Vishnu

Anile Kumbh Bharaile Udak (Jatra Jau Tat Bithalu Bhaila)

Sant Namdevc. 1270–1350

आनीले कुँभ भराईले ऊदक ठाकुर कउ इसनानु करउ॥
बइआलीस लख जी जल महि होते बीठलु भैला काइ करउ॥१॥

जत्र जाउ तत बीठलु भैला॥
महा अनंद करे सद केला॥१॥ रहाउ॥

आनीले फूल परोईले माला ठाकुर की हउ पूज करउ॥
पहिले बासु लई है भवरह बीठल भैला काइ करउ॥२॥

आनीले दूधु रीधाईले खीरं ठाकुर कउ नैवेदु करउ॥
पहिले दूधु बिटारिओ बछरै बीठलु भैला काइ करउ॥३॥

ईभै बीठलु ऊभै बीठलु बीठल बिनु संसारु नही॥
थान थनंतरि नामा प्रणवै पूरि रहिओ तूँ सरब मही॥४॥२॥

Meaning

I brought a pitcher and filled it with water to bathe my Lord. But four million two hundred thousand creatures live in water, and Vitthal was already in them. What shall I do?

Wherever I go, Vitthal is there, playing in endless joy.

I brought flowers and strung a garland to worship my Lord. But the bumblebee had already taken the scent, and Vitthal was in it. What shall I do?

I brought milk and cooked kheer to offer my Lord as naivedya. But the calf had already tasted the milk, and Vitthal was in it. What shall I do?

Here is Vitthal, there is Vitthal; without Vitthal there is no world. Nama prays: in every place and space you fill everything.

About this bhajan

Namdev sets out to do an ordinary puja, bathing, flowers, kheer, and is stopped at every step by delight: the water is already full of living beings in whom Vitthal dwells, the bee has had the flowers first, the calf the milk. It is the Varkari love for Pandharpur’s Vithoba, kept in old Marathi forms (anile, bharaile, bhaila) inside the Guru Granth Sahib. The puja is not refused; it simply finds its Lord already everywhere.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Raag Asa, Bani Namdev ji, ang 485 (Devanagari transliteration via BaniDB; the original is in Gurmukhi)