The Abhang – Anandace Dohi
This beautiful Abhang by the 17th-century Marathi saint-poet Sant Tukaram Maharaj describes the state of spiritual ecstasy and the non-dual experience of bliss.
Verse 1
आनंदाचे डोही आनंदतरंग ।
आनंदचि अंग आनंदाचे ॥१॥
Ānandāce dohī ānandataraṅga |
Ānandaci aṅga ānandāce ||1||
Meaning: Tukaram describes a vast oceanlike lake of bliss in which waves of joy alone arise, as if everything around —both the gross and subtle — is made of that ultimate Divinity. It conveys a state where existence itself becomes pure bliss.
Word to Word Meaning
- आनंदाचे (Ānandāce): Of bliss / of joy
- डोही (Dohī): In the lake / in the deep pool
- आनंदतरंग (Ānandataraṅga): Waves of bliss
- आनंदचि (Ānandaci): Bliss itself / only bliss
- अंग (Aṅga): Body / limb / form
- आनंदाचे (Ānandāce): Of bliss
Verse 2
काय सांगो जालें कांहींचियाबाही ।
पुढें चाली नाहीं आवडीनें ॥२॥
Kāya sāṅgo jāleṃ kāṃhīciyābāhī |
Puḍheṃ cālī nāhīṃ āvaḍīneṃ ||2||
Meaning: The experience is so profound that it cannot be described in words. Something inexplicable and extraordinary has happened. The experience is so overpowering that neither the body nor the mind can move forward (function as usual); it becomes still in deep contentment and joyous wonder.
Word to Word Meaning
- काय (Kāya): What
- सांगो (Sāṅgo): Should [I] say / tell
- जालें (Jāleṃ): Has happened / became
- कांहींचियाबाही (Kāṃhīciyābāhī): Beyond description / inexplicable / something extraordinary
- पुढें (Puḍheṃ): Ahead / forward
- चाली (Cālī): Movement / walk / gait
- नाहीं (Nāhī): Not / no more
- आवडीनें (Āvaḍīneṃ): With great love / out of intense liking
Verse 3
गर्भाचे आवडी मातेचा डोहळा ।
तेथींचा जिव्हाळा तेथें बिंबे ॥३॥
Garbhāce āvaḍī mātecā ḍohaḷā |
Tethīṃcā jivhāḷā tetheṃ biṃbe ||3||
Meaning: Just as a pregnant mother’s external cravings are said to reflect the desires of the unborn child in the womb, a saint’s immeasurable inner joy (of realizing the ultimate union with the Divine) is getting so naturally manifested in his bliss.
Word to Word Meaning
- गर्भाचे (Garbhāce): Of the foetus / of the child in the womb
- आवडी (Āvaḍī): Desire / liking / love
- मातेचा (Mātecā): Of the mother
- डोहळा (Ḍohaḷā): Pregnancy craving / longing
- तेथींचा (Tethīṃcā): Of that place / from there
- जिव्हाळा (Jivhāḷā): Affection / deep love / soul-connection
- तेथें (Tetheṃ): There
- बिंबे (Biṃbe): Reflects / manifests
Verse 4
तुका म्हणे तैसा ओतलासे ठसा ।
अनुभव सरिसा मुखा आला ॥४॥
Tukā mhaṇe taisā otalāse ṭhasā |
Anubhava sarisā mukhā ālā ||4||
Meaning: Further, Tukaram says that just as casting of clay inside a mould creates the outer expression effortlessly reflecting the mould as is (without any further craftmanship), my divine inner experience similarly flows, naturally without any effort, through my lips in the form of these words.
Word to Word Meaning
- तुका (Tukā): Tukaram (the poet)
- म्हणे (Mhaṇe): Says
- तैसा (Taisā): In that way / likewise
- ओतलासे (Otalāse): Has been cast / poured into a mould
- ठसा (Ṭhasā): Impression / stamp / seal
- अनुभव (Anubhava): Experience
- सरिसा (Sarisā): Along with / directly/ naturally
- मुखा (Mukhā): To the mouth / in speech
- आला (Ālā): Has come
Sant Tukaram’s abhang beautifully portrays the state of divine bliss experienced through devotion and inner realization. Through simple yet profound imagery, it reminds seekers that true joy arises from union with the Divine and naturally expresses itself through Bhakti.
– Translation by Vaishali Koparkar and Prasad Koparkar.
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