Prayer, the God who runs to his own
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
कनवाळू कृपाळू भक्तांलागीं मोही । गजेंद्राचा धांवा तुवां केला विठाई ॥1॥
पांडुरंगे ये वो पांडुरंगे । जीवाचे जिवलगे ये वो पांडुरंगे ॥ध्रु.॥
भक्तांच्या कैवारें कष्टलीस विठ्ठले । आंबॠषीकारणें जन्म दाहा घेतले ॥2॥
प्रल्हादाकारणें स्तंभीं अवतार केला । विदारूनि दैत्य प्रेमपान्हा पाजिला ॥3॥
उपमन्याकारणें कैसी धांवसी लवलाहीं । पाजी प्रेमपान्हा क्षीरसागराठायीं ॥4॥
कौरवीं पांचाळी सभेमाजी आणिली । वस्त्रहरणीं वस्त्रें कैसी जाली माउली ॥5॥
दुर्वास पातला धर्मा छळावया वनीं । धांवसी लवलाहीं शाखादेठ घेऊनि ॥6॥
कृपाळू माउली भुक्तिमुक्तिभांडार । करीं माझा अंगीकार तुका ह्मणे विठ्ठले ॥7॥
कवणा पाषाणासी धरूनि भाव । कवणावरी पाव ठेवूं आतां ।
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Compassionate and merciful, loving toward devotees: You rushed to save the elephant Gajendra, O Vitthal. Come, O Panduranga, come; O dear life of my life, come, O Panduranga. For the sake of Your devotees You endured hardship, O Vitthal; for Ambarisha You took ten incarnations. For Prahlada You burst forth from the pillar and, tearing apart the demon, nursed him with the milk of love. For Upamanya You ran without delay and fed him the milk of the cosmic ocean. When the Kauravas dragged Draupadi into the assembly to strip her, You became her mother and supplied endless cloth. When Durvasa came to torment Dharma in the forest, You rushed with a single leaf-stalk in hand. O compassionate mother, treasury of worldly and spiritual gifts, Says Tuka, accept me, O Vitthal.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Compassionate, merciful, drawn with love to your devotees: you rushed to save the elephant Gajendra, Vithai. Come, Panduranga, come; dear life of my life, come, Panduranga. For your devotees' sake you have suffered hardship, Vitthal; for Ambarisha you took ten births. For Prahlada you burst out of the pillar and, tearing the demon apart, fed the child the milk of love. For Upamanya how swiftly you ran, giving him the milk of the ocean of milk. When the Kauravas dragged Draupadi into the hall to strip her, you became her mother and gave cloth without end. When Durvasa came to torment Dharma in the forest, you ran at once with a single leaf-stalk in hand. Compassionate mother, treasury of worldly and spiritual gifts, Tuka says: accept me, Vitthal.
What it means
Tukaram calls on Vitthal by recalling every time God came running for those who loved him. He stacks the rescues one on another: Gajendra the elephant, Ambarisha for whom God took ten births, Prahlada saved when God split the pillar and destroyed the demon, Upamanya fed from the ocean of milk, Draupadi clothed without end when the Kauravas tried to strip her, and Dharma spared from Durvasa's curse by a single leaf-stalk. The point of the list is the plea that follows it. If God has run for all of these, then the same compassionate mother, the treasury of both worldly and spiritual gifts, can run for Tukaram too, and he asks simply to be accepted.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
More in this theme →