Abhanga 3033
Chanting God's name with joy and rhythm, from start to finish, burns away obstacles and should be spoken aloud for others to hear.
The verse
विठ्ठल विठ्ठल येणें छंदें । ब्रम्हानंदें गर्जावें ॥१॥
वाये टाळ टाळ्याटाळी । होइल होळी विघ्नांची ॥ध्रु.॥
विठ्ठल आद्ये अवसानीं । विठ्ठल मनीं स्मरावा ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे विठ्ठलवाणी । वदा कानीं आईंका ॥३॥
Literal translation
Viṭhṭhala Viṭhṭhala yeṇe chamdē — Viṭhṭhala-Viṭhṭhala — with thischanda(longing-mood); brahmānamdē garjāve — roar withbrahmānanda. Vāye tāḷa tāḷyā-tāḷī — playtāḷaandtāḷī; hōila hōḷī vighnāñcī — let there be ahōḷī(bonfire) ofvighnas. Viṭhṭhala ādye avasānīm — Viṭhṭhala atādyeandavasāna; Viṭhṭhala manīm smarāvā — Viṭhṭhala remembered in themana. Tukā mhaṇe Viṭhṭhala-vāṇī — Tukā says: Viṭhṭhala-vāṇī (Viṭhṭhal-speech); vadā kānīm āīmkā — speak (it) — hear (it) in ears.
What it means
A canonical 3-verse kīrtana-opening-call by Tukārām.
The call: (1) Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal chant with this chanda; (2) roar-with-brahmānanda; (3) play-tāḷa-clap-tāḷī; (4) (let) there be a hōḷī of vighnas; (5) Viṭṭhal at-start-and-end; (6) Viṭṭhal-in-mind; (7) speak-Viṭṭhal-vāṇī, hear-with-ears.
This is one of the canonical Vārkarī kīrtana-opening-calls — used to-begin-a-kīrtana-session in-Vārkarī-tradition. Compare-Tukārām's-own 2864 (clap-hands-kīrtana).
The image hōḷī of-vighnas is striking — the festival of-bonfire-burning-old-things applied-to-the-burning-of-obstacles by-Name-chanting.
For someone today
Tukārām's canonical kīrtana-opening-call. Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal — with this longing-mood — roar with brahmānanda. Play tāḷa and clap tāḷī — let there be a bonfire of obstacles. Viṭṭhala at the beginning and end; Viṭṭhala remembered in the mind. Speak the Viṭṭhal-vāṇī — hear (it) in (your) ears. The verse permits the canonical Vārkarī kīrtana-opening-call.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's canonical kīrtana-opening Viṭṭhal-Viṭṭhal-chant
- Hōḷī-of-vighnas — bonfire-of-obstacles image
- Companion to 2864 (clap-hands-kīrtana)
- Used to-begin Vārkarī kīrtana-sessions