Prayer, carry me to the far shore
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
बहु क्लेशी जालों या हो नरदेहीं । कृपादृष्टी पाहीं पांडुरंगा ॥1॥
पांडुरंगा सर्वदेवांचिया देवा । घ्यावी माझी सेवा दिनानाथा ॥ध्रु.॥
दिनानाथ िब्रद त्रिभुवनीं तुझें । मायबापा ओझें उतरावें ॥2॥
उतरीं सत्वर पैलथडी नेई । पूर्णसुख देई पायांपाशीं॥3॥
पायांपाशीं मज ठेवीं निरंतर । आशा तुझी फार दिवस केली ॥4॥
केली आस तुझी वाट मी पाहातों । निशिदिनीं ध्यातों नाम तुझें॥5॥
नाम तुझें गोड स्वभक्ता आवडे । भक्तांलागीं कडे खांदा घेसी॥6॥
घेसी खांद्यावरी खेळविसी लोभें । पाउल शोभे विटेवरि ॥7॥
विटेवरि उभा देखिलासी डोळां । मनाचा सोहळा पुरविसी ॥8॥
पुरवीं सत्वर त्रैलोक्यस्वामिया । मिठी घाली पायां तुका भावें ॥9॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I have suffered greatly in this human body. Look upon me with the eye of grace, O Panduranga. O God of all gods, accept my service, O Lord of the lowly. Your name in the three worlds is "Protector of the afflicted," O Mother and Father; lift this burden from me. Carry me swiftly to the far shore and grant me perfect joy at Your feet. Keep me near Your feet always; I have hoped for You for so many days. I have set my hope on You and watch for You; day and night I meditate on Your name. Your name is sweet; Your devotees cherish it. You carry Your devotees upon Your shoulders and caress them with love. Your feet shine upon the brick; You fulfill every desire of the chitta. Says Tuka, fulfill this now, O Lord of the three worlds. I clasp Your feet with devotion.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I have suffered greatly in this human body. Look on me with the eye of grace, Panduranga. Panduranga, God of all the gods, take up my service, Lord of the lowly. Your name through the three worlds is Lord of the lowly, mother and father; lift this load from me. Lift me at once and carry me to the far shore. Give me full joy at your feet. Keep me always near your feet. I have hoped for you so many days. I have set my hope on you and I watch the road. Night and day I dwell on your Name. Your Name is sweet. Your devotees love it. You take your devotees up on your shoulder. You take them on your shoulder and play with them in love. Your foot is lovely on the brick. I have seen you standing on the brick with my own eyes. You fulfill the heart's festival. Fulfill it quickly, Lord of the three worlds. Tuka says: Tuka clasps your feet with love.
What it means
Worn down by the suffering of human life, Tukaram presses his case on Panduranga by holding the Lord to His own title, Protector of the lowly. He treats the name as a promise that has to be kept: if God is called the refuge of the afflicted across the three worlds, then He must lift this burden and ferry Tukaram across the ocean to the far shore. The plea is woven with patience and intimacy, the long days of watching the road, the night and day repetition of the sweet Name, the picture of God lifting His devotees onto His shoulder to play with them in love. At the centre is the form he has actually seen, the feet standing on the brick at Pandharpur, and the whole poem ends by simply clasping those feet and asking that the long-hoped rescue come quickly.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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