes ṭakaḷā of māhēra; much work done, much desperation, many days, no meeting; Tuka says — his inner not understood — much state in me.
Where this applies
- When you ask anyone who might have news for word of someone you are missing
- When your daily work and duties cannot distract you from thinking about what you are separated from
- When you stay busy with tasks but the underlying restlessness and waiting do not go away
- When people around you cannot fully understand the depth of what you are carrying inside