Abhanga 4442
Admitting you don't have the strength to fix yourself and asking honestly for grace is itself a legitimate and complete prayer.
The verse
तुजवीण मज कोण आहे देवा । मुकुंदा केशवा नारायणा ॥१॥
जोडोनियां कर कृपेच्या सागरा । गोपीमनोहरा पांडुरंगा ॥ध्रु.॥
साच करीं हरी आपुली ब्रिदावळी । कृपेनें सांभाळीं मायबापा ॥२॥
साहए होसी जरी जाती सहा वैरी । मग ध्यान करीं आवडीनें ॥३॥
सर्व अपराध क्षमा करीं माझा । लडिवाळ तुझा पांडुरंगा ॥४॥
कृपा करोनियां द्यावी क्षमा शांति । तेणें तुझी भक्ति घडेल देवा ॥५॥
ऐंसें तों सामर्थ्य नाहीं नारायणा । जरी तुज करुणा येइल कांहीं ॥६॥
तुका म्हणे आतां आपंगावें मज । राखें माझी लाज पांडुरंगा ॥७॥
Literal translation
Who-besides-you — Mukunda-Keśava-Nārāyaṇa. Folded-hands-krpā-sāgara — Gōpī-manōhara-Pāṇḍurangā. Bridāvalī-real — sambhāḷa-by-krpā. 6-vairī-leave-by-saha — dhyāna. Kṣamā-aparādha — laḍivāḷa. Dayā-kṣamā-śānti — bhakti. Sāmarthya-not-mine. Tukā: protect — rākhē-lāja.
What it means
A 7-verse variant of the full-yearning petition (companion-to-4392). Whom do I have besides you, Deva — Mukunda, Keśava, Nārāyaṇa? With folded hands I pray to the compassion-ocean — Gopī-charmer, Pāṇḍuranga. Make real your vow-titles, Hari; take-care by krpā, mother-father. If you become my helper, the six (inner-)enemies leave; then I'll do meditation with love. Forgive all my offences — I'm your spoiled-darling, Pāṇḍuranga. By doing krpā, give compassion-forgiveness-peace; by that your bhakti will happen. This power isn't mine, Nārāyaṇa — if any kindness comes to you. Tukā says: now protect me — keep my honor, Pāṇḍuranga. Variant-of-4392 with minor-changes. Pair with 4392 (other-version).
For someone today
Tukārām opens this prayer by admitting he has no one else besides God, and with folded hands he calls out to the ocean of compassion by many affectionate names. He asks God to actually live up to his reputation for kindness and take care of him the way a parent would. He notes that if God becomes his helper, the six inner enemies, the destructive impulses inside a person, will finally leave him alone, and only then can he meditate with real love instead of struggle. He asks forgiveness for all his faults, calling himself God's spoiled favorite, and admits plainly that he doesn't have the strength to fix himself, that strength has to come as a gift of grace. He ends simply asking to be taken care of and to have his dignity preserved.
मराठी: तुकाराम या प्रार्थनेची सुरुवात एक स्पष्ट कबुली देऊन करतात, त्यांच्याजवळ देवाशिवाय दुसरे कोणीही नाही, आणि हात जोडून ते कृपासागराला अनेक प्रेमळ नावांनी हाक मारतात. देवाने आपल्या दयाळू ख्यातीला खरोखर जागावे आणि आई-वडिलांसारखी काळजी घ्यावी अशी ते विनंती करतात. जर देव त्यांचा सहाय्यक बनला, तर मनातील सहा शत्रू, म्हणजे विध्वंसक प्रवृत्ती, शेवटी दूर होतील, आणि तेव्हाच खऱ्या प्रेमाने ध्यान करता येईल असे ते सांगतात. आपल्या सर्व चुकांची क्षमा मागताना ते स्वतःला देवाचे लाडके अपत्य म्हणतात, आणि स्वतःमध्ये सुधारणा करण्याचे सामर्थ्य नाही हे प्रामाणिकपणे कबूल करतात, ते सामर्थ्य कृपेच्या रूपातच मिळायला हवे. शेवटी ते फक्त एवढीच विनंती करतात की त्यांची काळजी घेतली जावी आणि त्यांची अब्रू राखली जावी.
Where this applies
- Tukārām's full-yearning-petition variant-of-4392 canonical