Surrender, take this lowly one
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आजिवरी होतों संसाराचे हातीं । आतां ऐसें चित्तीं उपजलें ॥1॥
तुला शरणागत व्हावें नारायणा । अंगीकारा दिना आपुलिया ॥ध्रु.॥
विसरलों काम याजसाठीं धंदा । सकळ गोविंदा माझें तुझें ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे विज्ञापना परिसावी । आवडी हे जीवीं जाली तैसी ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Until now I was in the grip of worldly life. But now something has arisen in my chitta. I want to surrender to You, O Narayana. Accept this lowly one as Your own. I have forgotten all work and business for this alone. Everything of mine is Yours, O Govinda. Says Tuka, hear this prayer. The longing that has arisen in my jiva is just as I have described.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Until now I was in the grip of worldly life. But now this has risen up in my heart. I want to surrender to you, O Narayana. Accept this lowly one as your own. For this alone I have forgotten all work and business. Everything of mine is yours, O Govinda. Tuka says: hear this prayer. The longing that has risen in me is exactly as I have spoken it.
What it means
Tukaram marks the turning point where worldly life loses its grip on him and surrender takes its place. He asks Narayana to receive him, a lowly and unworthy one, as God's own possession. Such surrender means dropping everything else: he has let go of work and affairs, and declares that whatever was his belongs to Govinda now. He closes by asking God to hear him and to trust that the longing he describes is real, not a performance.
Surrender and Acceptance
The conditions of spiritual receptivity and the letting go of the separate self.
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