Prayer, the strain of waiting
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आह्मी भाविकें हे काय जाणों खोडी । आइकोनि प्रौढी विनविलें ॥1॥
नाहीं ऐसें येथें जालेती असतां । वाढविली चिंता अधिक सोसें ॥ध्रु.॥
न कळे चि आधीं करितां विचार । न धरितां धीर आहाचता ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे आतां वचनें वचन । वाढले तिक्षीण बुिद्ध जाली ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
We are simple devotees; what do we know of faults? Hearing of Your greatness, we offered our prayer. Nothing of what we hoped has come to pass, and the prolonged waiting has only deepened our anxiety. Even careful reasoning did not reveal the way beforehand; impatience could not hold itself in check. Says Tuka, word upon word has piled up, and the mind has grown sharp with frustration.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
We are simple devotees. What do we know of faults? Hearing of your greatness, we made our prayer. Nothing we hoped for has come, and the long waiting has only deepened our worry. Even careful thought did not show us the way beforehand. Impatience could not hold itself back. Tuka says: word has piled on word, and the mind has grown sharp with frustration.
What it means
Tukaram speaks for the plain devotees who trusted God's reputation and prayed in good faith. Their hope has gone unanswered, and the drawn-out wait has bred anxiety instead of peace. He confesses that reasoning gave them no foresight and that they could not keep their impatience in check. By the end the complaint has compounded itself, words heaping on words until the mind has turned sharp and irritable. He is honestly naming what unanswered waiting does to even a sincere heart, and laying that pressure before God.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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