Abhanga 2720
The ukaraḍā (dung-heap) has narakāḍī (hellish-pieces) on it from the very-start — by its anga (body, nature).
The verse
उकरडा आधीं अंगीं नरकाडी । जातीची ते जोडी ते चि चित्ती ॥१॥
कासयानें देखे अंधळा माणिकें । चवीविण फिके वांयां जाय ॥ध्रु.॥
काय जाणे विष पालटों उपचारें । मुखासी अंतर तों चि बरें ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे काय उपदेश वेड्या । संगें होतो रेड्यासवें कष्ट ॥३॥
Literal translation
The ukaraḍā (dung-heap) has narakāḍī (hellish-pieces) on it from the very-start — by its anga (body, nature). The jātīñcī jōḍī (kind's-joining) — that very thing is in the chitta. By what does the andhaḷā (blind-man) see the māṇika (ruby)? Without chavi (taste), fikē (faded), goes vāyā (wasted). Can poison change by upachāra (treatment)? — only if mukhāsī antara (mouth's-inside, i.e., the inner-state) is baravē (good). Tukā says: what upadeśa (teaching) for the vēḍyā (fool)? — keeping company is like company-with-the-rēḍyā (buffalo): hard work.
What it means
A sharp dismissive-diagnostic verse paired with 2702 (upadeśa to buddhi-hīna becomes poison even in amrta). Ukaraḍā ādhī angīm narakāḍī — jātīñcī tē jōḍī tē chi chittīm — the dung-heap has hell-pieces on it by its very nature — its kind's joining is in the chitta itself. The ukaraḍā (dung-heap) is narakāḍī (associated-with-hell-pieces) by its very-substance. And the jātīñcī jōḍī (kind's-joining, native-association) is in the chitta — not removable by external-treatment.
The dhrūpada offers two images: kāsayāne dekhē andhaḷā māṇikē — chavīvīṇa fikē vāyā jāya — by what does the blind-man see the ruby? Without taste, faded, goes wasted. The blind-man cannot see māṇika (ruby) no matter how-close it is held; the chavi-less (taste-less) reception leaves the offering fikē (faded) and vāyā (wasted).
The second verse: kāya jāṇē viṣa palaṭō upachārē — mukhāsī antara tōm chi baravē — can poison change by treatment? — only when the mouth's-inside is good. The internal-state of the receiver (mukhāsī antara) determines whether poison can be converted. External-treatment alone cannot do it.
The close: upadeśa veḍyā — sangē hōtō rēḍyāsavē kaṣṭa — teaching to the fool — company-with becomes like company-with-a-buffalo: hard work. Rēḍyā (buffalo) — a slow, heavy, stubborn animal. The bhakta-teacher's-company with the vēḍyā (fool) is kaṣṭa (hard-work) — the buffalo doesn't move, doesn't respond, just stays as it is.
The verse complements 2702 and pairs with 2698's bahumati-kharāhūnī-hīna — much-discussion is lower than donkey. The triad: refuse to teach (2702), refuse much-discussion (2698), recognize the kind's-joining is in the chitta and unchangeable by external treatment (2720).
For someone today
The verse is the third in a sharp series (2698, 2702, 2720) about refusing-futile-engagements with the unreceptive. The dung-heap has hell-pieces by its nature. The blind can't see the ruby. Without taste, the offering goes faded and wasted. Poison can't change by external-treatment. Teaching the fool is like keeping buffalo company — hard work. The triple-image: internal-state determines everything; external-treatment cannot reach what is wrong inside; refuse to commit your time to changing what cannot be changed externally. The verse is unsparing about the jātīñcī jōḍī chittīm (kind's-joining-in-chitta) being un-removable from outside.
Where this applies
- Refusing futile teaching-engagements with the vēḍyā (fool)
- Recognizing that kind's-joining is in the chitta — internal not external
- The buffalo-company-is-hard-work honest assessment
- Part of the dismissive-diagnostic triad (with 2698, 2702)