Surrender, guard my honor
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
तुजवीण मज कोण आहे देवा । मुकुंदा केशवा नारायणा ॥1॥
जोडोनियां कर कृपेच्या सागरा । गोपीमनोहरा पांडुरंगा ॥ध्रु.॥
साच करीं हरी आपुली िब्रदावळी । कृपेनें सांभाळीं मायबापा ॥2॥
साहए होसी जरी जाती सहा वैरी । मग ध्यान करीं आवडीनें ॥3॥
सर्व अपराध क्षमा करीं माझा । लडिवाळ तुझा पांडुरंगा ॥4॥
कृपा करोनियां द्यावी क्षमा शांति । तेणें तुझी भक्ति घडेल देवा ॥5॥
ऐंसें तों सामर्थ्य नाहीं नारायणा । जरी तुज करुणा येइल कांहीं ॥6॥
तुका ह्मणे आतां आपंगावें मज । राखें माझी लाज पांडुरंगा ॥7॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Who do I have besides You, O God? O Mukunda, Keshava, Narayana. With folded hands I pray to You, O ocean of grace, O enchanter of the gopis, O Panduranga. Make Your pledges come true, O Hari. Protect me with Your grace, O my parent. If You come to my aid, the six inner enemies will depart. Then I will meditate on You with love. Forgive all my offenses, O Panduranga. I am Your spoiled child. Grant me mercy, forbearance, and peace, so that devotion to You may truly blossom, O God. Such strength is not in me, O Narayana. Only if some compassion stirs in You can it come to be. Says Tuka, embrace me now. Guard my honor, O Panduranga.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Whom do I have but You, O God? O Mukunda, Keshava, Narayana. With folded hands I pray to You, ocean of grace, charmer of the gopis, O Panduranga. Make Your promise true, O Hari; protect me with Your grace, O mother and father. If You become my help, the six enemies will leave; then I will meditate on You with love. Forgive all my faults, O Panduranga. I am Your spoiled child. Give me, in mercy, forgiveness and peace, so that devotion to You may take shape, O God. I have no such strength, O Narayana, unless some compassion stirs in You. Tuka says: now take me up. Guard my honor, O Panduranga.
What it means
Tukaram prays from a place of having no one else to turn to, calling on God by name after name as ocean of grace and as both mother and father. He asks God to keep His own pledge to protect those who are His, since that promise, not the devotee's worth, is what he leans on. He is honest about the order of things: only when God helps do the six inner enemies, the passions, lose their grip, and only then can he meditate in peace. He calls himself a spoiled child to be forgiven, and admits he has no strength of his own; everything waits on God's compassion stirring first. The last plea, guard my honor, places his whole standing in God's hands.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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