Prayer, settle the account in full
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
बोलिलों तो पाववा । पण सिद्धी सकळ ॥1॥
आणीक काय तुह्मां काम । आह्मां नेदा तरी प्रेम ।
कैसे धर्माधर्म । निश्चयेंसी रहाती ॥ध्रु.॥
आह्मीं वेचलों शरीरें । तुझी बीज पेरा खरें ।
संयोगाचें बरें । गोड होतें उभयतां ॥3॥
एका हातें टाळी । कोठें वाजते निराळी ।
जाला तरी बळी । स्वामीविण शोभेना ॥3॥
रूपा यावे जी अनंता । धरीन पुटाची त्या सत्ता ।
होईन सरता । संतांमाजी पोसणा ॥4॥
ठेविलें उधारा । वरी काय तो पातेरा ।
तुका ह्मणे बरा । रोकडा चि निवाड ॥5॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Bring to fruition all that You have spoken. What other work do You have? If You will not grant us love, how shall the laws of right and wrong stand firm? We have spent our bodies in Your cause; now sow Your seed in truth. When both sides join, the fruit is sweet for us both. One hand alone cannot make a clapping sound. However mighty one may be, without the Master, nothing shines. Come into visible form, O Ananta; I shall hold fast to the power of that vision. Then I shall be sustained among the saints as Your cherished one. What has been kept on account, what use is the leftover? Says Tuka, a settlement in ready cash is best.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Bring to fruition all that You have spoken; let it all come to completion. What other work do You have? If You will not give us love, how will right and wrong stand firm at all? We have spent our bodies in Your cause; now sow Your seed in truth. When both join, the fruit is sweet for both. One hand alone makes no clapping sound. However mighty a man is, without the Master he does not shine. Come into visible form, O Ananta; I will hold fast to the power of that vision. Then I will be sustained among the saints as Your cherished one. What has been kept on credit, what use is the leftover? Tuka says: a settlement in ready cash is best.
What it means
Tukaram presses God to finish what He has promised, arguing that without God's love the whole order of right and wrong would lose its footing. He puts their relation as a partnership, the devotee has spent his body, so let God now sow His seed, since one hand cannot clap alone and even the mighty are nothing without the Master. The repeated demand is for a present, visible meeting, not a deferred one: come into form now, let me hold that vision. The closing image is mercantile and bold, what is owed on credit is no comfort; pay it in ready cash, give the experience now rather than later.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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