Abhanga 2273
For today: looking — he seems alone — how is he vyāpaka; meets each in his own measure — plays as bahu-rūpī; doesn't show body of knowing — color not seen separately; Tuka says — just here — not everywhere.
The verse
पाहतां तव एकला दिसे । कैसा असे व्यापक ॥१॥ ज्याचे त्याचे मिळणीं मिळे । तरी खेळे बहुरूपी ॥ध्रु.॥ जाणिवेचें नेदी अंग । दिसों रंग निवडीना ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे ये चि ठायीं । हें तों नाहीं सर्वत्र ॥३॥ ॥८॥
Literal translation
Looking — he seems alone — how is he vyāpaka? Meets each in his own measure — he plays as bahu-rūpī. Doesn't show the body of knowing — doesn't let the color be seen separately. Tuka says: just here — this isn't everywhere. ॥8॥
Word-by-word gloss
| Marathi | Meaning |
|---|---|
| पाहतां तव एकला दिसे | "looking — he seems alone" |
| कैसा असे व्यापक | "how is he vyāpaka (all-pervading)" |
| ज्याचे त्याचे मिळणीं मिळे | "meets each in his own measure" |
| तरी खेळे बहुरूपी | "he plays as bahu-rūpī (multi-form)" |
| जाणिवेचें नेदी अंग | "doesn't show the body of knowing" |
| दिसों रंग निवडीना | "doesn't let the color be seen separately" |
| तुका म्हणे ये चि ठायीं | "Tuka says — just here" |
| हें तों नाहीं सर्वत्र | "this isn't everywhere" |
| ॥८॥ | colophon — closes the 8-abhang cluster (2266-2273) |
What it means
Seems-alone-but-vyāpaka + plays-as-bahu-rūpī + just-here-not-everywhere abhang. Closes the 8-abhang cluster (2266-2273) with ॥८॥.
The opening — alone but vyāpaka: pāhatām tava ēkalā disē — kaisā asē vyāpaka — looking — he seems alone — how is he vyāpaka. Looking, he-seems-alone (= one); how-is-he vyāpaka (all-pervading)?
The bahu-rūpī image: jyāchē tyāchē miḷaṇīm miḷē — tarī khēḷē bahu-rūpī — meets each in his own measure — he plays as bahu-rūpī. Bahu-rūpī = the multi-form-player (a folk-entertainer who takes-many-disguises). He meets-each in-each's-own-measure; he-plays as-bahu-rūpī (the multi-form-actor). The folk-image of the bahu-rūpī (a-wandering-actor who-changes-costumes) for-the-Lord taking-many-forms-for-many-bhaktas.
The hidden-body and color: jāṇivēchē nēdī anga — disōm ranga nivaḍīnā — doesn't show the body of knowing — doesn't let the color be seen separately. Doesn't-show the-body-of-(direct-)knowing; doesn't-let the-color be-seen-as-distinct.
The closing — just-here, not-everywhere: Tukā mhaṇē yē chi ṭhāyīm — hē tōm nāhīm sarvatra — Tuka says: just here — this isn't everywhere. Just-here (= in the bhakta's-anubhava); this isn't-everywhere (= not-in-the-generic-everywhere of-philosophical-vyāpaka-talk). The bhakti-particularity: the all-pervading Lord is-actually-met just-here in-the-bhakta's-experience.
The ॥८॥ colophon closes an 8-abhang cluster (2266-2273): - 2266: triple-cry-to-Vīṭhā-bā'ī (12 triplets) - 2267: ask-for-virtues + obtain-this-one-thing - 2268: claim-by-right + side-by-side-samāgama - 2269: don't-say-yes-when-chitta-doesn't-want - 2270: santa-sanga-Lord's-dwelling + sandalwood-fragrance - 2271: festivities-in-Śrīrangī + Name-serving - 2272: abundance-day-and-night + Kānhā-bā'ī-mother's-milk-stream - 2273: seems-alone-but-vyāpaka + plays-bahu-rūpī
A coherent 8-abhang doctrine-and-praise cluster.
[T]
For someone today
For today: looking — he seems alone — how is he vyāpaka; meets each in his own measure — plays as bahu-rūpī; doesn't show body of knowing — color not seen separately; Tuka says — just here — not everywhere.
Where this applies
- When you feel that God or the sacred seems small and singular in front of you, and you wonder how something that personal could also be infinite
- When you compare your own devotion to someone else's and feel that your experience of God is different or lesser than theirs
- When you go looking for God in philosophy or abstract argument instead of in your own daily encounter with him
- When a teacher, guide, or loved one shows up differently for different people, and you wonder which version of them is real