Abhanga 3884
The verse
पावलों पंढरी वैकुंठभवन । धन्य आजि दिन सोनियाचा ॥१॥
पावलों पंढरी आनंदगजरें । वाजतील तुरें शंख भेरी ॥ध्रु.॥
पावलों पंढरी क्षेमआलिंगनीं । संत या सज्जनीं निवविलें ॥२॥
पावलों पंढरी पार नाहीं सुखा । भेटला हा सखा मायबाप ॥३॥
पावलों पंढरी येरझार खुंटली । माउली वोळली प्रेमपान्हा ॥४॥
पावलों पंढरी आपुलें माहेर । नाहीं संवसार तुका म्हणे ॥५॥
Literal translation
Pāvalōm-Paṇḍharī-Vaikuṇṭha-bhuvana — dhanya-this-day-sōnīyāchā. Pāvalōm-Paṇḍharī-ānanda-gajaraṇa — tura-śankha-bhērī. Pāvalōm-Paṇḍharī-kṣēma-ālingana — santa-sajjana-soothed. Pāvalōm-Paṇḍharī-no-pār-sukha — met-sakhā-māyabāpa. Pāvalōm-Paṇḍharī-yērajhāra-khuṇṭalī — māulī-poured-prema-pānhā. Pāvalōm-Paṇḍharī-my-māhēra — no-samvasāra-Tukā.
What it means
★★ THE canonical 6-refrain Pāvalōm-Paṇḍharī pilgrim-arrival song — sung at Pandhari-vārī by Vārkarī-pilgrims on Ekādaśī-darśana. Each verse begins I have reached Paṇḍharī and extends a different facet: (1) Paṇḍharī is Vaikuṇṭha — blessed golden-day; (2) reached in the roar-of-bliss — conches and drums sound; (3) reached in the welfare-embrace — santas-and-sajjanas have soothed me; (4) reached, no-limit-to-this-sukha — met the friend, the mother-father; (5) reached — the coming-and-going has stopped — the mother poured the love-milk; (6) reached my own natal-home — there is no samsāra. The Paṇḍharī-as-māhēra (natal-home of married-daughter) image is one of the most-loved Vārkarī tropes — the pilgrim is the daughter coming home to her mother (Viṭhṭhal-as-māulī). Compare 2811 (bhēṭīlāgī-yearning), 3740 (Vaikuṇṭha-sukha-came-to-Paṇḍharī), 3804 (Āṣāḍhī-Kārtikī-twice-yearly-vārī).
For someone today
Tukārām: I-have-reached-Paṇḍharī — Vaikuṇṭha-here, no-samsāra-here, my-māhēra-here, the-mother-poured-love-milk.
Where this applies
- ★★ Tukārām's THE canonical Pāvalōm-Paṇḍharī pilgrim-arrival song — Ekādaśī-darśana
- Pair with 2811 (yearning), 3740 (Vaikuṇṭha-came-to-Paṇḍharī), 3804 (twice-yearly-vārī)
- māhēra (natal-home of married-daughter) image — central Vārkarī trope