Abhanga 2734
Pray on behalf of others as well as yourself, ask for forgiveness, and just as deliberately notice and give thanks when the prayer is actually answered.
The verse
पुण्य उभें राहो आतां । संताचें याकारणें ॥१॥
पंढरीचे लागा वाटे । सखा भेटे विठ्ठल ॥ध्रु.॥
संकल्प हे यावे फळा । कळवळा बहुतांचा ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे होऊनि क्षमा । पुरुषोत्तमा अपराध ॥३॥
आइकिली मात । पुरविले मनोरथ ॥
प्रेम वाढविलें देवा । बरवी घेऊनियां सेवा ॥ध्रु.॥
केली विनवणी । तैसी पुरविली धणी ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे काया । रसा कुरोंडी वरोनियां ॥३॥
Literal translation
Puṇya ubhē rāhō ātām — let puṇya stand-up now; santāñce yākāraṇē — for the sake of the sants (because of). Paṇḍharīñce lāgā vāṭē — take the path of Paṇḍharī; sakhā bhēṭē Viṭhṭhala — kinsman Viṭhṭhala will meet. Samkalpa hē yāve phaḷā — kaḷavaḷā bahutāñcā — let these samkalpas come to fruit — the heartfelt-concern of many. Tukā says: hōūnī kṣamā — Puruṣōttamā aparādha — with forgiveness — the wrong, Puruṣōttama. (Second part): aikilī māta — puravile manōrātha — the word was heard — desires fulfilled. Prema vāḍhavile Devā — love grew, Deva; baravī ghē'ūniyām sevā — having taken the good service. Kelī vinavaṇī — taisī puravilī dhaṇī — did the petition — so was the dhaṇī (fullness) provided. Tukā says: kāyā — rasā kurōṇḍī varōniyām — the body — circling the juice (kurōṇḍī = āratī-circling, the offering-circle) over.
What it means
An 8-verse petition-and-fulfillment cycle. The structure is unusual: first 4 verses are petition; second 4 verses are fulfillment-acknowledgment. The two-part structure makes this verse a complete prayer-cycle.
Petition (first part): - Puṇya ubhē rāhō ātām — santāñce yākāraṇē — let puṇya stand-up now — for the sake of the sants. The petition is on behalf of others — for the sants who carry the yākāraṇa (this-cause). - Paṇḍharīñce lāgā vāṭē — sakhā bhēṭē Viṭhṭhala — take the path of Paṇḍharī — the kinsman Viṭhṭhala will meet. The canonical Vārkarī invitation to the pilgrimage. - Samkalpa hē yāve phaḷā — kaḷavaḷā bahutāñcā — let these samkalpas bear fruit — the heartfelt-concern of many. The collective-samkalpa is named — kaḷavaḷā bahutāñcā (the heartfelt-concern of many). - Hōūnī kṣamā — Puruṣōttamā aparādha — with forgiveness — the wrong (be forgiven), Puruṣōttama. The petition-for-forgiveness.
Fulfillment-acknowledgment (second part): - Aikilī māta — puravile manōrātha — the word was heard — desires fulfilled. The Lord heard. - Prema vāḍhavile Devā — baravī ghē'ūniyām sevā — love grew, Deva; having taken the good-service. The Lord grew the love by taking the service. - Kelī vinavaṇī — taisī puravilī dhaṇī — (I) did the petition — so was thedhaṇī(fullness) provided. The provision came in proportion to the petition. - Kāyā — rasā kurōṇḍī varōniyām — the body — circling the juice (as offering) over. The body itself becomes an āratī-offering — circling juice/essence around the Lord.
For someone today
A useful complete-prayer-cycle template. Petition: let puṇya stand up for the sants; take the path of Paṇḍharī; let collective-samkalpa bear fruit; forgive the wrong, Puruṣōttama. Fulfillment-acknowledgment: the word was heard; desires were fulfilled; love grew because the service was taken; the dhaṇī (fullness) was provided. The two-part structure offers a model: first petition with thekaḷavaḷā-of-many, then acknowledge the fulfillment when it comes. Don't pray endlessly without recognizing when the prayer-was-answered.
Where this applies
- When you're praying not just for yourself but on behalf of your community or loved ones
- When you're inviting someone toward a shared spiritual practice or pilgrimage
- When you need to ask forgiveness for a wrong before moving forward
- When a prayer or hope of yours has actually been fulfilled and you're tempted to just move on without acknowledging it