Prayer, all beings are God
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
नर नारी बाळें अवघा नारायण । ऐसें माझें मन करीं देवा ॥1॥
न यो काम क्रोध द्वेष निंदा द्वंद । अवघा गोविंद निःसंदेह ॥ध्रु.॥
करोनियां साहए पुरवीं मनोरथ । व्हावें कृपावंत तुका ह्मणे ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Men, women, and children are all Narayana; make my mind see this, O Lord. Let neither lust, anger, hatred, slander, nor conflict arise in me; let everything be Govinda beyond all doubt. Be my ally, fulfill my chitta's desire, and be gracious to me. Says Tuka, this is my prayer.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Men, women, children: all of them are Narayana. Make my mind see this, O God. Let no lust, no anger, no hatred, no slander, no quarrel rise in me. Let everything be Govinda, with no doubt left. Be my help; fulfill the longing of my heart. Be gracious to me, Tuka says.
What it means
Tukaram is asking God for a single change of sight: that he may see Narayana in every person, in men, women, and children alike. He knows he cannot manage this on his own, so he prays for the mind itself to be remade. The plea is double: clear out lust, anger, hatred, slander, and quarrel, and let everything without exception appear as Govinda, beyond any doubt. He closes by asking God to be his ally, to fulfill his heart's one desire, and to show him grace. The whole abhanga is a request to be given the eyes that see God everywhere.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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