Bold plea, show me your power now
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
अशक्य तों तुह्मां नाहीं नारायणा । निर्जीवा चेतना आणावया ॥1॥
मागें काय जाणों स्वामीचे पवाडे । आतां कां रोकडे दावूं नये ॥ध्रु.॥
थोर भाग्य आह्मी समर्थाचे कासे । ह्मणवितों दास काय थोडें ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे माझे निववावे डोळे । दावूनि सोहळे सामर्थ्याचे ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Nothing is impossible for You, O Narayana. You can bring life to the lifeless. Who knows the past deeds of our Lord? But why not display them openly right now? It is great fortune that we are at the side of the Capable One. To call ourselves His servants, is that any small thing? Says Tuka, satisfy my eyes; show me the splendors of Your power.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Nothing is impossible for you, Narayana. You can bring life to the lifeless. I do not know your old deeds of long ago; why not show them to me right now, plainly? It is great good fortune that we hold to the side of the Capable One. To be called your servants, is that any small thing? Tuka says: cool my eyes; let me see the splendor of your power.
What it means
Tukaram is asking God to act in the present, not only in legend. He grants that nothing is beyond Narayana, who can even revive the dead, and then presses the request home: the wonders of the past are hearsay to him, so let them be shown openly here and now. He counts it pure fortune to be on the side of the all-capable Lord and to be called his servant. The closing plea, cool my eyes with the sight of your power, is the prayer of someone who wants living proof, not stored-up reputation. According to the editorial note, the abhanga was composed when a child who had died during a kirtan at Lohagaon was restored to life.
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