Abhanga 2107
God prefers the simple, unknowing devotee's love over the scholar's, and takes our exhaustion in exchange for love without ever counting the cost.
The verse
दुःखाचिये साटीं तेथें मिळे सुख । अनाथाची भूक दैन्य जाय ॥१॥ उदाराचा राणा पंढरीस आहे । उभारोनि बाहे पालवितो ॥ध्रु.॥ जाणतियाहूनि नेणत्याची गोडी । आळिंगी आवडी करूनियां ॥२॥ शीण घेऊनियां प्रेम देतो साटी । न विचारी तुटी लाभा कांहीं ॥३॥ तुका म्हणे असों अनाथ दुबळीं । आम्हांसी तो पाळी पांडुरंग ॥४॥
Literal translation
For duḥkha-exchange, sukha is found there — the anātha's hunger and dainya go. The prince of the generous is in Paṇḍharī — with arms raised, he calls. The unknowing-one's sweetness — more than the knowing's — he embraces with love. Taking śīṇa (fatigue), he gives prema in exchange — doesn't consider any loss of gain. Tuka says: let us be anātha-durbaḷa — Pāṇḍuranga cherishes us.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| दुःखाचिये साटीं तेथें मिळे सुख | "for duḥkha-exchange, sukha is found there" |
| अनाथाची भूक दैन्य जाय | "the anātha's hunger and dainya go" |
| उदाराचा राणा पंढरीस आहे | "the prince of the generous is in Paṇḍharī" |
| उभारोनि बाहे पालवितो | "with arms raised, he calls" |
| जाणतियाहूनि नेणत्याची गोडी | "the unknowing-one's sweetness — more than the knowing's" |
| आळिंगी आवडी करूनियां | "he embraces with love" |
| शीण घेऊनियां प्रेम देतो साटी | "taking śīṇa (fatigue), he gives prema in exchange" |
| न विचारी तुटी लाभा कांहीं | "doesn't consider any loss of gain" |
| तुका म्हणे असों अनाथ दुबळीं | "Tuka says — let us be anātha-durbaḷa" |
| आम्हांसी तो पाळी पांडुरंग | "Pāṇḍuranga cherishes us" |
What it means
Duḥkha-for-sukha-exchange + prince-of-generous-with-arms-raised + unknown-sweeter abhang.
The opening — duḥkha-sukha exchange: duḥkhāchiyē sāṭīm tēthē miḷē sukha — anāthāchī bhūka dainya jāya — for duḥkha-exchange, sukha is found there — the anātha's hunger and dainya go. Trade-your-duḥkha for-sukha at-Paṇḍharī; the anātha's hunger-and-dainya leave.
The prince-with-arms-raised: udārāchā rāṇā Paṇḍharīsa āhē — ubhārōni bāhē pālavitō — the prince of the generous is in Paṇḍharī — with arms raised, he calls. The prince-of-the-generous (Viṭhṭhal's standard-iconic-pose) is-in-Paṇḍharī; with-arms-raised, beckoning. Iconic Viṭhṭhal-image.
THE UNKNOWING-SWEETER LINE: jāṇatiyāhūni nēṇatyāchī gōḍī — āḷingī āvaḍī karūniyām — the unknowing-one's sweetness — more than the knowing's — he embraces with love. The unknowing-bhakta's-sweetness exceeds-the-jñānī's-sweetness; he-embraces-with-love. A radical-statement on innocence-over-knowledge.
The śīṇa-prema-exchange: śīṇa ghē'ūniyām prēma dētō sāṭī — na vichārī tuṭī lābhā kāhīm — taking śīṇa (fatigue), he gives prema in exchange — doesn't consider any loss of gain. He-takes-our-fatigue, gives-prema; doesn't-calculate loss-or-gain.
The closing — let-us-be-anātha: Tukā mhaṇē asōm anātha dubaḷīm — āmhāmsī tō pāḷī Pāṇḍuranga — let us be anātha-durbaḷa — Pāṇḍuranga cherishes us. Let-us-stay-anātha-and-durbaḷa; Pāṇḍuranga cherishes-us.
[T]
For someone today
For today: for duḥkha-exchange, sukha is found there — the anātha's hunger and dainya go; the prince of the generous is in Paṇḍharī — with arms raised, he calls; the unknowing-one's sweetness — more than the knowing's — he embraces with love; taking śīṇa (fatigue), he gives prema in exchange — doesn't consider any loss of gain; Tuka says — let us be anātha-durbaḷa — Pāṇḍuranga cherishes us.
Where this applies
- When you feel unworthy because you don't have deep scriptural knowledge, only simple, honest love
- When you're exhausted and just want someone to carry the weight for a while without judging you
- When you feel too poor, too ordinary, or too dependent to deserve God's attention
- When you catch yourself calculating what you'll get back before you give love freely