Prayer, the surrendered body
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
मुखें बोलावें तें जीविंचें जाणसी । विदित पायांपाशीं सर्व आहे ॥1॥
आतां हें चि भलें भाकावी करुणा । विनियोग तो जाणां तुह्मी त्याचा ॥ध्रु.॥
आपलें तों येथें केलें नव्हे कांहीं । साधनाचा वांहीं पडों नये ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे देह दिला पिंडदान । वेळोवेळां कोण चिंता करी ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
What the mouth speaks, You already know as the truth of my jiva; everything is known at Your feet. So it is good simply to cry out for mercy; You know best how to use it. Nothing here has been accomplished by my own effort; I must not fall off the path of devotion. Says Tuka, I have offered this body as a funeral oblation; once given, why carry any further worry?.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Whatever my mouth speaks, you already know as the truth of my jiva. Everything lies open at your feet. So the good thing is simply to cry out for mercy. You know best how to use it. Nothing here was done by my own effort. Let me not fall off the path of devotion. Tuka says: I have given this body as a funeral offering. Once it is given, why should anyone keep worrying?
What it means
Tukaram says that words add nothing, since God already knows the heart behind them; everything is laid bare at his feet. The only fitting act is to cry for mercy and leave its use to God. He insists that nothing he has reached came from his own striving, and prays only not to slip off the path. The last image is the surrender entire: he has offered his body the way one offers a funeral oblation for the dead, so it is no longer his to guard, and worry over it is pointless.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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