Abhanga 2830
Viṭambilē bhaṭa — the bhaṭa (priest, perhaps the fake-priestess-disguise) was viṭambita (disrespected, mocked); dilā pāṭhīvarī pāṭa — a pāṭa (plank, board) was placed on (his) back.
The verse
विटंबिलें भट । दिला पाठीवरी पाट ॥१॥
खोटें जाणोनि अंतर । न साहे चि विश्वंभर ॥ध्रु.॥
तें चि करी दान । जैसें आइके वचन ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे देवें । पूतना शोषियेली जीवें ॥३॥
॥५॥
Literal translation
Viṭambilē bhaṭa — the bhaṭa (priest, perhaps the fake-priestess-disguise) was viṭambita (disrespected, mocked); dilā pāṭhīvarī pāṭa — a pāṭa (plank, board) was placed on (his) back. Khōṭē jāṇōnī antara — knowing (the heart's) antara (inside, motive) false; na sāhe chi Viśvambhara — Viśvambhara cannot-bear (it). Tē chi karī dāna — that very (false-intent), (the Lord) gives back as dāna; jaiśe āike vachana — as he hears the word (false-intent). Tukā says: Devē — Pūtanā śōṣiyelī jīve — by Deva — Pūtanā was śōṣiyelī jīve (drained-of-life).
What it means
The 5th and closing-stanza of the 5-abhang Krṣṇa-janma-līlā cluster (2826-2830). The colophon ॥५॥ at the end confirms the 5-abhang cluster. The narrative-content shifts to Pūtanā-vadha — the first-demon-victory of infant-Krṣṇa (Bhāgavata 10.6).
The canonical Pūtanā story: Kamsa, hearing of Krṣṇa's birth, sends the demoness Pūtanā disguised as a beautiful young-woman, with poisoned-breast-milk, to-kill-the-infant. She arrives at Nanda-Yaśodā's house under-pretense-of-being-a-wet-nurse and offers her breast to baby-Krṣṇa. Krṣṇa suckles her life-out instead — Pūtanā śōṣiyelī jīve — Pūtanā was drained-of-life. The reciprocity-reversal is the bhakti-theme.
Viṭambilē bhaṭa — dilā pāṭhīvarī pāṭa — the bhaṭa was disrespected — a plank was placed on (his) back. The bhaṭa (literally a priest) is here a fake-pretender — likely Pūtanā disguised. Pāṭhīvarī pāṭa — a plank-on-the-back — perhaps a humiliation-image, or perhaps the posture of suckling (sitting-with-plank-on-back). The image is cryptic; in the context of the Pūtanā-narrative it points to the disguise being-exposed.
Khōṭē jāṇōnī antara — na sāhe chi Viśvambhara — knowing the heart's false inside — Viśvambhara doesn't-bear. The bhakti-claim: the Lord knows the false-inner-intent; he-does-not-tolerate (na-sāhe) it.
Tē chi karī dāna — jaiśe āike vachana — that very (false-intent), (he) gives back as dāna — as he hears the word. The reciprocity-claim: the Lord gives back exactly what was offered. Pūtanā offered poisoned-breast-milk; she received life-being-drained in return. The same-currency-back.
Tukā mhaṇe Devē — Pūtanā śōṣiyelī jīve — Tukā: by Deva — Pūtanā was drained-of-life. The narrative-close: Pūtanā-vadha by infant-Krṣṇa.
The closing ॥५॥ confirms that 2826-2830 is a 5-abhang Krṣṇa-janma-and-first-līlā cluster.
For someone today
The canonical Pūtanā-vadha narrative + cluster-close. The bhaṭa (fake-pretender) was disrespected — a plank placed on (his) back. Knowing the false inside — Viśvambhara cannot-bear. He gives back as dāna — as he hears the word. By Deva — Pūtanā was drained-of-life. The verse warns: the Lord knows the inner-false-intent; what-you-offer (true or false) is what-you-receive-back. Pūtanā offered death-disguised-as-feeding; she received life-drained. The bhakti-reciprocity-principle: false-bhāva yields false-fruit. (Compare 2819's as-bhāva-so-Deva-yields; same principle, here in mythological-form.)
Where this applies
- The canonical Pūtanā-vadha narrative reference (Bhāgavata 10.6)
- The Janmāṣṭamī cluster close (2826-2830 ॥५॥)
- The fake-good-intent-given-back-as-dāna karmic-reciprocity image
- The Lord knows false-inner-intent; doesn't-bear-it warning