Abhanga 2256
Staying close to the divine quietly reshapes you into its own likeness, the way water poured from a round trough takes the very shape of its container.
The verse
तुझा संग पुरे संग पुरे । संगति पुरे विठोबा ॥१॥ आपल्या सारिखें करिसी दासां । भिकारिसा जग जाणे ॥ध्रु.॥ रूपा नाहीं ठाव नांवा । तैसें आमुचें करिसी देवा ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे तोयें आपुलें भेंडोळें । करिसी वाटोळें माझें तैसें ॥३॥
Literal translation
Your sanga — enough, enough — sangati — enough, Viṭhobā. You make your dāsas like yourself — as beggar, the world knows. There's no place for [your] form and name — you do the same to us, Lord. Tuka says: with your own water, your trough — you make me round, like yours.
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| तुझा संग पुरे संग पुरे | "your sanga — enough, enough" |
| संगति पुरे विठोबा | "sangati — enough, Viṭhobā" |
| आपल्या सारिखें करिसी दासां | "you make your dāsas like yourself" |
| भिकारिसा जग जाणे | "as beggar — the world knows" |
| रूपा नाहीं ठाव नांवा | "there's no place for [your] form and name" |
| तैसें आमुचें करिसी देवा | "you do the same to us, Lord" |
| तुका म्हणे तोयें आपुलें भेंडोळें | "Tuka says — with your own water, your trough" |
| करिसी वाटोळें माझें तैसें | "you make me round, like yours" |
What it means
Enough-of-sanga + you-make-beggars-of-your-dāsas abhang. Playful-refusal post-restoration.
The opening — enough of your company: tujhā sanga purē sanga purē — sangati purē Viṭhōbā — your sanga — enough, enough — sangati — enough, Viṭhobā. Your-company is-enough, enough; sangati (association) is-enough, Viṭhobā. Playful refusal — emphatic-repetition.
You-make-beggars: āpalyā sārikhē karisī dāsām — bhikārisā jaga jāṇē — you make your dāsas like yourself — as beggar, the world knows. Bhikārī = beggar. You make-your-dāsas-like-yourself; (and-you-are-known) as-beggar to-the-world. The Vārkarī-tradition's affectionate-image of Viṭhṭhal as-also-a-beggar (begging-for-bhakti); the bhaktas-become-like-him in-being-beggars.
The no-form-no-name: rūpā nāhīm ṭhāva nāmvā — taisē āmuchē karisī Dēvā — there's no place for [your] form and name — you do the same to us, Lord. There's-no-place for-your-form-and-name (= you-are-formless, nameless); you-do-the-same-to-us (= you-erase-our-form-and-name-too).
The round-trough image: Tukā mhaṇē tōyē āpulē bhēṇḍōḷē — karisī vāṭōḷē mājhē taisē — Tuka says: with your own water, your trough — you make me round, like yours. Tōya = water. Bhēṇḍōḷē = a round vessel, water-trough. Vāṭōḷē = round, circular. With your-own-water and-trough, you-make-me-round, like-yours. (= just-as your-own-vessel-is-round-when-filled-with-its-own-water, so-you-make-me-round-(complete)-with-your-own-bhakti-water.)
Playful post-restoration tone — continuing the intimate-Lord-bhakta-banter of the bhāṇḍaṇa-cluster (2238-2241).
[T]
For someone today
For today: your sanga, enough — Viṭhobā; you make your dāsas like yourself — as beggar the world knows; no place for form and name — same with us; Tuka says — with your own water — you make me round, like yours.
Where this applies
- When you jokingly complain to someone you love about how much they have changed you.
- When you notice you are starting to resemble a mentor or teacher you have spent a lot of time with.
- When closeness with someone or something sacred quietly erases the sharp edges of your old identity.
- When you feel your sense of self being reshaped simply by staying close to what you love.