Abhanga 4284
Something precious only benefits someone capable of recognizing and receiving it, like a pearl wasted in a blind man's hand, so readiness and insight matter as much as the gift itself.
The verse
मृगाचिये अंगीं कस्तुरीचा वास । असे ज्याचा त्यास नसे ठाव ॥१॥
भाग्यवंत घेती वेचूनियां मोलें । भारवाही मेले वाहतां ओझें ॥ध्रु.॥
चंद्रामृतें तृप्तिपारणें चकोरा । भ्रमरासी चारा सुगंधाचा ॥२॥
अधिकारी येथें घेती हातवटी । परीक्षावंता दृष्टी रत्न जैसें ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे काय अंधळिया हातीं । दिले जैसें मोतीं वांयां जाय ॥४॥
Literal translation
Mrga-has-kasturi-vāsa — doesn't-know-its-own-place. Bhāgyavanta-traders-buy — bhāra-vāhī-die-carrying. Chandrāmrta-chakora-trpti-pāraṇa — sugandha-bhramara-chārā. Adhikārī-by-hāta-vaṭī — parīkṣāvanta-drṣṭi-on-ratna. Tukā: pearl-in-blind-hand — goes-in-vain.
What it means
THE canonical 4-verse adhikārī-discrimination text. The musk-deer has the fragrance of musk in its body — its own (carrier) has no knowledge of it. The fortunate-traders buy it, paying the price; the load-bearer dies carrying the burden. Moon-nectar is the fast-break of the chakora bird; the bumblebee's fare is fragrance. The adhikārī takes by hand-skill — like the gem-tester's eye on a gem. Tukā says: what (good) — a pearl in a blind man's hand goes in vain. The 4 rare-recipient images: (1) musk-deer-doesn't-know-own-fragrance (insider-blind-to-own-treasure); (2) chandrāmrta-chakora-pāraṇa (only-chakora-can-receive); (3) bhramara-fragrance-fare (only-fragrance-feeds-bumblebee); (4) parīkṣāvanta-gem-vision (only-tester-sees-gem). Closing: pearl-in-blind-hand-wasted. Pair with 4257 (5-image instructional-futility), 4197 (diamond-price-stable santas-mistreated).
For someone today
Tukaram gives four images of something precious being wasted on the wrong receiver: the musk-deer carries a rare fragrance in its own body but never notices it, while only merchants who understand its value will pay for it, even as porters wear themselves out hauling the load without appreciating what is inside. Only the chakora bird can truly feast on moonlight, and only the bee can be nourished by fragrance; in the same way, only a person with real skill or insight, like a gem expert examining a jewel, can recognize and receive something truly valuable. Tukaram closes bluntly: hand a pearl to a blind man and it is simply wasted, because value alone is not enough, you also need the capacity to perceive and receive it.
मराठी: तुकाराम चार प्रतिमांतून सांगतात की मौल्यवान वस्तू चुकीच्या हाती गेली तर वाया जाते: कस्तुरीमृगाच्या अंगातच सुगंध असतो, पण त्यालाच त्याची जाणीव नसते, तर त्याची किंमत ओळखणारे व्यापारीच ती विकत घेतात, आणि भार वाहणारा माणूस त्या ओझ्याखाली मरतो पण आतल्या गोष्टीची किंमत त्याला कळतच नाही. चंद्रामृत फक्त चकोर पक्ष्यालाच तृप्त करते, आणि भ्रमराचे अन्न फक्त सुगंधच असते; त्याचप्रमाणे खरी पारख असलेला अधिकारीच, जसा रत्नपारखी रत्न ओळखतो, तसे खरे मोल ओळखू आणि स्वीकारू शकतो. तुकाराम स्पष्टपणे म्हणतात — आंधळ्याच्या हातात मोती दिला तरी तो वायाच जातो, कारण नुसती किंमत असून उपयोग नाही, ती ओळखण्याची आणि स्वीकारण्याची क्षमताही हवी.
Where this applies
- When you offer wisdom, love, or a real opportunity to someone who can't or won't recognize its worth
- When you possess a gift or talent within yourself that you haven't yet noticed or valued
- When you feel frustrated that something precious to you goes unappreciated by people around you
- When you're trying to understand why the same teaching or truth reaches some people deeply while passing others by completely