Aamhi Daivache Daivache — Sant Sena Nhavi Abhanga
A barber-saint's abhanga: Sena, servant of Vithoba, uses the mirror and scissors of his trade to speak of self-knowledge and shedding ego.
Verses
We are truly fortunate, blessed by supreme destiny; for we are solely the humble servants of Lord Vithoba.
Verse 1
Holding the mirror of self-awareness in our hand, we show each soul the true divine reflection of its inner face.
Verse 2
Our scissors perform their sacred duty: they swiftly snip away the excessive growth of pride, vanity, and ego.
Verse 3
Sena says: Though we are humble barbers by vocation, with ecstatic love we ever worship the holy lotus feet of Lord Vitthal.
Verse 4
Worship Guidelines & Chanting Benefits (Phalashruti)
Daily or auspicious lunar days (Ekadashi, Purnima, Pradosham)
Brahma Muhurta (4:00 AM – 6:00 AM) or Evening Dusk (Sandhya)
Ghee lamp (Deepa), Incense (Dhoopa), Fresh flowers & Water offering
- Peace of mind, spiritual upliftment, and harmonious energy in the home
Background
Sant Sena Nhavi (c. 1300–1350) was a barber-saint of the Warkari tradition. Tradition tells that while he was absorbed in morning worship of Vitthal, a summons came from the king; Vitthal himself took Sena's form and served the king, who saw the four-armed divine form reflected in the mirror. This episode is itself recounted in verse within the Sena Nhavi section of Nana Maharaj Sakhare's printed Shri Sant Gatha (abhangas 108–109), and the wider hagiographic tradition around it is preserved in Mahipati's 18th-century Marathi Bhaktavijaya (available in English as 'Stories of Indian Saints,' tr. Justin E. Abbott & N. R. Godbole). A hymn by Bhagat Sain, 'Dhoop dip ghrit', stands at Ang 695 of the Guru Granth Sahib, and many accounts identify Bhagat Sain with Sena the barber, though the identification is not settled. Note on this abhanga's provenance: while 'Aamhi Daivache Daivache' is widely sung and attributed to Sena Nhavi in popular Varkari tradition, a direct search of the complete Sena Nhavi section (abhangas 1 onward) of Sakhare's Shri Sant Gatha (archive.org/details/shree-sant-gatha) did not locate this specific text; its appearance in that printed edition could not be confirmed, so it should be treated as a traditionally/orally attributed composition rather than one verified against this particular printed Gatha.
About this Text
Composed by: Sant Sena Nhavi
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Did You Know?
Bhagat Sain in the Guru Granth Sahib
The hymn 'Dhoop dip ghrit' (Ang 695) is by Bhagat Sain, whom many accounts identify with Sant Sena Nhavi; the identification is traditional rather than proven.
Metaphors of the Craft
In this abhanga Sena turns the tools of the barber into spiritual images: the mirror that shows the true face of the self and the scissors that cut away the growth of pride.
Lord as Servant
The story of Vitthal taking Sena's form to serve the king is told across Maharashtra as a sign that God becomes the servant of his devotees; it is recorded in verse in the Sena Nhavi section of Sakhare's Shri Sant Gatha (abhangas 108–109) and in the hagiographic tradition of Mahipati's Bhaktavijaya.
Vitthal
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