Prayer, knowing the right yet unable
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
जाणतों समये । परि मत कामा नये ॥1॥
तुह्मी सांगावें तें बरें । देवा सकळ विचारें ॥ध्रु.॥
फुकाचिये पुसी । चिंता नाहीं होते ऐसी ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे आहे । धर पाय मज साहे ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I know the right path when the moment comes, yet my mind refuses to follow it. You alone, O God, can advise me truly, considering everything. Without being asked, worries would never arise of their own. Says Tuka, I know You are here; hold my feet steady so I may endure.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I know the right path when the time comes. But my own mind is no use to me. You must tell me what is good, God, weighing everything. Without being asked, such worry would never rise on its own. Tuka says: you are here. Hold my feet so I can stand.
What it means
Tukaram confesses a common helplessness: he can see the right course when the moment arrives, yet his own mind will not carry him to it. So he hands the deciding over to God, who can weigh all sides and tell him what is good. He admits the anxiety itself is something stirred up, not natural, and would not arise if he were not divided. The prayer ends plainly: God is present, so steady his feet and let him stand where he cannot stand alone.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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