Abhanga 2252
True longing for the divine is felt in every sense at once, the ears, the eyes, the arms, and the body, each one starved and waiting to finally be satisfied at the Lord's feet.
The verse
कीर्तन ऐकावया भुलले श्रवण । श्रीमुख लोचन देखावया ॥१॥ उदित हें भाग्य होईंल कोणे काळीं । चित्ती तळमळी म्हणऊनि ॥ध्रु.॥ उतावीळ बाह्या भेटिलागीं दंड । लोटांगणीं धड जावयासी ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे माथा ठेवीन चरणीं । होतील पारणी इंद्रियांची ॥३॥
Literal translation
Ears are deluded for hearing the kīrtana — the eyes [eager] to see the Śrī-mukha. When will this good-fortune rise — the chitta tosses-and-turns thus. The arms-and-clubs eager for the meeting — the body [eager] to go in lōṭāngaṇa. Tuka says: I'll place my head on the feet — the indriyas will have their pāraṇī.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| कीर्तन ऐकावया भुलले श्रवण | "ears are deluded for hearing the kīrtana" |
| श्रीमुख लोचन देखावया | "the eyes [eager] to see the Śrī-mukha" |
| उदित हें भाग्य होईंल कोणे काळीं | "when will this good-fortune rise" |
| चित्ती तळमळी म्हणऊनि | "the chitta tosses-and-turns thus" |
| उतावीळ बाह्या भेटिलागीं दंड | "the arms-and-clubs eager for the meeting" |
| लोटांगणीं धड जावयासी | "the body [eager] to go in lōṭāngaṇa-prostration" |
| तुका म्हणे माथा ठेवीन चरणीं | "Tuka says — I'll place my head on the feet" |
| होतील पारणी इंद्रियांची | "the indriyas will have their pāraṇī (breaking-of-fast)" |
What it means
Every-indriya-aches-for-darshan + indriyas-will-break-their-fast abhang.
The opening — ears and eyes: kīrtana ā'ikāvayā bhulalē śravaṇa — Śrī-mukha lōchana dēkhāvayā — ears are deluded for hearing the kīrtana — the eyes [eager] to see the Śrī-mukha. Ears (śravaṇa) are-deluded for-hearing-the-kīrtana; eyes (lōchana) for-seeing the-Śrī-mukha (sacred-face). Two indriyas longing.
The tossing-chitta: udita hē bhāgya hō'īmla kōṇē kāḷīm — chittī taḷamaḷī mhaṇa'ūni — when will this good-fortune rise — the chitta tosses-and-turns thus. When-will-this-good-fortune (bhāgya) rise (udita); the chitta tosses-and-turns asking-this.
The arms and body: utāvīḷa bāhyā bhēṭilāgīm daṇḍa — lōṭāngaṇīm dhaḍa jāvayāsī — the arms-and-clubs eager for the meeting — the body [eager] to go in lōṭāngaṇa-prostration. Bāhyā = arms. Daṇḍa = staff, club; here perhaps arm-as-staff. Lōṭāngaṇa = rolling-prostration (full-body on-the-ground). Dhaḍa = torso, body. Arms eager-for-the-meeting; the body eager to-go in-lōṭāngaṇa-prostration.
The closing — head-on-feet, indriyas-break-fast: Tukā mhaṇē māthā ṭhēvīna charaṇīm — hōtīla pāraṇī indriyāñchī — Tuka says: I'll place my head on the feet — the indriyas will have their pāraṇī. Pāraṇī = the breaking-of-a-fast (esp. ēkādaśī-pāraṇā). I'll place-my-head on-the-(Lord's)-feet; the indriyas will-have their-pāraṇī (= the indriyas, fasting-from-darshan, will-break-their-fast). A beautiful image: each-indriya has-been-fasting-from-its-natural-darshan-food; the meeting-with-Viṭhṭhal is-the-pāraṇā-meal.
[T]
For someone today
For today: ears deluded for kīrtana — eyes to see Śrī-mukha; when will this good-fortune rise — chitta tosses-and-turns; arms eager for the meeting — body for lōṭāngaṇa; Tuka says — head on the feet — indriyas will have their pāraṇī.
Where this applies
- When you are counting the days until you can finally see or meet someone you deeply long for.
- When your whole body feels restless with anticipation, not just your thoughts.
- When you catch yourself wanting to bow all the way to the ground out of sheer love or gratitude.
- When you realize your senses, not just your beliefs, are starving for something meaningful.