Abhanga 3827
God stands always watching and waiting for his devotees, arms perpetually raised in welcome, like a father who never stops looking for his child.
The verse
बाप माझा दिनानाथ । वाट भक्तांची पाहात ॥१॥
कर ठेवुनियां करीं । उभा चंद्रभागे तिरीं ॥ध्रु.॥
गळां वैजयंतीमाळा। रूपें डोळस सांवळा ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे भेटावया । सदा उभारिल्या बाह्या ॥३॥
Literal translation
Father-mine-dīnanātha — watches-bhakta's-path. Kara-on-karīm (hips) — standing-on-Chandrabhāgā-tira. Vaijayantī-māḷā-on-neck — ḍōḷasa-sāmvaḷā-rūpa. Tukā: for-bhēṭa — bāhyā-always-raised.
What it means
THE canonical 3-verse Viṭṭhal-tableau text — daily-recited at Paṇḍharpur darśana. My father is the Lord-of-the-destitute — watching the path of his bhaktas. Hands placed on hips, he stands on the Chandrabhāgā bank. The Vaijayantī-garland on his neck, his form has doe-like eyes and is dark-complexioned. For the meeting, his arms are always raised. Every detail is canonical Vārkarī iconography — the kara-kaṭi-vari (hands-on-hips) is the signature Viṭṭhal-mūrti posture on the brick at Paṇḍharpur; the Chandrabhāgā-tira is the river-of-the-pilgrimage; the Vaijayantī-māḷā is Viṣṇu's victory-garland; the ḍōḷasa-sāmvaḷā (doe-eyed-and-dark) is the standard Viṭṭhal-darśana-description; and the bāhyā-ubhāriliyā (arms-raised-for-meeting) is the bhakta-welcoming-gesture. Pair with 2811 (bhēṭīlāgīm-jīvā-lāgalīse-āsa — yearning to meet this very form).
For someone today
Tukaram paints a tender picture of Vitthal standing on the bank of the Chandrabhaga river, hands on hips, dark and doe eyed, a garland around his neck, watching the road for his devotees. His arms are always raised, ready to embrace whoever comes. The image says that God is not distant or hard to reach, he is actively waiting and watching for you, arms open, like a father who never stops looking for his child.
मराठी: तुकाराम विठ्ठलाचे एक हळुवार चित्र उभे करतात, चंद्रभागेच्या तीरावर कर कटीवर ठेवून उभा, सावळा आणि डोळस, गळ्यात माळ घातलेला, भक्तांची वाट पाहणारा. त्याचे बाहू नेहमी उंचावलेले असतात, जो कोणी येईल त्याला मिठी मारायला तयार. या प्रतिमेतून हेच कळते की देव दूर किंवा अवघड नाही, तो सतत वाट पाहत असतो, बाहू पसरून, जसा एखादा बाप आपल्या मुलाची वाट कधीच सोडत नाही.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's THE canonical iconic Viṭṭhal-tableau text
- kara-kaṭi-vari (hands-on-hips) standard Viṭṭhal-iconography
- Pair with 2811 (bhēṭīlāgī yearning to meet this form)