Surrender, make me Your own
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
माझें कोण आहे तुजविण देवा । मुकुंदा केशवा नारायणा ॥1॥
वाट पाहतसें कृपेच्या सागरा । गोपीमनोहरा पांडुरंगा॥ध्रु.॥
साच करीं हरी आपुली िब्रदावळी । कृपेनें सांभाळीं महाराजा ॥2॥
क्षमा करीं सर्व अपराध माझा । लडिवाळ मी तुझा पांडुरंगा ॥3॥
साहए होसी तरी जाती साही वैरी । मग सुखें अंतरीं ध्यान तुझें ॥4॥
कृपा करोनि देई दया क्षमा शांती । तेणें तुझी भक्ति लाभईल ॥5॥
माझें हें सामर्थ्य नव्हे नारायणा । जरी कांहीं करुणा येइल तुज ॥6॥
तुका ह्मणे मज कैसें आपंगा जी । आपुलेंसें करा जी पांडुरंगा ॥7॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Who do I have besides You, O God? O Mukunda, Keshava, Narayana. I await You with folded hands, O ocean of mercy, O enchanter of the gopis, O Panduranga. Make Your own pledges come true, O Hari. Protect me with Your grace, O great King. Forgive all my offenses. I am Your spoiled child, O Panduranga. If You come to my aid, the six inner enemies will depart. Then I shall meditate on You in peace. Grant me compassion, forgiveness, and tranquility, so that devotion to You may flourish. This is not within my own power, O Narayana. Only if some mercy arises in You can it happen. Says Tuka, accept me as Your own. Make me Yours, O Panduranga.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Who is mine but You, O God? Mukunda, Keshava, Narayana. I am watching the road for You, ocean of mercy, charmer of the gopis, Panduranga. Make Your own promises true, Hari; keep me with Your grace, great King. Forgive all my offenses. I am Your spoiled child, Panduranga. If You stand by me, my six enemies leave; then in peace my heart can dwell on You. By Your grace give me mercy, forgiveness, and peace, so that devotion to You can grow. This is not in my own strength, Narayana; only if some pity rises in You. Tuka says: somehow take me in. Make me Your own, Panduranga.
What it means
Tukaram throws himself wholly on God, saying he has no one else, and waits like a watcher on the road. He asks God to honor His own pledges, forgive his faults, and treat him as a spoiled child who can presume on a parent's love. He is clear that everything he wants, the routing of the six inner enemies of lust, anger, greed and the rest, and the growth of devotion itself, is beyond his own strength and can come only if mercy rises in God. The whole prayer ends in surrender: not I will earn You, but You make me Your own.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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