Abhanga 1959
True love and care overflow naturally, like a cow's milk at the sight of her calf, without being calculated or owed.
The verse
वोरसोनि येती । वत्सें धेनुवेच्या चित्ती ॥१॥ माझा कराया सांभाळ । वोरसोनियां कृपाळ ॥ध्रु.॥ स्नेहें भूक तान । विसरती जाले सीण ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे कौतुकें । दिलें प्रेमाचें भातुकें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Come bursting with milk-affection — calves in the cow's chitta. To look-after me — bursting with milk-affection — the merciful. By affection — hunger-thirst forgotten, was fatigue. Tuka says: with delight — gave the bhātukē of love.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| वोरसोनि येती | "come bursting with milk-affection" |
| वत्सें धेनुवेच्या चित्ती | "calves in the cow's chitta" |
| माझा कराया सांभाळ | "to look-after me" |
| वोरसोनियां कृपाळ | "bursting with milk-affection — the merciful" |
| स्नेहें भूक तान | "by affection — hunger-thirst" |
| विसरती जाले सीण | "forgotten — was fatigue" |
| तुका म्हणे कौतुकें | "Tuka says — with delight" |
| दिलें प्रेमाचें भातुकें | "gave the bhātukē of love" |
What it means
Cow-and-calf-bursting-with-milk-affection abhang.
The opening: vōrasōni yētī — vatsē dhēnuvēcyā chittī — come bursting with milk-affection — calves in the cow's chitta. Vōrasōnē = to-burst-with-milk-affection (when a cow sees her calf, milk flows-of-its-own-accord). Foundational maternal-bhakti image: the saints come like-cows-with-milk-bursting at-the-sight-of-the-calf (= the bhakta).
The merciful-bursting: mājhā karāyā sāmbhāḷa — vōrasōniyām kṛpāḷa — to look-after me — bursting with milk-affection, the merciful. The merciful-saints come-bursting to-care-for-me.
The forgotten-fatigue: snēhē bhūka tāna — visaratī jālē sīṇa — by affection — hunger-thirst, was fatigue forgotten. In affection — hunger, thirst, fatigue all-forgotten.
The bhātukē-of-love (closing): Tukā mhaṇē kautukē — dilē prēmāchē bhātukē — Tuka says: with delight — gave the bhātukē of love. The saints' arrival = the prēmāchē bhātukē = the love-token-from-the-Lord. (= echoing 1957's kāya pāṭhavilē — sāngā bhātukē Viṭhṭhalē.)
[T]
For someone today
For today: come bursting with milk-affection — calves in the cow's chitta; to look-after me — bursting with milk-affection, the merciful; by affection — hunger-thirst forgotten, fatigue; Tuka says — with delight — gave the bhātukē of love.
Where this applies
- When someone cares for you so naturally that it feels effortless, not like an obligation
- When you notice a mother or caregiver respond to a child before even thinking about it
- When love or affection makes you forget you were hungry, tired, or thirsty
- When you receive a small gift or gesture that carries more warmth than its size suggests