Abhanga 3791
A narrow, limited nature can blind a person to the real value of what is right in front of them, so each person's actions simply reflect the limits of their own understanding.
The verse
रत्नाच्या वोवणी कांचे ऐशा घरी । आव्हेरुनी दुरी अधिकारें ॥१॥
जातिस्वभाव आला डोळ्यां आड । तया घडे नाड न कळतां ॥ध्रु.॥
कामधेनु देखे जैशा गाईंम्हैसी । आणिकांतें ऐसी करोनियां ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे काय बोलोनियां फार । जयाचा वेव्हार तया साजे ॥३॥
Literal translation
Stringing-ratna-on-kāncha-house — refused-from-afar-by-adhikāra. Jāti-svabhāva-covers-eyes — causes-nāḍa-without-knowing. Kāmadhēnu-seen-as-cow-mhaisī — treats-others-similarly. Tukā: no-more-to-say — each's-vyavhāra-suits-him.
What it means
A 3-verse mis-recognition diagnosis. To string a gem in a glass-house — refused from a distance for lack of qualification. Born-nature (limited disposition) covers the eyes — without knowing, one is ruined. He sees the wish-fulfilling-cow as an ordinary cow-or-buffalo, treats others the same. What's the use of saying more — each acts according to his ways. The image sees-Kāmadhēnu-as-ordinary-cow captures the tragedy of mis-recognition: the rare gift is right there, but the limited eye cannot register its value.
For someone today
Tukaram says stringing a precious gem in a house made of glass is a mismatch, something rightly kept at a distance by anyone who understands its true value. He points out that our own limited nature can come between our eyes and reality, quietly ruining us without our even realizing it. Someone with that kind of narrow vision looks at the wish-fulfilling cow, capable of granting anything, and sees nothing more than an ordinary cow or buffalo, then treats other rare gifts the same dismissive way. Tukaram concludes there is little use arguing further, since each person's actions simply reflect the limits of their own understanding.
मराठी: तुकाराम म्हणतात की काचेच्या घरात रत्न बसवणे हे विसंगत आहे, आणि खऱ्या मोलाची जाण असणारी व्यक्ती त्याला योग्य अंतरावरच ठेवते. ते सांगतात की आपला स्वतःचा मर्यादित स्वभावच आपल्या डोळ्यांआड सत्य लपवतो, आणि नकळत आपला नाश करतो. अशा संकुचित दृष्टीचा माणूस कामधेनूकडे, म्हणजे सर्व इच्छा पूर्ण करणाऱ्या गाईकडे, पाहूनही तिला साधी गाय किंवा म्हैस समजतो आणि इतर दुर्मिळ देणग्यांनाही तशाच तुच्छतेने वागवतो. तुकाराम शेवटी म्हणतात की यावर अधिक बोलण्यात अर्थ नाही, कारण प्रत्येकाची कृती त्याच्या स्वतःच्या समजुतीच्या मर्यादांचेच प्रतिबिंब असते.
Where this applies
- When someone fails to recognize the real value of a rare opportunity or person right in front of them
- When your own limited perspective quietly blinds you to something precious without you realizing it
- When you notice someone treats an extraordinary gift as if it were something completely ordinary
- When arguing further with someone feels pointless because their actions simply reflect the limits of their understanding