Abhanga 3791
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
Tukārām: the-limited-eye-sees-Kāmadhēnu-as-ordinary-cow — that's-why-the-gem-stays-far.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's jāti-svabhāva-covers-eyes-Kāmadhēnu-mis-recognized canonical
- Adhikāra-distance-and-mis-recognition diagnosis