Abhanga 2784
God is the support you lean on when you cannot find your own way, the champion of everyone stuck or suffering in life, whose grace has no limit.
The verse
आडलिया जना होसी सहाकारी । अंधळियाकरीं काठी तूं चि ॥१॥
आडिले गांजिले पीडिले संसारीं । त्यांचा तूं कैवारी नारायणा ॥ध्रु.॥
प्रल्हाद महासंकटीं रक्षिला । तुम्ही अपंगिला नानापरी ॥२॥
आपुलें चि अंग तुम्ही वोडविलें । त्याचें निवारलें महा दुःख ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे तुझे कृपे पार नाहीं । माझे विठाबाईं जननीये ॥४॥
Literal translation
Āḍaliyā janā hōsī sahā-kārī — (you) are thesahā-kārī(helper) of theāḍalele(stuck) people; andhaḷiyā-karī kāṭhī tūm chi — in theandhaḷā(blind one)'s hand — you yourself are thekāṭhī(stick). Āḍile gāñjile pīḍile samsārīm — the stuck, tormented, pained in samsāra; tyāñca tūm kaivārī Nārāyaṇā — you are theirkaivārī(champion), Nārāyaṇa. Prahlāda mahā-sankaṭīm rakṣilā — Prahlāda was protected in great-calamity; tumhī apangile nānā-parī — youapangile(took-care-of, sheltered) (him) in many ways. Āpule chi anga tumhī voḍavile — you offered (voḍavile = brought-forth, put-out) your ownanga(body); tyāñca nivāralē mahā-duḥkha — (his)mahā-duḥkha(great-pain) was averted. Tukā says: tujhe krpe pāra nāhī — there is nopāra(end, far-shore) to yourkrpā; mājhe Viṭhābāī jananīye — myViṭhābāī jananī(Viṭhā-bāī mother).
What it means
A tender helper-prayer verse. Āḍaliyā janā hōsī sahā-kārī — andhaḷiyā-karī kāṭhī tūm chi — (you) are the helper of the stuck people — in the blind one's hand, you yourself are the stick. Two-fold image: helper of the stuck (āḍalele) and stick in the blind one's hand. The stick-image is precise: the blind one needs a kāṭhī (cane) to walk; the Lord IS that kāṭhī.
The dhrūpada extends the champion-claim: āḍile gāñjile pīḍile samsārīm — tyāñca tūm kaivārī Nārāyaṇā — the stuck, tormented, pained-in-samsāra — you are their kaivārī (champion), Nārāyaṇa. Kaivārī — champion, defender, advocate — the Lord takes-up-the-cause of the suffering-in-samsāra.
The second verse names the Prahlāda-precedent: Prahlāda mahā-sankaṭīm rakṣilā — tumhī apangile nānā-parī — Prahlāda was protected in great-calamity — you sheltered him in many ways. The classic-bhakti-precedent: Prahlāda the child-bhakta who was tortured by his father Hiraṇyakaśipu and protected by Viṣṇu in nānā-parī (many ways). The historical-proof of the kaivārī-function.
The third verse: āpule chi anga tumhī voḍavile — tyāñca nivāralē mahā-duḥkha — you offered your own body — (his) great-pain was averted. The Lord put-his-own-body forward; the bhakta's pain was averted. This is the foundational-claim of bhakti-as-substitutionary-protection.
The close: tujhe krpe pāra nāhī — mājhe Viṭhābāī jananīye — there is no end to your krpā — my Viṭhābāī jananī (mother). Viṭhābāī — the affectionate-feminine-form of Viṭhṭhal-as-mother. Jananī (mother) — direct-address.
For someone today
A useful tender helper-prayer. You are the helper of the stuck — the stick in the blind one's hand. You are the champion of the tormented-in-samsāra. Prahlāda was protected in great-calamity. You offered your own body — his pain was averted. Your krpā has no end — my Viṭhābāī mother. The I am blind, you are the stick image is precise. The Prahlāda-precedent gives historical-proof. The claim that you offered your own body is bhakti's foundational-substitution. And the Viṭhābāī-jananī close is the affectionate-feminine-naming.
मराठी: एक हळुवार साहाय्यकर्त्याची प्रार्थना. अडलेल्यांचा तू मदतनीस आहेस — आंधळ्याच्या हातातली काठी तूच आहेस. संसारात पिचलेल्यांचा तू कैवारी आहेस. प्रल्हादाचं महासंकटात रक्षण केलंस. तू स्वतःचं शरीर पुढे केलंस — त्याचं महादुःख दूर झालं. तुझ्या कृपेला अंत नाही — माझी विठाबाई माते. 'मी आंधळा, तू काठी' ही प्रतिमा नेमकी आहे. प्रल्हादाचा दाखला ऐतिहासिक पुरावा देतो. 'तू स्वतःचं शरीर अर्पण केलंस' हा दावा भक्तीच्या मूलभूत प्रतिनिधित्वाचा पाया आहे. आणि 'विठाबाई जननी' हे संबोधन मायेच्या स्त्री-रूपातलं आहे.
Where this applies
- When you feel completely stuck and cannot see a way forward on your own
- When you are suffering for standing by your beliefs and need reassurance that protection is possible
- When you feel worn down and tormented by the ordinary pressures of family and daily life
- When you want to address God with the simple tenderness of a child calling out to a mother