संत साहित्य
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संत साहित्य · Tukārām · Abhanga 2976 of 4582

Abhanga 2976

Pāhātām rūpa ḍōḷām bhare — looking at (the) rūpa (form), (the) eye is filled; antara nure vegaḷe — no difference (= no separateness) remains inside; icchā-vaśe khēḷa māṇḍī — by the icchā (will), (he) plays the khēḷa (game); avaghe sāṇḍī bāherī — leaves everything outside.

The Nanda-nandana fills-eye; lāghava-for-the-khōḷē; making-Tukā-screen Krṣṇa-stuti
Recognizing making-Tukā-screen — Lord-shows-himself-to-people
Once-met-doesn't-turn-back image

The verse

पाहातां रूप डोळां भरें । अंतर नुरे वेगळें । इच्छावशें खेळ मांडी । अवघें सांडी बाहेरी ॥१॥ तो हा नंदानंदन बाइये । यासी काय परिचार वो ॥ध्रु.॥ दिसतो हा नव्हे तैसा । असे दिशाव्यापक । लाघव हा खोळेसाटीं । होतां भेटी परतेना ॥२॥ म्हणोनि उभी ठालीये । परतलीये या वाटा । आड करोनियां तुका । जो या लोकां दाखवितो ॥३॥

Literal translation

Pāhātām rūpa ḍōḷām bharelooking at (the) rūpa (form), (the) eye is filled; antara nure vegaḷeno difference (= no separateness) remains inside; icchā-vaśe khēḷa māṇḍīby the icchā (will), (he) plays the khēḷa (game); avaghe sāṇḍī bāherīleaves everything outside. Tō hā Nanda-nandana bāiyethis is Nanda-nandana (Nanda's-son, Krṣṇa), O bāye (girl-friend); yāsī kāya parichāra vōwhat formal-service (does he need)? Disatō hā navhe taisā(he) seems (one way), but is not so; ase diśā-vyāpakais diśā-vyāpaka (all-directions-pervading); lāghava hā khōḷe-sāṭīmthe lāghava (cleverness, trick) is for the khōḷē (cradle-cloth, swaddle); hōtām bhēṭī paratenāonce meeting (happens), (he) does not turn back. Mhaṇōnī ubhī ṭhāliyetherefore, (I) stood; paratalīye yā vāṭāturned-back from this path; āḍa karōnīyā Tukāmaking Tukā a screen; jō yā lōkām dākhavitō(the Lord) shows (himself) to (these) people.

What it means

A 3-verse striking Krṣṇa-stuti verse. The verse is spoken-as-a-female-bhakta — bāye (girl-friend) is the addressee — adopting the gopī-voice.

Verse 1: Pāhātām rūpa ḍōḷām bhare — antara nure vegaḷe — icchā-vaśe khēḷa māṇḍī — avaghe sāṇḍī bāherīlooking at the form, the eye is filled — no separateness remains inside — by icchā, he plays the game — leaves everything outside. The opening: Krṣṇa's-form fills-the-eye; inner-separateness is gone; his-game is by-his-own-will.

Dhrūpada: Tō hā Nanda-nandana bāiye — yāsī kāya parichāra vōthis is Nanda-nandana, O girl-friend — what formal-service does he need? The image: Krṣṇa-as-Nanda-nandana (the cowherd-boy) doesn't-need formal-ritualistic-service.

Verse 2: Disatō hā navhe taisā — ase diśā-vyāpaka — lāghava hā khōḷe-sāṭīm — hōtām bhēṭī paratenāseems one way, isn't so — is all-directions-pervading — the trick is for the cradle-cloth — once met, doesn't turn back. The paradox: the small-baby-Krṣṇa is all-directions-pervading; the lāghava (the small-form-trick) is for the khōḷē (cradle-cloth — the limited-bodily-form); once-the-meeting-happens, the Lord-doesn't-turn-back.

Close: Mhaṇōnī ubhī ṭhāliye — paratalīye yā vāṭā — āḍa karōnīyā Tukā — jō yā lōkām dākhavitōtherefore (I) stood — turned-back-from-this-path — making Tukā a screen — (the Lord) is shown to people. The closing-claim: Tukārām is a screen (āḍa) through-which-the-Lord-shows-himself to-people. (Pairs with 2940 sāḷunkī-myna — Tukārām-as-trained-vehicle.)

For someone today

A striking Krṣṇa-stuti. Looking at (the) form, (the) eye is filled — no difference (= separateness) remains inside. By (his) will, (he) plays the game — leaves everything outside. This is Nanda-nandana, O girl-friend — what formal-service (does he need)? Seems (one way), but is not so — is all-directions-pervading. The trick is for the cradle-cloth — once met, (he) does not turn back. Therefore, (I) stood — turned-back from this path — making Tukā a screen — (the Lord) shows (himself) to (these) people. Three operative-claims: (1) Krṣṇa's-form fills-the-eye and-removes-inner-separateness; (2) the small-form is for the cradle-cloth, but he is all-directions-pervading; (3) Tukārām is a screen through-which-the-Lord-is-shown.

Where this applies

Related verses