Abhanga 4272
The verse
लोखंडाचे न पाहे दोष । शिवोन परीस सोनें करी ॥१॥
जैसी तैसी तरीं वाणी । मना आणी माउली ॥ध्रु.॥
लेकराचें स्नेहे गोड । करी कोड त्यागुणें ॥ ॥
मागें पुढें रिघे लोटी । साहे खेटी करी तें ॥३॥
तुका विनंती पांडुरंगा । ऐसें सांगा आहे हें ॥४॥
Literal translation
Pārisa-doesn't-see-iron-dōṣa — makes-it-gold. Jaisī-taisī-vāṇī — māuli-takes-it-to-mana. Lēkarā-snēha-sweet — koḍa-by-guṇa. Pushes-back-front-climbs — māuli-bears-khēṭī. Tukā-vinamtī-Pāṇḍurangā — tell-me-it-is-so.
What it means
A 4-verse mother + touchstone double-image text. The touchstone doesn't see iron's defect — touching, it makes it gold. Whatever the speech, the mother takes it into her mind. The child's affection is sweet — she plays charmingly by that quality. (Child) pushes from behind, from front, climbs over — she bears the cling-press. Tukā's request, Pāṇḍurangā — tell me, is it so? Two parallel images: (1) pārisa-touchstone-makes-iron-gold-without-noting-defect (alchemical transformation by mere touch); (2) mother-takes-child's-words-to-heart-regardless (māternal indulgence). Both modeled on Lord-bhakta relation.
For someone today
Tukārām: the-touchstone-makes-iron-into-gold-without-noting-iron's-defect; the-mother-takes-the-child's-words-into-her-heart-regardless — so-be-with-me.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's pārisa-touchstone + mother-māuli double-image canonical