Prayer, blessing the true seeker
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
देवा ऐसा शिष्य देई । ब्रह्मज्ञानी निपुण पाहीं ॥1॥
ऐशा युक्ति ज्याला बाणे । तेथें वैराग्याचें ठाणें ॥2॥
ऐसा जाला हो शरीरीं । तुका लिंबलोण करी ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
O God, grant me a disciple like this: adept and steeped in the knowledge of Brahman. Where such wisdom has taken root, there the seat of true renunciation is established. When such a one appears in bodily form, Says Tuka, I will wave a protective flame of blessing over him.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
God, grant me a disciple like this: skilled and steeped in the knowledge of Brahman. Where such wisdom has taken root, there stands the seat of true renunciation. Tuka says: when such a one appears in the flesh, I will wave a lamp of blessing over him to ward off all harm.
What it means
Tukaram prays not for himself but for the kind of person he longs to see. The disciple he asks God to send is one truly grounded in the knowledge of Brahman, not in mere talk. He notes the mark of the real thing: where that wisdom has actually rooted, genuine renunciation stands as well; the two come together. And his response to meeting such a soul is tender, not proud, he says he would perform the loving rite of waving a protective flame over him, the way one wards harm from a beloved child.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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