Prayer, You lose nothing by saving me
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
परिस काय धातु । फेडितो निभ्रांतु लोहपांगु ॥1॥
काय तयाहूनि जालासी बापुडें । फेडितां सांकडें माझे एक ॥ध्रु.॥
कल्तपरु कोड पुरवितो रोकडा । चिंतामणि खडा चिंतिलें तें ॥2॥
चंदनांच्या वासें वसतां चंदन । होती काष्ठ आन वृक्षयाती ॥3॥
काय त्याचें उणें जालें त्यासी देतां । विचारीं अनंता तुका ह्मणे॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Does the philosopher's stone lose anything? It frees iron from its lowly nature without hesitation. Would You become any poorer, then, by removing this one small difficulty of mine? The wish-fulfilling tree grants desires on the spot; the wish-fulfilling gem yields whatever is thought of. By living near sandalwood, even ordinary wood becomes fragrant. Does the sandalwood lose anything by giving of itself? Says Tuka, consider this, O Ananta.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Does the philosopher's stone lose its substance? Without hesitation, it strips iron of its lowliness. Are You any poorer than that stone, then, if You remove this one trouble of mine? The wish-granting tree fulfills desires on the spot. The wish-fulfilling gem gives whatever is thought of. By living near sandalwood, even ordinary wood becomes fragrant; other trees too take on its scent. Does the sandalwood lose anything by giving of itself? Tuka says: consider this, O Ananta.
What it means
Tukaram pleads for his own deliverance by arguing that it costs God nothing to grant it. He gathers the familiar transformers, the touchstone that turns iron to gold, the wish-granting tree and gem, the sandalwood that lends its fragrance to plain wood nearby, and notes that none of them is diminished by what it gives. Then he presses the point onto God: if a mere stone freely raises base iron, would You, who are far greater, become poorer by clearing away this one difficulty of mine? The prayer is shrewd as well as humble. It removes every reason God might have to withhold, leaving the request resting entirely on God's generous nature. He closes by asking the Lord, Ananta, simply to think it over.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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