Abhanga 2043
For today: when the child is in the womb — who pets its laḷa?; how skilled the sūtra-dhārī — the merciful, my Hari; the snake eats its young — for those that survive, who's the mother?; the crow-tribe gathers in the sky — who provides their food?; lives in stone-bellies — what's the jīva's bhāva?; Tuka says — stay still — what will be — see naturally.
The verse
गर्भा असतां बाळा । कोण पाळी त्याचा लळा ॥१॥ कैसा लाघवी सूत्रधारी । कृपाळुवा माझा हरी ॥ध्रु.॥ सर्प पिलीं वितां चि खाय । वांचलिया कोण माय ॥२॥ गगनीं लागला कोसरा । कोण पुरवी तेथें चारा ॥३॥ पोटीं पाषाणांचे जीव । कवण जीव त्याचा भाव ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे निश्चळ राहें । होईंल तें सहज पाहें ॥५॥
Literal translation
English: When the child is in the womb — who pets its laḷa? How skilled the sūtra-dhārī — the merciful — my Hari. The snake eats its young as it gives birth — for those that survive — who's the mother? The crow-tribe gathers in the sky — who provides their food there? Lives in stone-bellies — what's the jīva's bhāva? Tuka says: stay still — what will be — see naturally.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| गर्भा असतां बाळा | "when the child is in the womb" |
| कोण पाळी त्याचा लळा | "who pets its laḷa" |
| कैसा लाघवी सूत्रधारी | "how skilled the sūtra-dhārī" |
| कृपाळुवा माझा हरी | "the merciful — my Hari" |
| सर्प पिलीं वितां चि खाय | "the snake eats its young as it gives birth" |
| वांचलिया कोण माय | "for those that survive — who's the mother" |
| गगनीं लागला कोसरा | "the crow-tribe gathers in the sky" |
| कोण पुरवी तेथें चारा | "who provides their food there" |
| पोटीं पाषाणांचे जीव | "lives in stone-bellies" |
| कवण जीव त्याचा भाव | "what's the jīva's bhāva" |
| तुका म्हणे निश्चळ राहें | "Tuka says — stay still" |
| होईंल तें सहज पाहें | "what will be — see naturally" |
What it means
Lord-as-sūtra-dhārī + provides-for-womb-snake-young-crow-stone-life abhang.
The opening — womb-care: garbhā asatām bāḷā — kōṇa pāḷī tyāchā laḷā — when the child is in the womb — who pets its laḷa?. Who-pets the child while-still-in-the-womb? — the Lord's-secret-care.
The Lord as sūtra-dhārī: kaisā lāghavī sūtra-dhārī — kṛpāḷuvā mājhā Harī — how skilled the sūtra-dhārī — the merciful — my Hari. Sūtra-dhārī = the puppeteer (the one-who-pulls-the-strings). The Lord-as-skilled-puppeteer, merciful Hari.
A series of impossible-providence examples: - sarpa pilīm vitām chi khāyē — vāñchaliyā kōṇa māya — the snake eats its young as it gives birth — for those that survive — who's the mother?. Who-mothers the surviving-snakelings (when their mother eats most of them)? - gaganīm lāgalā kōsarā — kōṇa puravī tēthē chārā — the crow-tribe gathers in the sky — who provides their food there?. Who-feeds the high-flying crows-in-the-sky? - pōṭīm pāṣāṇāñchē jīva — kavaṇa jīva tyāchā bhāva — lives in stone-bellies — what's the jīva's bhāva?. What-of the lives-inside-stones (stone-worms, fossilized creatures)?
The closing — stay-still: Tukā mhaṇē niśchaḷa rāhē — hō'īla tē sahaja pāhē — Tuka says: stay still — what will be — see naturally. Don't-fret; stay-still; what's-to-be will-happen naturally.
[T]
For someone today
For today: when the child is in the womb — who pets its laḷa?; how skilled the sūtra-dhārī — the merciful, my Hari; the snake eats its young — for those that survive, who's the mother?; the crow-tribe gathers in the sky — who provides their food?; lives in stone-bellies — what's the jīva's bhāva?; Tuka says — stay still — what will be — see naturally.
Where this applies
- Womb-child-laḷa-pet.* Garbhā-bāḷā-laḷā.
- Lord-as-skillful-sūtra-dhārī.* Lāghavī-sūtra-dhārī-kṛpāḷuvā-Harī.
- Surviving-snake-young-who's-mother.* Sarpa-pilīm-vāñchaliyā-māya.
- Sky-crows-food-provided.* Gaganīm-kōsarā-chārā.
- Stone-belly-lives.* Pāṣāṇāñchē-jīva-bhāva.
- Stay-still-what-will-be-naturally.* Niśchaḷa-rāhē-sahaja-pāhē.