Abhanga 3793
The verse
अंधळें तें सांगे सांगितल्या खुणा । अनुभव देखणा प्रगट त्या ॥१॥
नांदणुक सांगे वडिलाचें बळ । कैसा तो दुर्बळ सुख पावे ॥२॥
तुका म्हणे नांदों आपल्या प्रतापें । तयासी लोकांपें स्तुती सांगों ॥३॥
Literal translation
Blind-tells-told-marks — but-anubhava-dekhaṇā-makes-(real-seer)-prakaṭa. Dependent-tells-elder's-strength — how-can-weakling-find-sukha? Tukā: let-one-live-by-own-pratāpa — to-such-we-tell-stutī.
What it means
A 3-verse anti-derivative-knowledge text. The blind one repeats only the marks that were told to him — but the one who sees by experience, to him (the reality) is manifest. The dependent boasts of his elder's strength — how can such a weakling find true sukha? Tukā says: let one live by his own might — to such a one alone we tell the stutī before people. Striking demand for direct anubhava over hearsay-knowledge — Tukā refuses to praise the merely-derivative. Compare 2949 (maithuna-analogy: experience-cannot-be-conveyed-by-word).
For someone today
Tukārām: the-blind-recites-told-marks — only-one-who-sees-by-anubhava-is-real; live-by-your-own-might-not-borrowed.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's anubhava-vs-hearsay; nāndō-by-own-pratāpa canonical
- Pair with 2949 (maithuna-analogy-anubhava-vs-śābdika)