Abhanga 4293
The verse
पाण्या निघाली गुजरी । मन ठेविलें दो घागरीं । चाले मोकऑया पदरीं । परी लक्ष तेथें ॥१॥
वावडी उडाली अंबरीं । हातीं धरोनियां दोरी । दिसे दुरिच्या दुरी । परी लक्ष तेथें ॥ध्रु.॥
चोर चोरी करी । ठेवी वनांतरीं । वर्ततसे चराचरीं । परी लक्ष तेथें ॥२॥
व्यभिचारिणी नारी । घराश्रम करी । परपुरुष जिव्हारीं । परी लक्ष तेथें ॥३॥
तुका म्हणे असों भलतिये व्यापारीं । लक्ष सर्वेश्वरीं । चुकों नेदी ॥४॥
Literal translation
Water-girl-mind-on-2-pots — walks-loose-pallu — but-lakṣa-there. Kite-flies-sky — hand-on-cord — distant — but-lakṣa-there. Thief-stealing-keeps-in-vana — among-people — but-lakṣa-there. Adulteress-runs-household — para-puruṣa-in-heart — but-lakṣa-there. Tukā: be-in-any-vyāpāra — keep-lakṣa-at-Sarvēśvara.
What it means
★★ THE canonical 5-verse 4-image lakṣa-while-doing-other-vyāpāra text. A water-drawing girl — her mind on the two pots she carries — walks with her pallu loose, but her attention is on the pots. The kite flies in the sky — her hand holds the cord — far and far away — but her attention is on it. A thief commits theft, keeps loot in the forest, walks among moving-and-still beings — but his attention is on the loot. An adulteress runs the household — but the other-man is in her heart — her attention is on him. Tukā says: be in any business — but do not let your attention at the All-Lord miss. The 4 images of split-attention: (1) water-girl-2-pots (everyday domestic-task with full-attention on the load); (2) kite-cord (distant-object held by thin-thread of attention); (3) thief-loot (illicit-attention with-public-performance); (4) adulteress (illicit-attention while-fulfilling-duty). All four show outer-action-can-continue-while-attention-is-elsewhere. The bhakti-application: keep-lakṣa-at-Sarvēśvara in-any-vyāpāra. Pair with 4259 (4-image dual-svabhāva-contrast).
For someone today
Tukārām: as-the-water-girl-keeps-lakṣa-on-her-pots-the-kite-flyer-on-the-cord-the-thief-on-his-loot-the-adulteress-on-her-lover — be-in-any-business-but-keep-attention-at-the-Lord.
Where this applies
- ★★ Tukārām's THE 4-image lakṣa-elsewhere-while-doing-vyāpāra canonical