Abhanga 2745
Grace in Pandharpur is like an endless free market you must reach into and take with your own hand, since the supply never runs out but does no good left untaken.
The verse
आम्हां सुकाळ सुखाचा । जवळी हाट पंढरीचा । सादाविती वाचा । रामनामें वैष्णव ॥१॥
घ्या रे आपुलाल्या परी । नका ठेवूं कांही उरी । ओसरतां भरी । तोंडवरी अंबर ॥ध्रु.॥
वाहे बंदर द्वारका । खेप आली पुंडलिका । उभे चि विकिलें एका । सनकादिकां सांपडलें ॥२॥
धन्य धन्य हे भूमंडळी । प्रगटली नामावळी । घेती जीं दुबळीं । तीं आगळीं सदैव ॥३॥
माप आपुलेनि हातें । कोणी नाहीं निवारितें । पैस करूनि चित्ती । घ्यावें हितें आपुलिया ॥४॥
नाहीं वाटितां सरलें । आहे तैसें चि भरलें । तुका म्हणे गेलें । वांयांविण न घेतां ॥५॥
Literal translation
Āmhām sukāḷa sukhāñcā — javaḷī hāṭa Paṇḍharīñcā — we havesukāḷa(abundance) of happiness — thehāṭa(market) of Paṇḍharī is near. Sādāvitī vāchā — Rāma-nāmē Vaiṣṇava — Vaiṣṇavas call-aloud with their voices, with Rāma-name. Ghyā re āpulālyā parī — nakā ṭhevūm kāmhī urī — take your own portion — don't leave anything in reserve; ōsaratām bharī — tōṇḍavarī ambara — pouring-out, (it) fills — even up-to-the-face, theambara(cloth, sheet). Vāhē bandara Dvārakā — khepa ālī Puṇḍalikā — the port Dvārakā flows; thekhepa(trip, voyage) came to Puṇḍalika; ubhe chi vikilē ēkā — sanakādikām sāmpaḍalē — standing alone, the (Lord) gave-himself-up; Sanaka-and-others received. Dhanya dhanya hē bhū-maṇḍaḷī — blessed-blessed this earth-circle; pragaṭalī nāmāvaḷī — ghētī jīm dubaḷī — tīm āgaḷīm sadaiva — thenāmāvaḷī(Name-rosary) has appeared; thedubaḷī(weak) who take, are forever-āgaḷī(special). Māpa āpulēni hātē — kōṇī nāhī nivāritē — measure by your own hand — no onenivāritē(prevents); paisa karūnī chittī — ghyāve hitē āpuliyā — makingpaisa(room, space) in the chitta, take yourhita(welfare). Nāhī vāṭitām saralē — āhē taisē chi bharalē — (by the) distribution it didn't run-out — it is still filled as-is. Tukā says: gēlē vāyāvīṇa na ghētām — (the goods) went without-result, if not taken.
What it means
This 5-verse abhang is one of the most-recited Vārkarī kīrtana-bhajans on the Paṇḍharī-as-bhakti-market theme. It is densely packed with celebrated lines.
The opening — āmhām sukāḷa sukhāñcā — javaḷī hāṭa Paṇḍharīñcā — we have abundance of happiness — the market of Paṇḍharī is near. The hāṭa (market, fair) of Paṇḍharī is named directly as the source of sukha-sukāḷa. The Vaiṣṇavas are sādāvitī vāchā Rāma-nāmē — calling-aloud with their voices, with the Rāma-name — like market-criers advertising free-goods.
The invitation — ghyā re āpulālyā parī — nakā ṭhevūm kāmhī urī — ōsaratām bharī — tōṇḍavarī ambara — take your own portion — don't leave anything in reserve — pouring-out, (it) fills the cloth up-to-the-face. The ōsaratām bharī image is unforgettable: pouring grains-into-a-cloth, the cloth fills all the way up to the face. The invitation is for total taking.
The Puṇḍalika reference — vāhē bandara Dvārakā — khepa ālī Puṇḍalikā — ubhe chi vikilē ēkā — sanakādikām sāmpaḍalē — the port Dvārakā flows; the trip came to Puṇḍalika; standing alone, the (Lord) gave-himself-up; Sanaka-and-others received. The Vārkarī foundation-myth: Dvārakā as the source-port; Puṇḍalika as the bringer-of-the-cargo-to-Paṇḍharī; the Lord standing-alone-and-self-given; the sanaka-ādikas (the four primordial-sages — Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanātana, Sanatkumāra) received.
The earth's blessing — dhanya dhanya hē bhū-maṇḍaḷī — pragaṭalī nāmāvaḷī — ghētī jīm dubaḷī — tīm āgaḷīm sadaiva — blessed-blessed this earth-circle — the Name-rosary has appeared; thedubaḷī(weak) who take, are forever-special. The Name-rosary has appeared on this earth; the weak who take are forever-special. The reversal: weakness-becomes-specialness through taking.
The self-administration — māpa āpulēni hātē — kōṇī nāhī nivāritē — paisa karūnī chittī — ghyāve hitē āpuliyā — measure by your own hand — no one prevents; making room in the chitta, take your welfare. The self-administration of grace: no one prevents your taking. The only requirement: making space in the chitta.
The close — nāhī vāṭitām saralē — āhē taisē chi bharalē — gēlē vāyāvīṇa na ghētām — the distribution did not run-out — it's still filled as-is — (but) it went without-result if not taken. The warning: the offer is endless, but YOUR-taking is required. Vāyāvīṇa (without-result, in vain) — if not taken, what was given goes-vain.
For someone today
This is one of Tukārām's most-recited Vārkarī kīrtana-texts. The teaching is layered: (1) the bhakti-market is near and Vaiṣṇavas are calling; (2) take your portion fully — don't reserve; (3) the foundation-myth is Puṇḍalika brought the Lord here, who gave-himself-up standing; (4) the weak who take become forever-special; (5) measure by your own hand — no one prevents; (6) the storehouse doesn't run out; (7) but the offer goes-vain if you don't take. The most-quoted phrase is māpa āpulēni hātē — kōṇī nāhī nivāritē — measure by your own hand, no one prevents. The most-piercing close: gēlē vāyāvīṇa na ghētām — it goes vain if not taken. The implication: the absence of grace in your life is not because the storehouse closed; you did not take.
Where this applies
- When you hold back from fully accepting a spiritual gift out of unnecessary shyness or politeness
- When you assume grace or good fortune is limited and might run out before it reaches you
- When you feel too weak or unworthy to deserve a blessing that is right in front of you
- When you wait passively for good things to come instead of reaching out and taking hold of them