Prayer, do not fob me off
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
कोणा एकाचिया पोरें केली आळी । ठावी नाहीं पोळी मागें देखी ॥1॥
बुझाविलें हातीं देउनी खापर । छंद करकर वारियेली ॥ध्रु.॥
तैसें नको करूं मज कृपावंता । काय नाहीं सत्ता तुझे हातीं ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे मायबापाचें उचित । करावें तें हित बाळकाचें ॥3॥
मनीं ध्यान करी अहंता धरूनी । तया चक्रपाणी दूर ठेला ॥ध्रु.॥
मान अभिमान सांडुनियां द्यावे । अवघ्यां नीच व्हावें तरी प्राप्त ॥2॥
तुका ह्मणे हें चि कोणासी सांगावें । सादर होउनि भावें भजें देवा ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
A child somewhere made a fuss, never having seen a proper flatbread. They calmed it by putting a potsherd in its hand and distracted it from its crying. Do not do this with me, O Compassionate One. Is there nothing within Your power? Says Tuka, it is the duty of parents to do what is truly good for the child. One who meditates with ego in the mind finds God standing far away. Abandon pride and self-importance; become humble before all. Only then is God attained. Says Tuka, to whom should this be told? With devotion and sincerity, worship God.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Some child made a fuss, never having seen a real flatbread. They quieted it by putting a potsherd in its hand and stopped its endless crying. Do not do this to me, O Compassionate One. Is there nothing in Your power? Tuka says: it is the duty of a mother and father to do what is truly good for the child. The one who meditates while holding on to ego finds the Lord standing far off. Drop honor and self-importance; become lowest of all, and then He is reached. Tuka says: who can this even be told to? Become attentive, and worship God with love.
What it means
Tukaram begs God not to pacify him with a worthless substitute. He gives the homely picture of a crying child fooled by a broken shard placed in its hand because it has never seen real food. He asks God not to fob him off that way, since nothing is beyond God's power, and reminds Him that true parents give the child what actually helps, not a distraction. Then the poem turns to the seeker: meditation done while clutching ego pushes the Lord far away. Only by laying down pride and self-importance, becoming the lowest of all, is God reached, and the one road is attentive, loving worship.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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