Abhanga 1954
For today: placing the lamp, I watch the path day-and-night; the mind is much-impatient — yours should be the daruṣaṇa; I came seeing-off — thus on this very path in chitta; Tuka says — night-resting-stage — going-and-coming, I count days.
The verse
घालूनियां ज्योती । वाट पाहें दिवसराती ॥१॥ बहु उतावळि मन । तुमचें व्हावें दरुषण ॥ध्रु.॥ आलों बोळवीत । तैसें या चि पंथें चित्ती ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे पेणी । येतां जातां दिवस गणीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Placing the lamp, I watch the path day-and-night. The mind is much-impatient — yours should be the daruṣaṇa. I came seeing-off — thus on this very path in chitta. Tuka says: night-resting-stage — going-and-coming, I count days.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| घालूनियां ज्योती | "placing the lamp" |
| वाट पाहें दिवसराती | "I watch the path day-and-night" |
| बहु उतावळि मन | "the mind is much-impatient" |
| तुमचें व्हावें दरुषण | "yours should be the daruṣaṇa" |
| आलों बोळवीत | "I came seeing-off" |
| तैसें या चि पंथें चित्ती | "thus on this very path in chitta" |
| तुका म्हणे पेणी | "Tuka says — night-resting-stage" |
| येतां जातां दिवस गणीं | "going-and-coming, I count days" |
What it means
Placing-lamp-watching-path-counting-days abhang.
The opening: ghālūniyām jyōtī — vāṭa pāhē divasa-rātī — placing the lamp, I watch the path day-and-night. The bhakta lights-the-lamp at-the-doorway and-watches-the-path (= classic-image of waiting-for-the-beloved-traveler).
The impatience: bahu utāvaḷi mana — tumacē hvāvē daruṣaṇa — the mind is much-impatient — yours should be the daruṣaṇa. The mind-burns for-darśana.
The seeing-off: ālōm bōḷavīta — taisē yā chi panthē chittī — I came seeing-off — thus on this very path in chitta. The bhakta-saw-them-off (when they-left-for-Pandhari) on this-very-path; the chitta still-walks-this-path.
The counting-days: Tukā mhaṇē pēṇī — yētām jātām divasa gaṇī — Tuka says: night-resting-stage — going-and-coming, I count days. Pēṇī = resting-place along-the-pilgrimage-route (where Vārkarīs stop for-the-night). The bhakta-counts-each-pēṇī (day-by-day) of-the-Vārkarīs' return-journey.
[T]
For someone today
For today: placing the lamp, I watch the path day-and-night; the mind is much-impatient — yours should be the daruṣaṇa; I came seeing-off — thus on this very path in chitta; Tuka says — night-resting-stage — going-and-coming, I count days.
Where this applies
- When you keep a light on and watch the door for someone who is late coming home
- When your mind cannot settle because you are longing to see someone dear
- When you remember walking part of the way with someone before they left and still feel connected to that path
- When you count days one by one, like tracking a traveler's stages, to know how close their return is