Abhanga 1965
Tuka says walking a short road together while singing joyfully is itself the right way, and the path to Vaikuntha is close, not far.
The verse
स्वल्प वाट चला जाऊं । वाचे गाऊं विठ्ठल ॥१॥ तुम्ही आम्ही खेळीमेळीं । गदा रोळी आनंदें ॥ध्रु.॥ ध्वजा कुंचे गरुडटके । शृंगार निके करोनि ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे हें चि नीट । जवळी वाट वैकुंठा ॥३॥
Literal translation
Small path — let's go walking — let's sing Viṭhṭhal on tongue. You and we — playfully-mingling — gadā-rōḷī with joy. Flag, plumes, Garuḍa-poles — making proper ornament. Tuka says: this is the right way — the path to Vaikuṇṭha is near.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| स्वल्प वाट चला जाऊं | "small path — let's go walking" |
| वाचे गाऊं विठ्ठल | "let's sing Viṭhṭhal on tongue" |
| तुम्ही आम्ही खेळीमेळीं | "you and we — playfully-mingling" |
| गदा रोळी आनंदें | "gadā-rōḷī (mace-rumble) with joy" |
| ध्वजा कुंचे गरुडटके | "flag, plumes, Garuḍa-poles" |
| शृंगार निके करोनि | "making proper ornament" |
| तुका म्हणे हें चि नीट | "Tuka says — this is the right way" |
| जवळी वाट वैकुंठा | "the path to Vaikuṇṭha is near" |
What it means
Small-path-near-Vaikuṇṭha-singing-Viṭhṭhal abhang.
The walking-invitation: svalpa vāṭa chālā jāūm — vāchē gāūm Viṭhṭhala — small path — let's go walking — let's sing Viṭhṭhal on tongue. Svalpa = small, short. The path-is-short; let's-walk-it-singing-Viṭhṭhal.
The mingling: tumhī āmhī khēḷīmēḷīm — gadā rōḷī ānandē — you and we — playfully-mingling — gadā-rōḷī with joy. Khēḷīmēḷī = playful-mingling. Gadā-rōḷī = the rumble-of-the-mace (a sound-image). All-mingling, all-joyful-uproar.
The Vārī-paraphernalia: dhvajā kuñchē Garuḍa-ṭakē — śṛngāra nikē karōni — flag, plumes, Garuḍa-poles — making proper ornament. Dhvajā = flag; kuñcē = plumes/tassels; Garuḍa-ṭakē = Garuḍa-poles (the tall poles topped with Garuḍa-images carried in the Vārī procession). The Vārī-procession-iconography fully-listed.
The closing: Tukā mhaṇē hē chi nīṭa — javaḷī vāṭa Vaikuṇṭhā — Tuka says: this is the right way — the path to Vaikuṇṭha is near. The Vārī-route IS-the-path-to-Vaikuṇṭha; this is the-right-way.
[T]
For someone today
For today: small path, let's go walking — let's sing Viṭhṭhal on tongue; you and we playfully-mingling — gadā-rōḷī with joy; flag, plumes, Garuḍa-poles — making proper ornament; Tuka says — this is the right way — the path to Vaikuṇṭha is near.
Where this applies
- When you think spiritual growth must be solemn and solitary, never festive
- When you're part of a group walking, marching, or celebrating together toward a shared goal
- When you need reassurance that the sacred destination isn't as far away as it feels
- When you want to bring color, music, and community into a practice that feels too heavy