Sundaratha Dhyaney

Abhang in Marati - sung by a man living in remote Sivaganga in Tamilnadu... can you imagine this happening when there was no television, mobile phone with whasapp and facebook??

I have heard my grandfather singing this Marati Abhang during the Saturday Bhajan session in our house in my childhood days.

How did he learn this Abhang? How strong was the Warkari tradition those days? Where did the Warkaris roam around spreading their sweet songs?

How did people across States learn Shlokas in Sanskrit and songs in different languages - Telugu, Marati, Sanskrit?

As a child, when I listened to this song sung by my grandfather, I did not even know that the lyrics are in Marati language. The song must have gone into my subconscious mind though I never learnt this song or sung it any time, though we learnt many Bhajans from my uncle and grandfather.

Once I started living in Thane, when I heard this song sung by a lady in our colony during Vinayak Chathurthi celebration, I was overwhelmed with emotion and to the utter surprise of that poor lady, literally hugged her and told her to sing it again. She was too happy for the recognition she got for her singing and sang that song every day during those 10 days celebration. Even now after 29 years of living in Thane, this song makes me remember my grandfather first and this lady next and then only Vittal, the Vittewari...

Listen to this beautiful song in the voice of Pundit Sanjeev Abhyankar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um2GM_Huszw


The song goes like this:

Lyrics in Marati : 

sunder te dhyan ubhe vitewari
kar katawari thehuniya 

Beautiful, it is, the object of my meditation / standing on a brick, hands placed on waist.

tulasi har gala kanse pitamber

aawde nirantar techi roop

A garland of "tulasi" leaves adorns his neck / yellow silken cloth, wrapped around his waist. I adore this image, unceasingly

makr kundale talapti shrwani
kanti koustubhmani virajati

Crocodile shaped earrings, shine brilliantly by his ears / a pearl called "Kaustubha" regally adorns the necklace.

tuka mahne maze hechi sarv sukha 
pahin shrimukh aawadine

Tuka says, this is my, only happiness / i will visualize ,the face of this image, with enthusiasm.

Thanks to blog of Drshashi from Kolhapur for the lyrics and meaning. Please read his full blog for the deep meaning in this beautiful Abhang:

http://tukazalasekalas.blogspot.in/2010/12/sundar-te-dhyan-beautiful-it-is-object.html

Carnatic Music Queen M S Subbulakshmi amma is singing this Abhang in her inimitable style:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUY3qDJxOl0

This is Aaashadi month when warkaris walk to Pandarpur carrying their beloved Vittal in palanquins.
Listen and visualise Vittala through this Abhang.

So, my Saturday starts with "dhyana" of Vittal through my grandfather and Tukaram Maharaj!