Abhanga 2866
THE canonical realization-test verse. Those who say I-have-become (Deva-realized) — to me it feels astonishing. Listen — my words are firm-warning: for cooked food — teeth-and-hands are witnesses, but the tongue without tasting how can (it) know? On heated oil — a bud of fine sandal — in one moment cools (it). The tester knows the inner distinction — the foolish are addicted to outer-beauty. In the touchstone — one is separated-out as one is — pure, middling, low.
The verse
जालों म्हणती त्याचें मज वाटे आश्चर्य । ऐका नव्हे धीर वचन माझें ॥१॥
शिजलिया अन्ना ग्वाही दांत हात । जिव्हेसी चाखत न कळे कैसें ॥ध्रु.॥
तापलिया तेली बावन चंदन । बुंद एक क्षण शीतळ करी ॥२॥
पारखी तो जाणे अंतरींचा भेद । मूढजना छंद लावण्यांचा ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे कसीं निवडे आपण । शुद्ध मंद हीन जैसें तैसें ॥४॥
Literal translation
Jālōm mhaṇatī tyāñce maja vāṭe āścharya — those who say jālōm (I-have-become — Deva-realized) — to-me it-feels āścharya (astonishing); aikā navhe dhīra vachana mājhe — listen — my words are not dhīra (firm-restrained). Śijaliyā annā gvāhī dāmta hāta — for śijaliyā anna (cooked food) — teeth and hands are gvāhī (witnesses); jivhesī chākhata na kaḷe kaisē — but to the tongue, without tasting, how can (it) be known? Tāpaliyā telī bāvana chandana — on tāpaliyā tela (heated oil) — a bāvana chandana (sandal of fine-grade, bāvana = 52, a fine-sort); bunda eka kṣaṇa śītaḷa karī — a bunda (bud, drop) in one kṣaṇa (moment) — makes (it) śītaḷa (cool). Pārakhī tō jāṇe antarīñcā bheda — the pārakhī (tester, examiner, assayer) knows the inner bheda (distinction); mūḍha-janā chanda lāvaṇyāñcā — the mūḍha-jana (foolish folk) are addicted to lāvaṇya (mere-beauty, outer-attractiveness). Tukā says: kasī nivaḍe āpaṇa — in the kasī (touchstone), one is separated-out by one's-self; śuddha manda hīna jaise taise — śuddha (pure), manda (middling), hīna (low) — as one is*.
What it means
A canonical 4-verse realization-test verse. The verse uses practical-testing-images to demand-real-evidence-of-realization.
Verse 1 — astonishment at claims: Jālōm mhaṇatī tyāñce maja vāṭe āścharya — aikā navhe dhīra vachana mājhe — those who say "I have become (Deva)" — I'm astonished — listen — my words are not unsteady (i.e., this is firm-warning). The opening surprise + warning.
Verse 2 — cooked-food test: Śijaliyā annā gvāhī dāmta hāta — jivhesī chākhata na kaḷe kaisē — for cooked food — teeth-and-hands (touch-and-press) are witnesses — but to the tongue, without tasting, how can (it) be known? The image: you can test rice-with-hands-and-teeth to feel-the-softness; but-to-actually-know-the-taste, you-must-taste-it. The application: talking-about-realization is not realization; only-tasting-it gives knowing.
Verse 3 — hot-oil-sandal test: Tāpaliyā telī bāvana chandana — bunda eka kṣaṇa śītaḷa karī — on hot oil — a (fine-grade) sandal-drop — in one moment makes (it) cool. The image: if-you-put a-drop-of-fine-sandal-on-heated-oil, it-cools-the-oil instantly. The application: if-the-realization-is-genuine, even-one-moment-of-its-presence brings the cooling. The genuine-realization shows-itself-quickly.
Verse 4 — the pārakhī: Pārakhī tō jāṇe antarīñcā bheda — mūḍha-janā chanda lāvaṇyāñcā — the pārakhī (tester) knows the inner bheda — the foolish are addicted to mere-beauty. The pārakhī — the gold-tester, assayer. He knows-inner-truth. The mūḍha-jana are addicted to outer-lāvaṇya — taken-in-by-surface-appearance.
Close — touchstone: Tukā mhaṇe kasī nivaḍe āpaṇa — śuddha manda hīna jaise taise — Tukā: in the touchstone, one is separated-out by one's-self — pure, middling, low — as one is. The kasī (touchstone) — the standard-test for gold-purity. Nivaḍe āpaṇa — separates-out by-itself, on-its-own. The verse asserts: the touchstone shows-the-true-grade; you-can't-fake-it.
For someone today
THE canonical realization-test verse. Those who say I-have-become (Deva-realized) — to me it feels astonishing. Listen — my words are firm-warning: for cooked food — teeth-and-hands are witnesses, but the tongue without tasting how can (it) know? On heated oil — a bud of fine sandal — in one moment cools (it). The tester knows the inner distinction — the foolish are addicted to outer-beauty. In the touchstone — one is separated-out as one is — pure, middling, low.
Three operative-test-images: (1) cooked-food: testing-by-touch is not tasting; (2) hot-oil-sandal: genuine-realization shows-instantly; (3) touchstone: separates pure-mid-low automatically. The diagnostic: don't trust claims; test by results. The pārakhī-vs-mūḍha distinction: the trained-tester knows-inner-truth; the fool is addicted-to-outer-beauty. The verse extends 2832-2833's anti-self-styled-Deva-witness polemic: here is the test.
Where this applies
- THE canonical realization-test image-set
- Recognizing those-who-claim-I-have-become-Deva — Tukārām's-astonishment
- The touchstone-separates-pure-mid-low image — testing-genuine-realization
- The pārakhī-vs-mūḍha distinction — trained-tester vs. fool-addicted-to-beauty
- Pairs with 2832-2833 anti-self-styled-Deva polemic + 2835 Tukārām-self-poetics