Prayer, deliver me from desire
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आतां मज देवा । इचे हातींचें सोडवा ॥1॥
पाठी लागलीसे लांसी । इच्छा जिते जैसी तैसी ॥ध्रु.॥
फेडा आतां पांग। अंगीं लपवुनी अंग ॥2॥
दुजें नेणें तुका । कांहीं तुह्मासी ठाउका॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
O God, deliver me now from the grip of desire. She pursues me relentlessly, this craving, alive and insistent as ever. Fulfill Your vow now; hide me by covering me with Your own being. Says Tuka, I know nothing else; I am well known to You.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Now, God, free me from her grip. This craving hounds me, alive and relentless as ever. Fulfill your promise now; hide me, covering me with your own self. Tuka says: I know no other; I am well known to you.
What it means
Tukaram prays to be rescued from desire, which he pictures as a force that hunts him without rest. He cannot escape it by his own strength, so he asks God to make good on his promise and to hide him, covering him with God's own being as the only refuge. He admits he knows no other help, and reminds God that he himself is fully known, leaving nothing to hide and no one else to turn to. The prayer is bare and dependent: deliverance from craving is not something he can win but something he must be given.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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