Awachita Parimalu: Through the eyes of Dnyaaneshwar

 

Awachita Parimalu

अवचिता परिमळू झुळुकला अळुमाळू

Earlier today I wrote a post about my intimate experience of the fragrance that unexpectedly entered through the window while I was showering. At the time of this very sublime moment I did not reminisce about one of the most beautiful piece of poetry by Sant Dnyaaneshwar. Even afterwards, as I wrote the post describing my experience, I didn’t remember it. Much later as my mind was still dwelling on the whole thing the lyrics of Dnyaaneshwar’s poem arose in my mind. These are highly relevant to the topic and hence I thought I should discuss them. This poem had the extra fortune to be rendered for our auditory pleasure in the divine voice of Lata Mangeshkar and complimented by the equally sublime music by Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar.

अवचिता परिमळू झुळुकला अळुमाळू

As mentioned earlier this is a poem composed in Marathi by Dnyaaneshwar, popularly referred to as Mauli( mother) by the warkari community. It describes his experience when he was still a seeker or sadhak ( साधक), before reaching the state of full spiritual enlightenment. The fleeting glimpse of divinity in that stage is beautifully illustrated by him in this narrative. Often in his poetry Dnyaaneshwar puts himself in the character of a woman. This poem is a perfect example of this.

अवचिता परिमळू झुळुकला अळुमाळू
मी म्हणु गोपाळू आला गे माये

Awachita = Suddenly, or unexpectedly 

Parimalu = fragrance 

Zulukala= flowed in, appeared

Alumalu = fleetingly, momentarily 

Mi mhanu = I say

Gopalu = Gopala, the divine Godhead, Krishna, Panduranga

Aala ge maaye = is here, O mother. Or,is here, by means of his Maya

The narrating woman in this scene is telling us how she suddenly was taken by the familiar fragrance which floated in her presence fleetingly, one moment she could perceive it, the next moment it would disappear. She immediately recognized from the fragrance that Gopala( Krishna) is in the vicinity. And in her excitement voiced this to her mother telling her Krishna is here. 

आला गे माये Can also be interpreted as Krishna has manifested through his Maya in the form of this fragrance.

चांचरती चांचरती बाहेरी निघाले
ठकचि मी ठेलें काय करू

Knowing who this fragrance belongs to I was drawn to go look outside the house, although my mind, filled with anxiety about seeing him, made my feet somewhat unstable. 

ठकचि मी ठेलें

I felt mistaken( deceived) by my imagination because for a moment there was no one there. 

(Here an important point to take notice of is that when she looked “outside” the home, she couldn’t find him. )

तो सावळा सुंदरू कांसे पीतांबरू
लावण्य मनोहरू देखियेला

And just when I thought it was only my fantasy, I got a glimpse of Krishna/ Panduranga/ Vitthala in his pleasing form wearing a yellow dhoti ( peetambar) and his dark complexion radiating immense beauty. This was an internal experience. With eyes closed she could see him in his divine form.

This is the moment when she knew without doubt that the fragrance was indeed from Vitthala/ Gopala.

बोधुनी ठेलें मन तव जालें आन
सोकोनी घेतले प्राण माझे गे माये
His darshan, coming face to face with him, left her spellbound (बोधुनी ठेलें मन), drawing her mind into him, indeed sucking her breath into him.

बाप रखुमादेवीवरू विठ्ठल सुखाचा
तेणें काया मने वाचा वेधियेलें

She saw Vitthala, the husband of Rukmini, as a father, a source of ultimate bliss who drew her into himself in her entirety with her body, mind and speech.

This is the culmination of meditation where the jeeva merges into the pure consciousness. With repetitive practice the image of the divine being, though initially fleeting, becomes steadied within. 

अवचिता परिमळू झुळुकला अळुमाळू

The inspiration or reminder about the presence of God may come unexpectedly from any source like some fragrance of a flower or sight of a rising or settling sun or a rainbow in the sky or even a delicious meal or a gesture of kindness from a stranger. To use it for strengthening our resolve to become one with the divinity is a sign of wisdom.