Abhanga 2067
For today: dyed in this color — change doesn't happen — fixed in interior; pure dark Kṛṣṇa-nāma stamps — by body-contact, how it gives shine; what is pure — not touched by viṭāḷa — won't let me sit nearby; Tuka says — darkened — made the face — seeing the unbroken light.
The verse
रंगलें या रंगें पालट न घरी । खेवलें अंतरीं पालटेना ॥१॥ सावळें निखळ कृष्णनाम ठसे । अंगसंगें कैसे शोभा देती ॥ध्रु.॥ पवित्र जालें तें न लिंपे विटाळा । नैदी बैसों मला आडवरी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे काळें काळें केलें तोंड । प्रकाश अभंड देखोनियां ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: Dyed in this color — change doesn't happen — fixed in interior, doesn't change. Pure dark Kṛṣṇa-nāma stamps — by body-contact, how it gives shine. What is pure — not touched by viṭāḷa — won't let me sit nearby. Tuka says: darkened — made the face — seeing the unbroken light.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| रंगलें या रंगें पालट न घरी | "dyed in this color — change doesn't happen" |
| खेवलें अंतरीं पालटेना | "fixed-in-interior, doesn't change" |
| सावळें निखळ कृष्णनाम ठसे | "pure dark Kṛṣṇa-nāma stamps" |
| अंगसंगें कैसे शोभा देती | "by body-contact — how it gives shine" |
| पवित्र जालें तें न लिंपे विटाळा | "what is pure — not touched by viṭāḷa" |
| नैदी बैसों मला आडवरी | "won't let me sit nearby" |
| तुका म्हणे काळें काळें केलें तोंड | "Tuka says — darkened — made the face" |
| प्रकाश अभंड देखोनियां | "seeing the unbroken light" |
What it means
Dyed-in-Kṛṣṇa-color + face-darkened-by-light abhang.
The opening: rangalē yā rangē pālaṭa na gharī — khēvalē antarīm pālaṭēnā — dyed in this color — change doesn't happen — fixed in interior, doesn't change. Once-dyed-in-this-(Kṛṣṇa)-color, no-change; fixed-in-interior. Permanent-coloring image of bhakti-saturation.
The Kṛṣṇa-stamping: sānvaḷē nikhaḷa Kṛṣṇa-nāma ṭhasē — anga-sangē kaisē śōbhā dētī — pure dark Kṛṣṇa-nāma stamps — by body-contact, how it gives shine. The Sānvaḷā (= dark-blue-Kṛṣṇa-Name) stamps-pure; how-the-body-contact-makes-it-shine.
The purity-protection: pavitra jālē tē na limpē viṭāḷā — naidī baisōm malā āḍa-varī — what is pure — not touched by viṭāḷa — won't let me sit nearby. Viṭāḷa = impurity, touch-defilement (caste-pollution concept). What-has-become-pure is-not-touched-by-impurity; (impurity) won't-let-me-sit-near it. Anti-caste-pollution-inversion: the bhakta-becoming-pure repels-the-defilement-conceit.
The closing-image: Tukā mhaṇē kāḷē kāḷē kēlē tōṇḍa — prakāśa abhaṇḍa dēkhōniyām — Tuka says: darkened — made the face — seeing the unbroken light. The face-darkens upon-seeing the-unbroken-light (= the bright-Kṛṣṇa-Name reflects-on-the-face as-Kṛṣṇa-dark-color; the bhakta becomes-Kṛṣṇa-colored). Brilliant inversion: the bright-light makes-the-face-dark (with Kṛṣṇa's hue).
[T]
For someone today
For today: dyed in this color — change doesn't happen — fixed in interior; pure dark Kṛṣṇa-nāma stamps — by body-contact, how it gives shine; what is pure — not touched by viṭāḷa — won't let me sit nearby; Tuka says — darkened — made the face — seeing the unbroken light.
Where this applies
- Dyed-in-Kṛṣṇa-color-no-change.* Rangalē-rangē-pālaṭa-na.
- Kṛṣṇa-Name-stamps-body-contact-shines.* Sānvaḷē-Kṛṣṇa-nāma-anga-sangē-śōbhā.
- Pure-not-touched-by-viṭāḷa.* Pavitra-na-limpē-viṭāḷā.
- Face-darkens-by-seeing-unbroken-light.* Kāḷē-tōṇḍa-prakāśa-abhaṇḍa.