Prayer, one request only
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
ऐकें वचन कमळापती । मज रंकाची विनंती ॥१॥
कर जोडितों कथाकाळीं । आपण असावें जवळी ॥ध्रु.॥
घेई ऐसी भाक । मागेन जरि कांहीं आणिक ॥२॥
तुकयाबंधु म्हणे देवा । शब्द इतुका राखावा ॥३॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
Hear this plea, O Lord of Lakshmi: it is the petition of a poor man. I join my hands at the hour of the sacred story and ask only that you remain close beside me. Take this vow from me: if ever I ask for anything else, hold me to account. Says Tuka's brother, O God, keep just this one word of mine.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Hear my words, Lord of Lakshmi: this is a poor man's request. I fold my hands at the time of the sacred story and ask only that you stay near me. Take this as my vow: if I ever ask you for anything else, hold me to it. Tuka's brother says: God, keep just this one word of mine.
What it means
The prayer narrows everything down to a single petition. Calling himself a poor man before the Lord of Lakshmi, the speaker asks for only one thing: that God remain close during the kirtan, the telling of the sacred story. To prove it is the only thing he wants, he makes it a binding vow, inviting God to call him to account if he ever begs for anything more. The closing line drives the point home: keep just this one word. The poem is signed by Tuka's brother, and its discipline is in the refusal to ask for anything beyond God's nearness.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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