Abhanga 2857
Sakaḷa Devāñce daivata — the daivata (deity, lord) of all Devā (gods); ubhē ase rangā āṇta — stands inside the ranga (color-place, kīrtana-arena).
The verse
सकळ देवांचें दैवत । उभें असे रंगा आंत ॥१॥
रंगा लुटा माझे बाप । शुद्ध भाव खरें माप ॥ध्रु.॥
रंग लुटिला बहुतीं । शुक नारदादि संतीं ॥२॥
तुका लुटितां हे रंग । साह्य जाला पांडुरंग ॥३॥
Literal translation
Sakaḷa Devāñce daivata — the daivata (deity, lord) of all Devā (gods); ubhē ase rangā āṇta — stands inside the ranga (color-place, kīrtana-arena). Rangā luṭā mājhe bāpa — loot the ranga — my bāpa (father, dear-sir); śuddha-bhāva khare māpa — śuddha-bhāva (pure feeling) is the true māpa (measure, scale). Ranga luṭilā bahutīm — the ranga has been looted by bahutīm (many); Śuka Nārada-ādi santīm — by Śuka, Nārada, and other sants. Tukā says: luṭitām he ranga — (in) looting this ranga; sāhya jālā Pāṇḍuranga — Pāṇḍuranga has-become (my) sāhya (helper).
What it means
A short ranga-loot kīrtana-image verse. The image is striking and unique: the kīrtana is a ranga (color-place, arena, treasury), and the bhaktas are looters carrying-off the bhakti-treasure.
Sakaḷa Devāñce daivata — ubhē ase rangā āṇta — the daivata of all gods stands inside the ranga. The setup: Pāṇḍuranga (whose-very-name has ranga in it!) — the lord-of-all-gods — stands-inside the ranga (kīrtana-arena).
Rangā luṭā mājhe bāpa — śuddha-bhāva khare māpa — loot the ranga, my father — śuddha-bhāva is the true māpa (measure). The radical-invitation: bhakta, loot-the-treasure! And the māpa (measure of-what-you-can-carry-off): śuddha-bhāva (pure-feeling). The bhakta can carry-off as much as his bhāva-quantity permits.
Ranga luṭilā bahutīm — Śuka Nārada-ādi santīm — the ranga has been looted by many — by Śuka, Nārada, and other sants. The precedent: Śuka (Vyāsa's-son, Bhāgavata-reciter) and Nārada (the divine-musician) have looted-this-ranga. (The implication: they-took-the-bhakti-treasure away; the bhakta can too.)
The close: Tukā luṭitām he ranga — sāhya jālā Pāṇḍuranga — Tukā: by looting this ranga — Pāṇḍuranga has become (my) sāhya (helper). The paradox-final: not-only-does-Pāṇḍuranga not-prevent-the-looting, he becomes-the-bhakta's-helper-in-it. The Lord-aids-the-bhakta-in-looting-the-Lord's-own-treasure.
(Compare 2745's Paṇḍharī-hāṭa — bhakti-market-near-by — similar dāna-economic-image. Both texts use commercial/looting imagery for bhakti-acquisition.)
For someone today
A canonical ranga-loot in kīrtana image. The daivata of all gods stands inside the ranga (kīrtana-arena). Loot the ranga, my father — śuddha-bhāva is the true māpa (measure). The ranga has been looted by many — by Śuka, Nārada, and other sants. By looting this ranga — Pāṇḍuranga has become (my) helper. The image: the kīrtana is a treasure-arena; the bhakta is invited-to-loot; the measure-of-what-one-can-carry-off is one's-bhāva-quantity; even Pāṇḍuranga becomes-the-bhakta's-accomplice. The bhakti-as-loot image is striking — it removes-the-anxiety of deserving-or-not-deserving: just-come-and-loot; bring your-bhāva as the carrying-measure.
Where this applies
- The canonical ranga-loot in kīrtana image
- Recognizing śuddha-bhāva is the true māpa for kīrtana-loot
- The Pāṇḍuranga-himself-becomes-sāhya-to-the-looter claim
- Pairs with 2745's Paṇḍharī-hāṭa bhakti-market