Prayer, keep my mind on your feet
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
दुर्बुिद्ध ते मना । कदा नुपजो नारायणा ॥1॥
आतां ऐसें करीं । तुझे पाय चित्तीं धरीं ॥ध्रु.॥
उपजला भाव । तुमचे कृपे सिद्धी जावो ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे आतां । लाभ नाहीं या परता ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
May evil thought never arise in my mind, O Narayana. Now do this one thing: let me hold Your feet firmly in my chitta. May the devotion that has arisen come to fruition by Your grace. Says Tuka, there is no gain greater than this.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Let no evil thought ever rise in my mind, O Narayana. Now do this one thing: let me hold your feet in my heart. Let the devotion that has arisen come to fruition by your grace. Tuka says: there is no gain greater than this.
What it means
This is a small, direct prayer with one request at its center. Tukaram asks Narayana to keep wrong thoughts from ever rising and to fix his attention on the divine feet held within the heart. He knows the longing for God has already begun in him, and he asks only that grace carry it through to completion, since he cannot finish it on his own strength. The last line settles the whole prayer: there is no greater gain than this, so he asks for nothing else. A steadied mind resting on God is itself the prize.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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