Prayer, the runaway mind, come quickly
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
काय काय करितों या मना । परी नाइके नारायणा । करूं नये त्याची करी विवंचना । पतना नेऊं आदरिलें ॥1॥
भलतिये सवें धांवे सैराट । वाट आडवाट दरे दरकुट । न विचारी कुडें कांहीं कपट । घात बळकट मांडियेला ॥2॥
न पुरती भ्रमणा दाही दिशा । सप्त ही पाताळ आकाशा । घाली उडी बळें चि देखोनि फांसा । केलों या देशा पाहुणा ॥3॥
चेतवूनि इंिद्रयें सकळ। आशा तृष्णा कल्पना काम क्रोध काळ । दुराविली शुद्ध बुिद्ध केली राळ । ऐसें चांडाळ अनिवार हें ॥4॥
आतां काय ऐसें करावें यासी । बहु जाचिलों केलों कासाविसी । तुकयाबंधु ह्मणे हृषीकेशी । धांव मज ऐसी परी जाली ॥5॥
नाटाचे अभंग समाप्त 63
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
What shall I do with this mind, O Narayana? It refuses to listen. It plots what should never be done and drags me toward ruin. It runs wild in every direction, down roads and byroads, through valleys and ravines, never pausing to consider any deceit or treachery. A great trap has been set. Not even all ten directions suffice for its wandering, nor the seven nether worlds, nor the skies above. It leaps headlong at the sight of a snare and has made me a stranger in my own land. It has roused all the senses, along with desire, craving, imagination, lust, anger, and time. It has driven away pure wisdom and reduced my intellect to dust. This uncontrollable wretch is beyond restraint. Now what can be done with it? I am tormented and made miserable by it. Says Tukayabandhu, O Hrishikesha, rush to me, for such is my condition.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
What, what shall I do with this mind, O Narayana? It will not listen. It plots what should never be done and sets out to carry me to ruin. It runs wild after anything at all, down roads and off roads, through valleys and ravines, never stopping to weigh any deceit or treachery. A heavy trap has been laid. The ten directions are not enough for its wandering, nor the seven nether worlds, nor the skies. It leaps headlong the moment it spots a snare, and has made me a stranger in my own land. It has stirred up all the senses, with desire, craving, imagination, lust, anger, and time. It has driven away clear wisdom and ground my intellect to dust. This is a wretch beyond all restraint. Now what is to be done with it? It has worn me down and made me wretched. Tukayabandhu says: O Hrishikesha, rush to me, for this is the state I am in.
What it means
Tukaram turns the confession outward onto a single culprit, the mind, which he describes as a runaway that will not obey and actively schemes toward ruin. He pictures it tearing across roads and ravines, through all ten directions and seven worlds, leaping straight at every snare it sees, until he is a stranger even in his own home. It does not act alone; it rouses the senses and yokes desire, craving, lust, anger and time against him, grinding clear judgment to dust. Having admitted plainly that he cannot control this himself, he stops trying and turns it into a cry for rescue: O Hrishikesha, run to me, this is the state I am in.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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