Abhanga 2779
Āmhī asōm niścintīnē — we are niścintīnē (at-ease, in worry-free state); ekyā guṇē tumchiyā — by your one quality.
The verse
आम्ही असों निश्चिंतीनें । एक्या गुणें तुमचिया ॥१॥
दुराचारी तरले नामें । घेतां प्रेम म्हणोनि ॥ध्रु.॥
नाहीं तुम्हां धांव घेता । कृपावंता आळस ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे विसरूं कांहीं । तुज वो आईं विठ्ठले ॥३॥
Literal translation
Āmhī asōm niścintīnē — we are niścintīnē (at-ease, in worry-free state); ekyā guṇē tumchiyā — by your one quality. Durāchārī taralē nāmē — the durāchārī (wicked-conduct ones) crossed (taralē) by the Name; ghētām prēma mhaṇōnī — taking it with prēma. Nāhī tumhām dhāmva ghētā — krpāvantā āḷasa — there is no āḷasa (laziness) in your coming, krpāvanta (compassionate-one). Tukā says: visarūm kāmhī — tuja vō āīm Viṭhṭhalē — let me forget anything — but not you, vō āīm Viṭhṭhalē (O mother Viṭṭhalē).
What it means
A short gentle relaxed-confidence prayer. Āmhī asōm niścintīnē — ekyā guṇē tumchiyā — we are at-ease — by your one quality. The ekyā guṇē — by ONE quality of yours — is striking: not many qualities, only ONE. The bhakta's niścintī (worry-freeness) depends on a single-quality of the Lord.
The dhrūpada names the one quality: durāchārī taralē nāmē — ghētām prēma mhaṇōnī — the wicked-conduct ones crossed by the Name — taking it with prema. The one quality is the Name's-power-to-redeem-the-wicked-when-prema-is-present. (Compare 2787's bhakti-redemption-list — Ajāmīḷa, Bhillī, etc.)
The second verse: nāhī tumhām dhāmva ghētā — krpāvantā āḷasa — there is no laziness in your coming, compassionate-one. The Lord runs-promptly when called; no āḷasa (laziness).
The close: visarūm kāmhī — tuja vō āīm Viṭhṭhalē — let me forget anything — but not you, mother Viṭṭhalē. The petition is asymmetric: I can forget anything-else — only let-me-not-forget you. The mother-address vō āīm Viṭhṭhalē is the affectionate-Vārkarī addressing of Viṭṭhal-as-mother.
For someone today
A gentle relaxed-confidence prayer. We are at-ease by your one quality. The wicked-conduct ones crossed by the Name — taking it with prema. There is no laziness in your coming, compassionate-one. Let me forget anything — but not you, mother Viṭṭhalē. The ekyā guṇē niścintī (at-ease-by-one-quality) frame is useful: I don't need to depend on many properties; one is enough. And the closing-asymmetry — let me forget anything but not you — is a beautiful petition-pattern.
Where this applies
- A gentle relaxed-confidence prayer
- Ekyā guṇē niścintī (at-ease by one quality)
- The durāchārī-crossed-by-Name-with-prema historical-proof
- Let-me-forget-anything-but-not-you asymmetric-petition