Surrender, prayer for fearlessness
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
अभयदान मज देई गा उदारा । कृपेच्या सागरा पांडुरंगा ॥1॥
देहभाव तुझ्या ठेवियेला पायीं । आणीक मी कांही नेणें दुजें ॥ध्रु.॥
सेवा भक्ति भाव नेणें मी पतित । आतां माझें हित तुझ्या पायीं ॥2॥
अवघा निरोपिला तुज देहभाव । आतां मज पाव पांडुरंगा ॥3॥
तुका ह्मणे तुजें नाम दिनानाथ । तें मज उचित करीं आतां ॥4॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Grant me the gift of fearlessness, O generous one, O ocean of grace, O Panduranga. I have placed my whole sense of self at Your feet and know nothing else. I lack in service, devotion, and understanding. I am ignorant and fallen. Now my welfare lies only at Your feet. I have surrendered my entire being to You. Now come to me, O Panduranga. Says Tuka, Your name is the Lord of the lowly. Make that name true for me now.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Give me the gift of fearlessness, O generous one, O ocean of grace, Panduranga. I have laid my whole sense of self at your feet. I know nothing else. I am poor in service, poor in devotion, poor in understanding; I am fallen. Now my good lies only at your feet. I have handed over my whole being to you. Now come to me, Panduranga. Tuka says: your name is Lord of the lowly. Make that name true for me now.
What it means
Tukaram asks for one thing first, fearlessness, and grounds the whole prayer in having nothing to offer. He admits he is empty of the usual qualifications: no service, no devotion, no understanding, and he calls himself fallen. That is not despair but the ground of his claim, because he holds God to his own title, Lord of the lowly. If the name means anything, it must reach exactly this kind of person. Having placed his entire sense of self at the feet, he leaves himself with no other refuge and simply waits for God to come.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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