Abhanga 3829
Pundalika's total devotion to serving his parents was so powerful that God himself stood waiting for ages, showing that wholehearted duty can be the strongest form of devotion.
The verse
कां रे पुंड्या मातलासी । उभें केलें विठ्ठलासी ॥१॥
ऐसा कैसा रे तूं धीट । मागें भिरकाविली वीट ॥ध्रु.॥
युगें जालीं अठ्ठावीस । अजुनी न म्हणसी बैस ॥२॥
भाव देखोनि निकट । देवें सोडिलें वैकुंठ ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे पुंडलिका । तूं चि बळिया एक निका ॥४॥
Literal translation
Hey-Puṇḍyā — why-mātalāsi — made-Viṭṭhal-stand. How-bold — threw-brick-back. 28-yugas — still-don't-say-bēsa. Seeing-bhāva-close — Deva-left-Vaikuṇṭha. Tukā: Puṇḍalika — you-alone-strong-nikā.
What it means
A canonical 4-verse playful-praise of Puṇḍalika. Hey Puṇḍyā — why have you become so proud? You've made Viṭṭhal stand! How bold you are — you threw a brick backward (at the Lord)! Twenty-eight yugas have passed — and you still don't say sit. Seeing your bhāva close, Deva left Vaikuṇṭha (for you). Puṇḍalika — you alone are the truly strong one. This is the canonical retelling of the Puṇḍalika-legend: Puṇḍalika was so engrossed in serving his parents that when Viṭṭhal arrived, he threw a brick backward saying stand on this and wait — and the Lord did stand, and has been standing on the brick at Paṇḍharpur ever since (twenty-eight yugas). The line ajunī na mhaṇasī baisa (you-still-don't-say-sit) is gentle teasing affection for Puṇḍalika as the bhakta-who-out-bhakta'd-the-Lord. Pair with 2896 (Puṇḍalīka-served-parents-Lord-stood-on-brick), 3738 (Vaikuṇṭha-chakravartī-on-brick).
For someone today
Tukaram teases Pundalika with real affection, saying look how bold you are, you made Vitthal stand and wait, throwing a brick back at him without even inviting him to sit. Twenty eight ages have passed and Vitthal is still standing, because Pundalika was so devoted to caring for his parents that God left heaven just to be near that devotion. The verse celebrates that pure, single minded devotion, even when it seems to make the divine wait, is itself the strongest and most admirable thing a person can offer.
मराठी: तुकाराम पुंडलिकाची प्रेमाने चेष्टा करतात, म्हणतात बघ किती धीट आहेस, विठ्ठलाला तू उभे राहायला लावलेस, त्याला बसायलाही न सांगता मागे वीट फेकलीस. अठ्ठावीस युगे उलटली तरी विठ्ठल अजून उभाच आहे, कारण पुंडलिकाची आईवडिलांची सेवा इतकी मनापासून होती की देवाने त्यासाठी वैकुंठ सोडले. हा अभंग सांगतो की शुद्ध, एकनिष्ठ भक्ती, जरी त्यामुळे देवाला वाट पाहावी लागली तरी, ती माणसाकडून देता येणारी सर्वात बलवान आणि आदरणीय गोष्ट आहे.
Where this applies
- When you are so absorbed in caring for a parent or loved one that everything else waits
- When someone's single minded devotion to duty surprises and moves the people around them
- When you wonder whether ordinary daily service can be as powerful as grand religious acts
- When you want to honor devotion that puts responsibility to family before personal convenience