Abhanga 2745
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.
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 have sukāḷa (abundance) of happiness — the hāṭa (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, the ambara (cloth, sheet). Vāhē bandara Dvārakā — khepa ālī Puṇḍalikā — the port Dvārakā flows; the khepa (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 — the nāmāvaḷī (Name-rosary) has appeared; the dubaḷī (weak) who take, are forever-āgaḷī (special). Māpa āpulēni hātē — kōṇī nāhī nivāritē — measure by your own hand — no one nivāritē (prevents); paisa karūnī chittī — ghyāve hitē āpuliyā — making paisa (room, space) in the chitta, take your hita (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; the dubaḷī (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
- The canonical bhakti-as-free-market-self-administered invitation
- The take-freely-don't-reserve total-taking model
- The Puṇḍalika-Dvārakā-Paṇḍharī foundation-myth recognition
- The weak-who-take-become-forever-special — weakness as advantage when one takes
- The warning: the offer is open, but YOUR-taking is required