Prayer, the ocean of mercy
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
थोडे तुह्मी मागें होती उद्धरिले । मज ऐसे गेले वांयां जीव ॥1॥
आतां याचा काहीं न मनावा भार । कृपेचा सागर आहेसी तूं ॥ध्रु.॥
तुज आळवितां पापाची वसति । राहे अंगीं किती बळ त्याचें ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे उदकीं तारिले दगड । तैसा मी ही जड एक देवा ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
You have saved only a few in the past, and countless lives like mine have been wasted. Do not consider this a burden now, for You are an ocean of mercy. When one calls upon You, how long can the grip of sin endure? Says Tuka, You made even stones float upon the water; I am but one more heavy lump, O Lord.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
You have saved only a few before, and lives like mine have been wasted. Do not count this as a burden now; You are an ocean of mercy. When one calls on You, how long can sin keep its hold? How much strength is left in it? Tuka says: You floated stones upon the water; I too am only one more heavy lump, O Lord.
What it means
Tukaram presses his case as a beggar who will not let go. He notes that few have been rescued so far and many lives wasted, then refuses to let his own rescue be treated as too much trouble, since God is by nature an ocean of mercy. His argument is simple: once a person truly calls on God, sin loses its grip and has no real power left to hold him. He ends with the image that makes the plea unanswerable, that the Lord once made stones float on water, so saving one more heavy, dull lump like himself should be nothing at all.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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