Abhanga 2008
A true moment of connection with the divine can dissolve deep longing and inner burning instantly, turning into a gain far greater than what you brought to it.
The verse
सुखाचें ओतलें । दिसे श्रीमुख चांगलें ॥१॥ मनेंधरिला अभिळास । मिठी घातली पायांस ॥ध्रु.॥ होतां दृष्टादृष्टी । तापगेला उठाउठी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे जाला । लाभें लाभ दुणावला ॥३॥
Literal translation
The śrī-mukha appears — poured of sukha — beautiful. The mind held longing — cast an embrace at the feet. As eyes met eyes — the burning left, rising-rising. Tuka says: it became — gain doubled by gain.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| सुखाचें ओतलें | "poured of sukha" |
| दिसे श्रीमुख चांगलें | "the śrī-mukha appears beautiful" |
| मनेंधरिला अभिळास | "the mind held longing" |
| मिठी घातली पायांस | "cast an embrace at the feet" |
| होतां दृष्टादृष्टी | "as eyes met eyes" |
| तापगेला उठाउठी | "the burning left, rising-rising" |
| तुका म्हणे जाला | "Tuka says — it became" |
| लाभें लाभ दुणावला | "gain doubled by gain" |
What it means
Darśana-cools-the-burn + gain-doubled-by-gain abhang. OPENS 9-ABHANG LEGAL-TRANSACTIONAL CLUSTER (2008-2016).
The opening: sukhāchē ōtalē — disē śrī-mukha chāngalē — poured of sukha — the śrī-mukha appears beautiful. The Lord's face (śrī-mukha) is-poured-of-sukha; appears-beautiful. Ōtalē (cast/poured) suggests molten-form.
The embrace: manē dharilā abhilāṣa — miṭhī ghātalī pāyāmsa — the mind held longing — cast an embrace at the feet. Longing held; embrace cast at the feet.
The eye-meeting: hōtām dṛṣṭā-dṛṣṭī — tāpa gēlā uṭhā-uṭhī — as eyes met eyes — the burning left, rising-rising. Uṭhā-uṭhī = rising-rising (= immediately, as one rises). Eye-contact-with-the-Lord; the burning left at-once.
The merchant-frame: Tukā mhaṇē jālā — lābhē lābha duṇāvalā — Tuka says: gain doubled by gain. Lābha = gain, profit. Mercantile-doubling: gain doubled-by-gain — the language of trade opens this cluster.
[T]
For someone today
For today: poured of sukha — the śrī-mukha appears beautiful; mind held longing — cast embrace at the feet; as eyes met eyes — the burning left, rising-rising; Tuka says — it became — gain doubled by gain.
Where this applies
- When you have been longing for relief and it finally arrives all at once
- When a moment of real connection instantly dissolves an anxiety you had been carrying
- When you find yourself surrendering something you had been clinging to and feel lighter for it
- When a small encounter turns out to give you far more than you expected