Abhanga 2443
The verse
धांव धांव गरुडध्वजा । आम्हां अनाथांच्या काजा ॥१॥ बहु जालों कासावीस । म्हणोनि पाहें तुझी वास ॥ध्रु.॥ पाहें पाहें त्या मारगें । कोणी येतें माझ्या लागें ॥२॥ असोनियां ऐसा । तुज सारिखा कोंवसा ॥३॥ न लवावा उशीर । नेणों कां हा केला धीर ॥४॥ तुका म्हणे चाली । नको चालूं धांव घालीं ॥५॥
Literal translation
English: ★★ Run, run, Garuḍa-bannered — for our orphan's cause ★★. Very distressed — therefore look for your scent. Look on the road — anyone coming for me. Even with such — like-you, refuge. No delay — don't know why this patience. ★ Tuka says: don't walk — run! ★
What it means
★★ THE RUN-RUN-GARUḌA-BANNERED-FOR-ORPHAN ABHANG ★★. One of the most-celebrated kākulatī (urgent pleading) abhangs.
★★ THE OPENING URGENCY ★★: dhāmva dhāmva Garuḍa-dhvajā — āmhām anāthāñchyā kājā — ★★ run, run, Garuḍa-bannered — for our orphan's cause ★★. ★★ RUN, RUN, Garuḍa-bannered-one (= Viṣṇu, who-rides-Garuḍa, the eagle-banner); for-our orphan's-cause (anātha = parentless, helpless). ★★ The bhakta's-emergency-call — invoking the Lord's epithet of-protector-of-the-helpless.
The road-watching: pāhē pāhē tyā māragē — kōṇī yētē mājhyā lāgē — look on the road — anyone coming for me. Watching the-road for-the-Lord's approach.
★ THE CLOSING ★: Tukā mhaṇē chālī — nakō chālūm dhāmva ghālīm — ★ don't walk — run! ★. ★ Don't-walk (chālī); RUN! ★ Urgency amplified: not even-walking will-do; only-running.
★ HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE ★: This abhang is a classic Vārkarī kākulatī (urgent-plea) song, used in kīrtans when the bhakta needs to invoke the Lord's swift-intervention. The Garuḍa-dhvaja epithet evokes the Gajendra-mokṣa story (cf. 2445) where Viṣṇu rode-Garuḍa to-rescue-the-elephant-king.
[T]
For someone today
For today: ★★ run, run, Garuḍa-bannered — for our orphan's cause ★★; very distressed; ★ don't walk — RUN ★*.
Where this applies
- Run-run-Garuḍa-bannered-for-orphan. Dhāmva-dhāmva-Garuḍa-dhvajā-anāthāñchyā-kājā.
- Don't-walk-RUN. Nakō-chālūm-dhāmva-ghālīm.