Tukarama Acharya's Brahma Muhurta Prayers

Translated by J. Nelson Fraser and K.B. Marathe

I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Ganesh and Mother Sarada Devi ( Saraswati ). I put my head on the lotus feet of my gurudeva. Please give me the intelligence to glorify Lord Hari. My dear Gurudeva there is no friend like to you in the whole world. Please hold this servant by your strong hand. Tukarama says that *Lord Panduranga is my mother, father, gurudeva and brother. Oh Lord Panduranga, you are the ocean of mercy.

Please chant Lord Hari’s name during the brahma muhutra. There is no happiness better than chanting at early hours. Please glorify the Lord by uttering the following names: Keshava, Vamana, Narayana, Vishnu, Krishna, Sankarshana, Rama, Rama, Madhava, Vamana, Sridhara, Govinda, Achuyta, Mukunda, Purushottama, Narahari, Bhargava, Gopala, Vasudeva and Hrishikesh. Oh Lord ! Please be satisfied by my remembrance of Your holy names.

Tukarama says, if you have strong faith in the holy name of Lord Hari, Lord Panduranga will definitely help you. Tukarama says that if you utter the names of holy places such as Ayodhya, Mathura, Kashi, Avantika, Kanchi, Dwaraka and Mayapura, you will ascend to Vaikuntha. Also remember Lord Hari every moment. Thus you will cross over the ocean of birth and death easily. Tukarama says that this is the importance of the holy name. One who regularly chants is a great person.

Every moment one should remember the names of the holy rivers such as Yamuna, Kaveri, Ganga, Bhagirathi, Krishna, Saraswati, Tungabhadra, Narmada etc. Then there is no fear. Such a person who chants the holy name of Lord Hari will elevate other fallen souls by association to others. Even if others just see such a chanter of the holy names, they will be liberated. Tukarama says that wherever there is a strong faith in the holy name, Lord Vasudeva is manifest there all the time.

Early morning, remember the holy name. So that you will be able to forget about the birth and death altogether. Even if somebody just remembers Nala, Yudhisthira, Janaka and Janardana, that person will be elevated to the highest position.

Please do not be lazy in chanting the holy name of Lord Hari. There is no fear for the living entities as long as they are chanting. Tukarama say that one who glories Srila Govindadeva will experience the topmost bliss.

Kashyap, Gautam, Bharadwaja, Atri, Vishwamitra, Jamadagni and Vashishta are very great sages. They are revered in all the three worlds. If one utters the holy name of Lord Hari, all the sin, unhappiness and poverty will vanish. Also one would accumulate huge spiritual benefit. Tukarama says that if you utter the holy name of Lord Hari, your heart will be filled with the overwhelming joy.

Ahilya, Draupadi, Sita, Tara and Mandodari are the greatest chaste women who were very faithful to their husbands. Just uttering their holy names will elevate your ancestors, present family members and descendents to vaikuntha planet. Just giving up the materialistic plans, please utter Hari, Hari… You will be rescued from the bondage of the repeated birth and death. Then there is no question of harassment from Yamaraja’s side.

Vysadeva, Ambarisha, Vasistha, Narada, Shaunaka and Prahlada are the great bhagavatas. If everybody remembers them every day, then the cycle of birth and death in 8.4 million species is instantaneously terminated. If one utters the names of Sukadeva Goswami, Parashar Muni, Pundalik, Arjun, Valmiki, Bali Maharaja, Bhibhisana, Bhisma and Rukmangada, then that person should be considered to be as good as a demigod.

* Lord Panduranga is another name for Vitthal or Lord Visnu.