Abhanga 2017
For today: watering the root — the whole tree becomes moist; don't fall into the burden of separates — hold to the one root; the door of water-thieving — to seal it from above — that's great; if the wealth becomes king — then his are those subjects; one chintāmaṇi — fulfills all sukha-fullness; Tuka says — come running — the rest-stop is in Paṇḍharī.
The verse
सिंचन करितां मूळ । वृक्ष वोल्हावे सकळ ॥१॥ नको पृथकाचे भरी । पडों एक मूळ धरीं ॥ध्रु.॥ पाणचोर्याचें दार । वरिल दाटावें तें थोर ॥२॥ वस्व जाला राजा । मग आपुल्या त्या प्रजा ॥३॥ एक चिंतामणी । फिटे सर्व सुखधणी ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे धांवा । आहे पंढरिये विसांवा ॥५॥
Literal translation
Watering the root — the whole tree becomes moist. Don't fall into the burden of separates — hold to the one root. The door of water-thieving — to seal it from above — that's great. If the wealth becomes king — then his are those subjects. One chintāmaṇi — fulfills all sukha-fullness. Tuka says: come running — the rest-stop is in Paṇḍharī.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| सिंचन करितां मूळ | "watering the root" |
| वृक्ष वोल्हावे सकळ | "the whole tree becomes moist" |
| नको पृथकाचे भरी | "don't fall into the burden of separates" |
| पडों एक मूळ धरीं | "hold to the one root" |
| पाणचोर्याचें दार | "the door of water-thieving" |
| वरिल दाटावें तें थोर | "to seal it from above — that's great" |
| वस्व जाला राजा | "if the wealth becomes king" |
| मग आपुल्या त्या प्रजा | "then his are those subjects" |
| एक चिंतामणी | "one chintāmaṇi" |
| फिटे सर्व सुखधणी | "fulfills all sukha-fullness" |
| तुका म्हणे धांवा | "Tuka says — come running" |
| आहे पंढरिये विसांवा | "the rest-stop is in Paṇḍharī" |
What it means
Water-the-root-Paṇḍharī-is-rest-stop abhang. OPENS new single-root-bhakti cluster.
The opening — water-the-root: siñchana karitām mūḷa — vṛkṣa vōlhāvē sakaḷa — watering the root — the whole tree becomes moist. Single-pointed image: water-only-the-root; the-whole-tree-(leaves, branches, fruits) rejoices. Concentrate on-the-One; everything-else follows.
The contrast: nakō pṛthakāchē bharī — paḍōm ēka mūḷa dharī — don't fall into the burden of separates — hold to the one root. Don't-burden-yourself-with-separates (multiple-deities, multiple-paths); hold the-one-root.
The water-thief: pāṇa-chōryāchē dāra — varila dāṭāvē tē thōra — the door of water-thieving — to seal it from above — that's great. Pāṇa-chōrī = water-thieving (sneaking water meant-for-the-field). Seal-from-above (the water-source) is greatest — control-the-source, not-the-leaks.
The wealth-king: vasva jālā rājā — maga āpulyā tyā prajā — if the wealth becomes king — then his are those subjects. Vasva = substance, wealth, essence. When-the-essence-becomes-king, everything-else becomes-his-subject.
The chintāmaṇi: ēka chintāmaṇī — phiṭē sarva sukha-dhaṇī — one chintāmaṇi — fulfills all sukha-fullness. Chintāmaṇi = the wish-fulfilling-jewel. One-chintāmaṇi (= the Lord) makes-fully-paid all-sukha-debts.
The closing — Paṇḍharī-as-rest-stop: Tukā mhaṇē dhāmvā — āhē Paṇḍhariyē visāmvā — Tuka says: come running — the rest-stop is in Paṇḍharī. Visāmvā = rest, repose, refuge. Run-to-Paṇḍharī; that's-the-rest-stop.
[T]
For someone today
For today: watering the root — the whole tree becomes moist; don't fall into the burden of separates — hold to the one root; the door of water-thieving — to seal it from above — that's great; if the wealth becomes king — then his are those subjects; one chintāmaṇi — fulfills all sukha-fullness; Tuka says — come running — the rest-stop is in Paṇḍharī.
Where this applies
- When you're spreading your energy thin across many pursuits instead of focusing on the one thing that actually sustains you
- When you keep patching small problems downstream instead of fixing the one source causing them
- When you're searching for happiness in many places instead of trusting that one true source can satisfy it
- When you're exhausted from chasing many paths and need a single place of rest and focus