Abhanga 2054
When you have nothing else to offer, standing humbly before someone with folded hands and asking not to be overlooked is itself a full and sufficient gift.
The verse
जोडोनियां कर । उभा राहिलों समोर ॥१॥ हें चि माझेंभांडवल ।जाणे कारण विठ्ठल ॥ध्रु.॥ भाकितों करुणा । आतां नुपेक्षावें दीना ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे डोईं । ठेवीं वेळोवेळां पायीं ॥३॥
Literal translation
Hands joined — I stand in front. This is my capital — Viṭhṭhala knows the cause. I plead karuṇā — now don't ignore the dīna. Tuka says: head — I place again-and-again at the feet.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| जोडोनियां कर | "hands joined" |
| उभा राहिलों समोर | "I stand in front" |
| हें चि माझेंभांडवल | "this is my capital" |
| जाणे कारण विठ्ठल | "Viṭhṭhala knows the cause" |
| भाकितों करुणा | "I plead karuṇā" |
| आतां नुपेक्षावें दीना | "now don't ignore the dīna" |
| तुका म्हणे डोईं | "Tuka says — head" |
| ठेवीं वेळोवेळां पायीं | "I place again-and-again at the feet" |
What it means
Hands-joined-this-is-my-capital + head-at-feet-again-and-again abhang. RADICAL SURRENDER.
The opening — hands-joined-stance: jōḍōniyām kara — ubhā rāhilōm samōra — hands joined — I stand in front. Hands-joined (in añjali), standing-in-front of-the-Lord — the classic supplicant-posture.
THE CAPITAL-DECLARATION: hē chi mājhē bhāṇḍavala — jāṇē kāraṇa Viṭhṭhala — this is my capital — Viṭhṭhala knows the cause. THIS (hands-joined-stance) is-my-entire-capital; Viṭhṭhala knows the-cause. The bhakta has nothing else — only-the-añjali. Echoes 2026's bhāṇḍavalē puratā — Paṇḍhari-nāthā lāviyēlē.
The plea: bhākitōm karuṇā — ātām nu-pēkṣāvē dīnā — I plead karuṇā — now don't ignore the dīna. Plead-karuṇā; don't-ignore the-lowly.
The closing — repeated head-at-feet: Tukā mhaṇē ḍōīm — ṭhēvīm vēḷō-vēḷām pāyīm — Tuka says: head — I place again-and-again at the feet. The head placed-at-the-feet again-and-again (vēḷō-vēḷām = time-and-time).
[T]
For someone today
For today: hands joined — I stand in front; this is my capital — Viṭhṭhala knows the cause; I plead karuṇā — now don't ignore the dīna; Tuka says — head — I place again and again at the feet.
Where this applies
- When you have nothing left to offer someone except your honest presence and humility
- When you feel too small or unworthy and worry that you will be overlooked or ignored
- When you need to ask for help or mercy but have no leverage, only sincerity
- When you find yourself repeating the same simple act of respect or devotion over and over rather than doing it once