Abhanga 1996
Sacred stories and the company of saints are so nourishing that they fill you like a feast, overflow as joy and love, and leave nothing left to measure or bargain for.
The verse
आमुचें जीवन हें कथाअमृत । आणिक ही संतसमागम ॥१॥ सारूं एके ठायीं भोजन परवडी । स्वादरसें गोडी पदोपदीं ॥ध्रु.॥ धालिया ढेंकर येती आनंदाचे । वोसंडलें वाचे प्रेमसुख ॥२॥ पिकलें स्वरूप आलिया घुमरि । रासी ते अंबरीं न समाये ॥३॥ मोजितां तयाचा अंत नाहीं पार । खुंटला व्यापार तुका म्हणे ॥४॥
Literal translation
Our jīvana is kathā-amṛta — and also saint-samāgama. We'll do meal at one place — paravaḍī — flavor-juice — sweetness step-by-step. After eating — belches of ānanda come — prema-sukha overflows on tongue. Sva-rūpa ripened — coming whirling-around — the rāsī doesn't fit in the sky. Measuring it — there's no end-and-far — the trade has stopped — Tuka says.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आमुचें जीवन हें कथाअमृत | "our jīvana is — kathā-amṛta" |
| आणिक ही संतसमागम | "and also — saint-samāgama" |
| सारूं एके ठायीं भोजन परवडी | "we'll do meal at one place — paravaḍī" |
| स्वादरसें गोडी पदोपदीं | "flavor-juice — sweetness step-by-step" |
| धालिया ढेंकर येती आनंदाचे | "after-eating — belches of ānanda come" |
| वोसंडलें वाचे प्रेमसुख | "prema-sukha overflows on tongue" |
| पिकलें स्वरूप आलिया घुमरि | "sva-rūpa ripened — coming whirling-around" |
| रासी ते अंबरीं न समाये | "the rāsī doesn't fit in the sky" |
| मोजितां तयाचा अंत नाहीं पार | "measuring it — there's no end-and-far" |
| खुंटला व्यापार तुका म्हणे | "the trade has stopped — Tuka says" |
What it means
Kathā-amṛta-as-our-jīvana + ānanda-belches abhang.
The opening: āmuchē jīvana hē kathā-amṛta — āṇika hī santa-samāgama — our jīvana is kathā-amṛta — and also saint-samāgama. Our life-source (jīvana puns on life and water-of-life) is kathā-amṛta + saint-samgha.
The meal-image: sārūm ēkē ṭhāyīm bhōjana paravaḍī — svāda-rasē gōḍī padōpadīm — we'll do meal at one place — paravaḍī — flavor-juice, sweetness step-by-step. Paravaḍī = full-spread, banquet. Padōpadīm = step-by-step / verse-by-verse (= both meanings active). The kathā as a banquet.
The brilliant ānanda-belches: dhāliyā ḍhēnkara yētī ānandāchē — vōsaṇḍalē vāchē prēma-sukha — after eating, belches of ānanda come — prema-sukha overflows on tongue. Ḍhēnkara = belch (the satisfied-belch after a full meal). After-the-kathā-meal, the bhakta belches-with-ānanda — prema-sukha overflows-on-tongue. Concrete-bodily image of bhakti-satiation.
The ripening: pikalē sva-rūpa āliyā ghumari — rāsī tē ambarīm na samāyē — sva-rūpa ripened, coming whirling-around — the rāsī doesn't fit in the sky. Ghumari = whirling-around (= the high-headiness of-bhakti). The sva-rūpa (Self-form) ripened; the heap-of-it (rāsī) doesn't-fit even-in-the-sky.
The closing: mōjitām tayāchā anta nāhīm pāra — khuṇṭalā vyāpāra Tukā mhaṇē — measuring it — there's no end-and-far — Tuka says — the trade has stopped. Cannot-measure; the bargaining-trade (vyāpāra) has-stopped (= no-more-deals-to-strike).
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For someone today
For today: our jīvana is kathā-amṛta — and also saint-samāgama; we'll do meal at one place — paravaḍī — flavor-juice, sweetness step-by-step; after eating, belches of ānanda come — prema-sukha overflows on tongue; sva-rūpa ripened, coming whirling-around — rāsī doesn't fit in sky; measuring it — no end-and-far — the trade has stopped — Tuka says.
Where this applies
- When listening to a beloved story or sitting with good spiritual company leaves you feeling as full and satisfied as after a great meal
- When joy or love wells up so strongly you can't hold it in and it just spills out in words or expression
- When you realize a moment of devotion or connection has given you more than you could ever measure or repay
- When you stop calculating what you'll get in return for your practice because the experience itself already feels complete