Prayer, the senses will not hold
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
निरोधती परि न मोडे विकार । बहु हीं दुस्तर विषयद्वारें ॥1॥
राहातेति तुह्मी भरोनि अंतरीं । होतों तदाकारी निविनषचि ॥ध्रु.॥
कृपेचिया साक्षी असती जवळी । वचनें मोकळीं सरत नाहीं ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे ताळा मेळवणीपाशीं । विनंती पायापाशीं हे चि करीं ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I try to restrain them, but the passions will not break. The gates of sense pleasures are very formidable. If You would dwell fully within my chitta, I would become absorbed in You and free of all desires. The witnesses of grace stand near, yet loose words do not avail. Says Tuka, at the moment of reckoning, this alone is my prayer at Your feet.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I try to hold them back, but the passions will not break. The gates of the senses are very hard to cross. If only You would fill my heart and stay, I would become absorbed in You and free of every desire. The witnesses of Your grace stand near, yet loose words get me nowhere. Tuka says: at the hour of reckoning, this alone is my prayer at Your feet.
What it means
Tukaram admits a failure he cannot fix by effort. He restrains the passions, yet they will not break, and the doorways of the senses prove too strong to pass through on his own. So he turns the problem over to God: if You will only fill and stay in my heart, I will be absorbed in You and the desires will fall away by themselves. He knows grace is close at hand, and that mere talk will not earn it. So he reduces everything to one plea laid at God's feet for the moment of final reckoning.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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