संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 1945 of 4582

Abhanga 1945

English: What comes from māhēra — is māhēra to me — I'll speak sweet-words to them.

When you'd describe Vārkarī-saints-as-māhēra-themselves — māhēriñcē-ālē-māhēra; pāyāmvarī-māthā-pāyavaṇī; sukha-samācāra-parva-kāḷa; sukha-duḥkha-bhāvē-sāngēna; vīṭa-na-bōlilī-vācā-bōlavīna

The verse

माहेरिंचें आलें तें मज माहेर । सुखाचें उत्तर करिन त्यासी ॥१॥ पायांवरी माथा आळिंगीन बाहीं । घेईंन लवलाहीं पायवणी ॥ध्रु.॥ सुख समाचार पुसेन सकळ । कैसा पर्वकाळ आहे त्यास ॥२॥ आपुले जीवींचें सुखदुःख भावें । सांगेन अघवें आहे तैसें ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे वीट नेघें आवडीचा । बोलिली च वाचा बोलवीन ॥४॥

Literal translation

English: What comes from māhēra — is māhēra to me — I'll speak sweet-words to them. Head-on-feet, embrace arms — swiftly receive pāya-vaṇi. Ask all sukha-news — how is parva-kāḷa for him? My jīva's sukha-duḥkha with bhāva — I'll tell all-as-it-is. Tuka says: no boredom of the love — I'll make the spoken-speech speak again.

Word-by-word gloss
Marathi Meaning
माहेरिंचें आलें तें मज माहेर "what comes from māhēra — is māhēra to me"
सुखाचें उत्तर करिन त्यासी "I'll speak sweet-words to them"
पायांवरी माथा आळिंगीन बाहीं "head-on-feet, embrace arms"
घेईंन लवलाहीं पायवणी "swiftly receive pāya-vaṇi (foot-washing-water)"
सुख समाचार पुसेन सकळ "ask all sukha-news"
कैसा पर्वकाळ आहे त्यास "how is parva-kāḷa for him"
आपुले जीवींचें सुखदुःख भावें "my jīva's sukha-duḥkha with bhāva"
सांगेन अघवें आहे तैसें "I'll tell all-as-it-is"
तुका म्हणे वीट नेघें आवडीचा "Tuka says — no boredom of the love"
बोलिली च वाचा बोलवीन "I'll make the spoken-speech speak again"

What it means

Vārkarī-saints-themselves-as-māhēra abhang.

The foundational opening: māhēriñcē ālē tē maja māhēra — sukhācē uttara karina tyāsīwhat comes from māhēra is māhēra to me — I'll speak sweet-words to them. One of the most-tender bhakta-saint identifications: the saints-coming-from-Pandhari ARE-themselves Pandhari/māhēra for-me. (= the messenger is the message; the saints carrying-news from-the-Lord are themselves the Lord.)

The greeting-rituals: pāyāmvarī māthā āḷingīna bāhīm — ghē'īna lavalāhīm pāyavaṇīhead-on-feet, embrace arms — swiftly receive pāya-vaṇi. Pāya-vaṇi = foot-washing-water (which the bhakta-then-drinks-as-tīrtha). Full pranāma + embrace + pāya-tīrtha.

The questioning: sukha samācāra pusēna sakaḷa — kaisā parva-kāḷa āhē tyāsaask all sukha-news — how is parva-kāḷa for him?. Ask-everything, including-cosmic-events.

The reciprocal-telling: āpulē jīvīñcē sukha-duḥkha bhāvē — sāngēna avaghē āhē taisēmy jīva's sukha-duḥkha with bhāva — tell all-as-it-is.

The closing-no-boredom: Tukā mhaṇē vīṭa nēghē āvaḍīcā — bōlilī chi vācā bōlavīnaTuka says: no boredom of the love — I'll make the spoken-speech speak again. No-boredom; I'll-have-them-tell-the-story-again-and-again.

This is the most-tender abhang in the Vārkarī-arrival sub-clusterthe saints-themselves are māhēra.

[T]

For someone today

For today: what comes from māhēra is māhēra to me — I'll speak sweet-words to them; head-on-feet, embrace arms — swiftly receive pāya-vaṇi; ask all sukha-news — how is parva-kāḷa for him?; my jīva's sukha-duḥkha with bhāva — tell all-as-it-is; Tuka says — no boredom of the love — I'll make the spoken-speech speak again.

Where this applies

Related verses