Prayer, look past my merits and faults
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आपुल्या महिमानें । धातु परिसें केलें सोनें ॥1॥
तैसें न मनीं माझे आतां । गुणदोष पंढरिनाथा ॥ध्रु.॥
गांवाखालील वाहाळ । गंगा न मनी अमंगळ ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे माती । केली कस्तुरीनें सरती ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
By its own glory, the philosopher's stone transforms base metal into gold. Likewise, O Lord of Pandhari, do not look at my merits and flaws. The Ganga does not consider the village drain impure. Says Tuka, even common clay, when mixed with musk, passes for precious.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
By its own power the philosopher's stone turned base metal into gold. In the same way, Lord of Pandhari, do not weigh my virtues and faults now. The Ganga does not count the drain below the village as unclean. Tuka says: even plain dirt, once mixed with musk, is taken as something worth having.
What it means
Tukaram asks Vitthal not to judge him by his own good and bad qualities, because his hope rests entirely on God's transforming power, not on his own worth. Three images carry the plea: the stone that makes base metal gold without asking what the metal deserves, the Ganga that does not refuse the dirty village runoff, and common dirt that becomes precious once it touches musk. In each, the lowly thing is lifted by contact with something greater, not by anything in itself. The prayer is an appeal to grace over merit; he does not claim to be worthy, he claims that God's nearness is what makes anything worthy.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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