Abhanga 2779
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 frame — being at ease because of just one quality — 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.
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 areniścintīnē(at-ease, in worry-free state); ekyā guṇē tumchiyā — by youronequality. Durāchārī taralē nāmē — thedurāchārī(wicked-conduct ones) crossed (taralē) by the Name; ghētām prēma mhaṇōnī — taking it withprēma. Nāhī tumhām dhāmva ghētā — krpāvantā āḷasa — there is noāḷasa(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 frame — being at ease because of just one quality — 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.
मराठी: एक हळुवार, निवांत विश्वासाची प्रार्थना. आम्ही तुझ्या एका गुणामुळे निश्चिंत आहोत. दुराचारी लोकसुद्धा नामाने तरले — प्रेमाने ते नाम घेतल्यामुळे. तुझ्या धावून येण्यात आळस नाही, कृपावंता. मला वाटेल ते विसरू दे — पण तुला नको, आई विठ्ठले. 'एक्या गुणे निश्चिंती' ही कल्पना उपयुक्त आहे — म्हणजे अनेक गुणांवर अवलंबून राहण्याची गरज नाही; एकच पुरेसा आहे. आणि शेवटचा विरोधाभास — मला वाटेल ते विसरू दे, पण तुला नाही — ही एक सुंदर मागणीची पद्धत आहे.
Where this applies
- When you feel anxious about whether you have done enough to deserve grace or forgiveness
- When you doubt that someone with a troubled past could really be redeemed by sincere devotion
- When you are waiting for help and wondering whether it will come slowly or reluctantly
- When you are making a wish list and realize the only thing you truly cannot afford to lose is your connection to what matters most