Prayer, asking for the strength to love
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
अनाथाचा सखा ऐकिला प्रताप । होसि कृपावंत मजवरि ॥1॥
माझिया गा चित्ता करिं शिकवण । जेणें तुझे चरण जोडतील ॥ध्रु.॥
जोडोनियां कर येतों काकुलती । रकुमाईच्या पति कृपावंता ॥2॥
हरुषें निर्भर करीं माझें मन । दाखवीं चरण पांडुरंगा॥3॥
तुझे भेटीविण जन्म गेलां वांयां । भजन कराया शक्ति नाहीं ॥4॥
न घडे तुझी सेवा न घडे पूजन । जन्मोनि निष्कारण जाऊं पाहे ॥5॥
तुका ह्मणे हरि करावें या काय । भजनासि साहए होई बापा ॥6॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
I have heard of the glory of the Friend of the helpless. Be gracious to me as well. Teach my mind the way by which Your feet may be reached. With folded hands I come pleading, O husband of Rukmini, O compassionate One. Fill my mind with overflowing joy. Show me Your feet, O Panduranga. Without meeting You, my births have gone to waste. I have no strength for devotion. I cannot perform Your worship or Your service. This birth seems destined to pass in vain. Says Tuka, O Hari, what is to be done? Come to my aid in devotion, O Father.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
I have heard your glory, Friend of the helpless. Be gracious to me too. Teach my mind the lesson by which I may reach your feet. With folded hands I come pleading, husband of Rukmini, merciful One. Fill my mind to overflowing with joy. Show me your feet, O Panduranga. Without meeting you, my births have gone to waste. I have no strength to do devotion. I cannot do your service; I cannot do your worship. This birth seems set to pass for nothing. Tuka says: Hari, what is to be done about this? Come to my aid in devotion, O Father.
What it means
This is a prayer that confesses its own emptiness. Tukaram does not boast of his devotion; he says plainly that he has no strength to worship or serve, and that birth after birth has gone to waste without meeting God. So instead of offering devotion, he asks God to give it: teach my mind the way to your feet, come to my aid in devotion. The radical move is to make even the capacity for love a gift he must beg for, leaning entirely on the One known as Friend of the helpless rather than on his own effort.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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