Abhanga 3625
God's defining nature is to give to the world, and once you have truly seen that in him, he comes running for his devotee without hesitation.
The verse
ब्रीद याचें जगदानी । तो चि मनीं स्मरावा ॥१॥
सम पाय कर कटी । उभा तटीं भींवरेच्या ॥ध्रु.॥
पाहिलिया वेध लावी । बैसे जीवीं जडोनि ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे भक्तिकाजा । धांवें लाजा लवलाहें ॥३॥
Literal translation
His-brīda-jagad-dānī — remember-in-mana. Sama-pāya-kara-kaṭī — standing-on-bank-of-Bhīmā. Once-seen-lavishes-vēdha — sits-fixed-in-jīva. Tukā: for-bhakti-kāja — runs-quickly-abandoning-lāja.
What it means
A 3-verse canonical Pandharpur-Viṭhṭhal-pose text. His brīda is jagad-dānī — remember him; standing with feet-together hands-on-waist on the bank of the Bhīmā (Chandrabhāgā); once seen, he lavishes vēdha and sits-fixed in the jīva; for the bhakta's work, he runs quickly, abandoning even shame. The sama-pāya kara-kaṭī ubhā taṭī Bhīmvarēchē is the canonical Pandharpur-Viṭhṭhal-icon description.
For someone today
Tukaram describes Vitthal by his most well known trait: he is the giver to the whole world, and that is the quality worth holding in your mind. He pictures him standing on the bank of the Bhima river, feet together, hands on his waist, in the pose every pilgrim to Pandharpur knows by heart. Once you have truly seen him this way, that image pierces you and settles permanently inside your soul. And when a devotee needs him, Tukaram says, he comes running immediately, without a shred of hesitation or self-regard.
मराठी: तुकाराम विठ्ठलाचे वर्णन त्याच्या सर्वात प्रसिद्ध गुणावरून करतात: तो साऱ्या जगाला देणारा आहे, हाच गुण मनात धरण्यासारखा आहे. ते त्याला भीमा नदीच्या काठावर उभे असलेले, पाय एकत्र आणि हात कमरेवर, त्या प्रसिद्ध पंढरपुरी रूपात पाहतात, जे प्रत्येक वारकऱ्याला मनापासून माहीत आहे. एकदा हे रूप खरोखर बघितले की ते मनात कायमचे रुतून बसते. आणि भक्ताला गरज पडली की विठ्ठल त्याच्याकडे कोणताही संकोच न बाळगता, लगेच धावत येतो, असे तुकाराम सांगतात.
Where this applies
- When you want to hold onto one steady image of the divine that anchors your mind
- When you are picturing Vitthal standing at Pandharpur during vari and want to remember why that pose matters
- When you have truly seen or experienced something sacred and it has settled permanently in you
- When you need reassurance that help will come quickly to someone who genuinely calls out for it