संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2377 of 4582

Abhanga 2377

English: Gentle, sweet bāla-rūpa — that form from Kāḷī-time.

The verse

नागर गोडें बाळरूप । तें स्वरूप काळीचें ॥१॥ गाईंगोपाळांच्या संगें । आलें लागें पुंडलीका ॥ध्रु.॥ तें हें ध्यान दिगांबर । कटीं कर मिरवती ॥२॥ नेणपणे उगें चि उभें । भक्तिलोभें राहिलें ॥३॥ नेणे वरदळाचा मान । विटे चरण सम उभें ॥४॥ सहज कटावरी हात । दहींभात शिदोरी ॥५॥ मोहरी पांवा गांजिवा पाठीं । धरिली काठी ज्या काळें ॥६॥ रम्य स्थळ चंद्रभागा । पांडुरंगा क्रीडेसी ॥७॥ भीमा दक्षणमुख वाहे । दृष्टी पाहे समोर ॥८॥ तारावेसे मूढ लोक । दिली भाक पुंडलिका ॥९॥ तुका म्हणे वैकुंठवासी । भक्तांपासीं राहिला ॥१०॥

Literal translation

English: Gentle, sweet bāla-rūpa — that form from Kāḷī-time. Coming with cows and cow-herds — attached to Puṇḍalīka. This dhyāna of digāmbara — hands-on-waist, flowing. Standing-still by-not-knowing — stayed by love-of-bhakta. ★ Not-knowing the-honor-of-boon — on-the-brick (viṭā), feet-equal, standing ★. Naturally hands-on-waist — dahī-bhāta in-the-bundle. Flute, shawm, gāñjivā at-back — staff-held at-that-time. Beautiful place, Chandrabhāgā — Pāṇḍuranga at-play. Bhīmā flows-southward — vision-looks-straight-ahead. To-save the-foolish-people — gave-promise to-Puṇḍalīka. ★★★ Tuka says: Vaikuṇṭha-dweller — stayed at-bhakta's-side ★★★.

What it means

★★★ THE COMPLETE DARŚANA-OF-PĀṆḌURAṄGA — A 10-VERSE ICONOGRAPHIC-MEDITATION ★★★. ONE OF THE MOST-CELEBRATED DHYĀNA-ABHANGS IN THE TUKĀRĀM CORPUS.

This abhang offers a complete-iconographic-description of-Viṭhṭhal at-Pandhārpūr:

  1. Bāla-rūpa-from-Kāḷī-time: nāgara gōḍē bāḷarūpa — tē svarūpa kāḷīchē — gentle, sweet child-form — that's the form from Kāḷī-time (= Kṛṣṇa's-child-incarnation)

  2. Coming-from-Govardhan-with-cows: gā'ī-gōpāḷāñchyā sangē — ālē lāgē Puṇḍalīkā — with cows-and-cow-herds, attached-to-Puṇḍalīka. The Vārkarī-myth: Kṛṣṇa came from Vrindavan with-his-cows to-Pandhārpūr because-Puṇḍalīka's-devotion attracted-him.

  3. Digāmbara-hands-on-waist: tē hē dhyāna digāmbara — kaṭīm kara miravatī — this dhyāna of digāmbara (= space-clothed) — hands-on-waist

  4. Standing-still-by-not-knowing: nēṇa-paṇē ugē chi ubhē — bhakti-lōbhē rāhilē — standing-still by-not-knowing — stayed by-love-of-bhakta

  5. ★ ON-THE-BRICK (VIṬĀ) ★: nēṇē varadaḷāchā māna — viṭē charaṇa sama ubhē — ★ not-knowing the-honor-of-boon — on-the-brick (viṭā), feet-equal, standing ★. ★ The iconic-pose: Viṭhṭhal stands-on-the-viṭā (brick) thrown-by-Puṇḍalīka, feet-equal-(sama-pāda). ★

  6. Hands-on-waist + dahī-bhāta: sahaja kaṭāvarī hāta — dahīm-bhāta śidōrī — naturally hands-on-waist — dahī-bhāta in-the-bundle. The classic-Viṭhṭhal-iconography: arms-akimbo, hands-on-waist; with-dahī-bhāta-bundle for-the-journey

  7. Flute-shawm-staff: mōharī pāmvā gāñjivā pāṭhīm — dharilī kāṭhī — flute, shawm, gāñjivā at-back — staff-held

  8. Chandrabhāgā-setting: ramya sthaḷa Chandrabhāgā — Pāṇḍurangā krīḍēsī — beautiful-place Chandrabhāgā — Pāṇḍuranga at-play

  9. Bhīmā-southward: Bhīmā dakṣaṇa-mukha vāhē — dṛṣṭi pāhē samōra — Bhīmā flows-southward — vision-looks-straight-ahead

  10. ★★★ THE CLOSING ★★★: tārāvē-sē mūḍha lōka — dilī bhāka Puṇḍalīkā // Tukā mhaṇē Vaikuṇṭha-vāsī — bhaktāmpāśīm rāhilā — to-save the-foolish-people — gave-promise to-Puṇḍalīka // ★★★ Tuka says: Vaikuṇṭha-dweller — stayed at-bhakta's-side ★★★. ★★★ The Vaikuṇṭha-dweller stayed at-the-bhakta's-side. ★★★

★★★ HISTORICAL-SIGNIFICANCE ★★★: This is one of the most-cited-Vārkarī dhyāna-abhangs — used in many-kīrtans and pūjās as the complete-iconographic-meditation of-Viṭhṭhal-at-Pandhārpūr.

[T]

For someone today

For today: ★★★ a complete darśana-meditation of Pāṇḍuranga ★★★ — bāla-rūpa from-Kāḷī-time; came-with-cows-and-cow-herds to-Puṇḍalīka; digāmbara, hands-on-waist; standing-still on-the-brick, feet-equal; dahī-bhāta-bundle; flute-shawm-staff; at-Chandrabhāgā at-play; Bhīmā-southward; promise-to-Puṇḍalīka; ★★★ Vaikuṇṭha-dweller stayed-at-bhakta's-side ★★★*.

Where this applies

Bhakti Pāṇḍuranga / Viṭhṭhal Eco-bhakti / Animals flute-shawm-staff-at-back

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