Abhanga 2719
From the wish-tree, the desired fruit; the misfortunate-weak attains by bhāva. Blessed those kinds — those who have stored Nārāyaṇa in chitta. To the seed, water for sprouting — quality-types belong to whose. Tukā: the connoisseur knows the diamond — the donkey carries sandalwood on its back.
The verse
कल्पतरूअंगीं इच्छिलें तें फळ । अभागी दुर्बळ भावें सिद्धी ॥१॥
धन्य त्या जाती धन्य त्या जाती । नारायण चित्ती सांठविला ॥ध्रु.॥
बीजाऐसा द्यावा उदकें अंकुर । गुणाचे प्रकार ज्याचे तया ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे कळे पारखिया हिरा । ओझें पाठी खरा चंदनाचें ॥३॥
Literal translation
From the kalpa-taru (wish-tree), the desired fruit (comes); the abhāgī durbaḷa (misfortunate-weak) attains siddhi (success) by bhāva. Blessed are those jātī (kinds, lineages) — Nārāyaṇa has been sāṭhavilā (stored) in chitta. To the seed (bījā) like-this, water (udakē) should be given for the ankura (sprout); the guṇa-prakāra (quality-types) belong to whose-they-are. Tukā says: the pārakhiyā (connoisseur, gold-tester) knows the diamond — the kharā (donkey) on its back carries sandalwood.
What it means
A multi-image affirmation verse. Kalpa-taru angīm icchilē tē phaḷa — abhāgī durbaḷa bhāvē siddhi — from the wish-tree, the desired fruit; the misfortunate-and-weak attains success by bhāva. The kalpa-taru (mythical wish-tree that grants whatever is asked) is the bhakti-resource; even the abhāgī-durbaḷa (misfortunate-and-weak) attains siddhi (success) — the qualifier is bhāvē (by bhāva), not by personal-resources.
The dhrūpada celebrates: dhanya tyā jātī dhanya tyā jātī — Nārāyaṇa chittīm sāṭhavilā — blessed are those kinds, blessed are those kinds — they have stored Nārāyaṇa in the chitta. The doubled dhanya tyā jātī (blessed those kinds) is emphatic. Jātī (kinds, lineages) here is qualified by Nārāyaṇa-in-chitta — those who have stored Nārāyaṇa internally — not by birth-caste.
The second verse: bījāñca ankura dyāve udakē — guṇāñce prakāra jyāñce tyā — to the seed, give water for the sprout — the quality-types belong to whose they are. Each bīja (seed) has its own guṇa-prakāra (quality-type); the water (the universal-gift) brings out what is in each seed. The Lord's grace is universal; each receiver expresses it according to what is in him.
The close offers two contrasting images: pārakhiyā kaḷē hīrā — ōjhē pāṭhī kharā chandanāñce — the connoisseur knows the diamond; the donkey carries sandalwood on its back. The pārakhiyā (gold-tester, jeweler-connoisseur) recognizes the diamond by its quality; the kharā (donkey) carries the sandalwood-load without knowing its value. The two-mode contrast: recognition-by-quality vs transportation-without-knowing. The verse implicitly recommends the former position.
For someone today
The verse offers a multi-image affirmation: the wish-tree gives desired fruit to even the misfortunate-weak through bhāva; blessed are those who have stored Nārāyaṇa in chitta; each seed gets water but expresses according to its own quality; the connoisseur knows the diamond while the donkey just carries sandalwood. The implication: bhāva trumps fortune, Nārāyaṇa-stored-in-chitta is the qualifying-lineage, and one should aspire to be the connoisseur, not the donkey-carrier. The kharā-chandanāñce (donkey-with-sandalwood) image is sharp: don't just carry-the-tradition without recognizing-its-value.
Where this applies
- The blessed-are-those-who-store-Nārāyaṇa-in-chitta recognition
- Bhāva trumps fortune — the misfortunate-weak can succeed
- Each seed expresses according to its own quality — the universal-water is the same, but receivers vary
- The connoisseur-vs-donkey discrimination — be the one who knows the value