Abhanga 1956
For today: what did they speak — my father and mother?; tell quickly, sir — you are dear-companion Vārakarīs; the letter's words — what reply was given?; Tuka says — some — did they bring to mind or not?
The verse
बोलिलीं तीं काय । माझा बाप आणि माय ॥१॥ ऐसें सांगा जी झडकरी । तुम्ही सखे वारकरी ॥ध्रु.॥ पत्राचें वचन । काय दिलें फिरावून ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे कांहीं । मना आणिलें कीं नाहीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
What did they speak — my father and mother? Tell quickly, sir — you are dear-companion Vārakarīs. The letter's words — what reply was given? Tuka says: some — did they bring to mind or not?
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| बोलिलीं तीं काय | "what did they speak" |
| माझा बाप आणि माय | "my father and mother" |
| ऐसें सांगा जी झडकरी | "tell quickly, sir" |
| तुम्ही सखे वारकरी | "you are dear-companion Vārakarīs" |
| पत्राचें वचन | "the letter's words" |
| काय दिलें फिरावून | "what reply was given" |
| तुका म्हणे कांहीं | "Tuka says — some" |
| मना आणिलें कीं नाहीं | "did they bring to mind or not" |
What it means
What-did-Father-Mother-Viṭhṭhal-Rakhumāī-say abhang.
The opening: bōlilīm tīm kāya — mājhā bāpa āṇi māya — what did they speak — my father and mother?. Bāpa-māya = Viṭhṭhal-as-Father, Rakhumāī-as-Mother (= the parental-imagery of Pandhari, central to the Vārkarī tradition).
The dear-companions: aisē sāngā jī jhaḍakarī — tumhī sakhē Vārakarī — tell quickly, sir — you are dear-companion Vārakarīs. The Vārakarīs as sakhē = dear-companions (echoing 1947's opening).
The letter-reply: patrāchē vacana — kāya dilē phirāvūna — the letter's words — what reply was given?. The letters-sent (the 36-abhang letter-cluster of 1898-1933) — what was-the-reply?.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē kāhīm — manā āṇilē kīm nāhīm — Tuka says: some — did they bring to mind or not?. Did-they-bring-me-to-mind, or-not? — the bhakta's-anxiety about-being-remembered.
[T]
For someone today
For today: what did they speak — my father and mother?; tell quickly, sir — you are dear-companion Vārakarīs; the letter's words — what reply was given?; Tuka says — some — did they bring to mind or not?
Where this applies
- When you are waiting anxiously to hear what a loved one said about you through someone else
- When you press a friend to tell you news quickly because you cannot bear to wait
- When you sent a message or letter and are eager to know exactly what reply came back
- When you quietly worry whether someone you care about even remembered you at all