Abhanga 2753
A useful tender-celebration verse for the moments when the Lord teaches the words and a fresh marvel results. (He) taught the words — made a fresh marvel. My father Viṭhṭhal pleased me. In hand, the love-toy-meal — gave to us, well. Tukā cries out — watches Rakhumāī's husband. The prēma-bhātukēm image is precious: the Lord doesn't only feed the bhakta — he plays-the-bhātukēm (toy-meal) with him, in the child-mode. This is among Tukārām's most tender bhakti-images, suitable for moments of overflowing-affection.
The verse
शिकवूनि बोल । केलें कवतुक नवल ॥१॥
आपणियां रंजविलें । बापें माझिया विठ्ठलें ॥ध्रु.॥
हातीं प्रेमाचें भातुकें । आम्हां देऊनियां निकें ॥२॥
तुका करी टाहो । पाहे रखुमाईंचा नाहो ॥३॥
Literal translation
Śikavūnī bōla — teaching the bōla (words); kelē kavataka navala — (you) made a kavataka navala (fresh marvel, novel-wonder). Āpaṇiyām ranjavilē — (he) pleased me; bāpē mājhiyā Viṭhṭhalē — my father Viṭhṭhal. Hātīm prēmāñce bhātukēm — in the hand, prēma-bhātukēm (love-toy-meal, child's play-meal of love); āmhām dē'ūniyām nikē — giving (it) to us, nikē (well). Tukā karī ṭāhō — Tukā cries out (ṭāhō); pāhē Rakhumāīñcā nāhō — watches Rakhumāī's husband.
What it means
A tender-celebration verse. Śikavūnī bōla — kelē kavataka navala — teaching the words — (you) made a fresh marvel. The Lord teaches-the-bhakta-his-words; the result is a kavataka navala — a wonder-marvel. The teaching produces the marvel.
The dhrūpada: āpaṇiyām ranjavilē — bāpē mājhiyā Viṭhṭhalē — (he) pleased me — my father Viṭhṭhal. Bāpē mājhiyā Viṭhṭhalē — my father Viṭhṭhal — the affectionate-paternal-naming.
The second verse names the specific-gift: hātīm prēmāñce bhātukēm — āmhām dē'ūniyām nikē — in the hand, the prēma-bhātukēm (love-toy-meal) — given to us, well. Bhātukēm is the small-toy-meal that children play with — the miniature-rice-and-curry games of imaginary-feeding. Prēma-bhātukēm — the love-toy-meal. The Lord plays the bhātukēm game with the bhakta — feeding him in the playful-affectionate mode. The image is exceptionally tender.
The close: Tukā karī ṭāhō — pāhē Rakhumāīñcā nāhō — Tukā cries out — watches Rakhumāī's husband. Ṭāhō — the loud-call, the wail — Tukā cries-out-with-joy. Rakhumāīñcā nāhō — Rakhumāī's husband — the affectionate-Vārkarī name for Viṭhṭhal.
For someone today
A useful tender-celebration verse for the moments when the Lord teaches the words and a fresh marvel results. (He) taught the words — made a fresh marvel. My father Viṭhṭhal pleased me. In hand, the love-toy-meal — gave to us, well. Tukā cries out — watches Rakhumāī's husband. The prēma-bhātukēm image is precious: the Lord doesn't only feed the bhakta — he plays-the-bhātukēm (toy-meal) with him, in the child-mode. This is among Tukārām's most tender bhakti-images, suitable for moments of overflowing-affection.
Where this applies
- Tender-celebration prayer of the Lord's affection
- Recognizing the Lord-teaches-words, fresh-marvel-results pattern
- The prēma-bhātukēm (love-toy-meal) image of childlike-divine-play
- Ṭāhō (wail/cry-out) as the response to receiving the bhātukēm