Abhanga 2481
The verse
वाराणसी गया पाहिली द्वारका । परी नये तुका पंढरीच्या ॥१॥ पंढरीसी नाहीं कोणा अभिमान । पायां पडे जन एकमेका ॥२॥ तुका म्हणे जाय एकवेळ पंढरी । तयाचिये घरीं यम न ये ॥३॥
Literal translation
English: ★★★ Saw Vārāṇasī, Gayā, Dvārakā — but nothing equals Pandharī, Tukā ★★★. ★★ At Pandharī, no one has abhimāna — people fall at each other's feet ★★. ★ Tuka says: go once to Pandharī — yama doesn't come to that house ★.
What it means
★★★ THE PANDHARĪ-SUPREMACY ABHANG ★★★. A foundational Vārkarī pilgrim-text.
★★★ THE OPENING TĪRTHA-COMPARISON ★★★: Vārāṇasī Gayā pāhilī Dvārakā — parī nayē Tukā Paṇḍharīchyā — ★★★ saw Vārāṇasī, Gayā, Dvārakā — but nothing equals Pandharī, Tukā [says] ★★★. ★★★ Vārāṇasī (Banaras, Śiva-tīrtha) + Gayā (Viṣṇu-tīrtha, śrāddha-place) + Dvārakā (Kṛṣṇa-tīrtha) — three of-the-most-prestigious Hindu-tīrthas — none equals Pandharī. ★★★ The supremacy-claim is comparative-not-just-exclusive — Tukārām has-seen-the-other-tīrthas and-judged.
★★ THE EGALITARIAN-MARKER ★★: Paṇḍharīsī nāhīm kōṇā abhimāna — pāyām paḍē jana ēkamēkā — ★★ at Pandharī, no one has abhimāna — people fall at each other's feet ★★. ★★ At Pandharī, NO-ONE has-abhimāna (caste-pride, status-pride); people fall-at-each-other's-feet. ★★ This is why-Pandharī-is-supreme — the-egalitarian-bhakti-fellowship not-found-elsewhere.
The death-conquest: jāya ēka-vēḷa Paṇḍharī — tayāchiyē gharīm yama na yē — ★ go once to Pandharī — yama doesn't come to that house ★. ★ One-visit to Pandharī ensures yama-doesn't-come to-that-bhakta's-house. ★ Compare 2351's Yama tells the dūtas — no power where the kathā with Name-ghōṣa happens.
★ HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE ★: This is a foundational Vārkarī text for the Pandharī-supreme-tīrtha claim. Cited at: - Annual Pandharpur Vārī pilgrimage - Vārkarī kīrtans about Pandharī's specialness - Pre-Vārī ekādaśī sermons - Posters and Vārkarī publications
The combination of-three-claims (supreme-tīrtha + egalitarian-fellowship + death-conquest) compresses the complete Vārkarī apologetic for Pandharpur-as-the-supreme-pilgrimage-place.
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For someone today
For today: ★★★ Vārāṇasī, Gayā, Dvārakā — none like Pandharī ★★★; ★★ at Pandharī no abhimāna — people fall at each other's feet ★★; ★ one visit ensures yama-doesn't-come ★.
Where this applies
- ★★★ Pandharī-supreme-above-Vārāṇasī-Gayā-Dvārakā ★★★. ★★★ Vārāṇasī-Gayā-Dvārakā-parī-nayē-Paṇḍharīchyā ★★★.
- At-Pandharī-no-abhimāna-people-fall-at-each-other's-feet. Paṇḍharīsī-nāhīm-abhimāna-pāyām-paḍē-jana-ēkamēkā.
- One-visit-yama-doesn't-come. Jāya-ēka-vēḷa-Paṇḍharī-yama-na-yē.