Prayer, the only support
Original Marathi from the Tukaram Gatha · About Sant Tukaram
मराठी मूळ
आधार तो व्हावा । ऐसी आस करीं देवा ॥1॥
तुह्मांपाशीं काय उणें । काय वेचे समाधानें ॥ध्रु.॥
सेवेच्या अभिळासें। मन बहु जालें पिसें ॥2॥
अरे भक्तापराधीना । तुका ह्मणे नारायणा ॥3॥
Tukaram Gatha (Marathi Wikisource)
English Translation
May You become my support, O God. Such is the longing I hold. What is lacking with You? What does it cost You to grant peace? In the longing for Your service, the mind has gone quite mad. Says Tuka, O Narayana, You who are bound by the offenses of Your devotees.
We ask forgiveness for any inaccuracies in rendering Tukaram ji’s original Marathi.
In Plain Words
Be my support, O God. This is the longing I hold. What is lacking with You? What does it cost You to grant peace? In longing for Your service, my mind has gone quite mad. Tuka says: O Narayana, You are bound by Your devotees' faults.
What it means
Tukaram asks God to be the one thing he leans on, and then presses the request with a kind of holy logic. God lacks nothing, so granting peace costs Him nothing; why withhold it? He admits his mind has gone mad with wanting to serve. The closing line is the boldest move: he reminds Narayana that God has bound Himself to His devotees, so their failings are now His responsibility to bear, not grounds to turn away.
Prayers
Direct appeals to God: for protection, guidance, strength, and mercy.
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