Abhanga 4284
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
Tukārām: not-everyone-can-receive-the-precious-thing — the-musk-deer-doesn't-know-its-own-fragrance, the-blind-can't-see-the-pearl.
Where this applies
- ★★ Tukārām's THE adhikārī-discrimination 4-image — pearl-in-blind-hand canonical