जो पै हौं मातु मते महँ ह्वैहौं। तौ जननी! जगमें या मुखकी कहाँ कालिमा ध्वैहौं?॥ १ ॥ क्यों हौं आजु होत सुचि सपथनि? कौन मानिहै साँची?। महिमा-मृगी कौन सुकृतीकी खल-बच-बिसिखनि बाँची?॥ २ ॥ गहि न जाति रसना काहूकी, कहौ जाहि जोइ सूझै। दीनबंधु कारुण्य-सिंधु बिनु कौन हियैकी बूझै?॥ ३ ॥ तुलसी रामबियोग बिषम-बिष-बिकल नारि-नर भारी। भरत-सनेह-सुधा सींचे सब भए तेहि समय सुखारी॥ ४ ॥
Mother, if I had shared in my mother’s counsel, where in the world could I wash the blackness from this face? (1) How could oaths make me pure today, and who would accept them as true? What virtuous person’s doe of good name has escaped the wicked hunters’ arrow-like words? (2) No one’s tongue can be seized; let each say whatever occurs to them. Who but the Friend of the lowly, the ocean of compassion, can understand what lies within the heart? (3) Tulsī says that men and women were grievously distraught by the terrible poison of separation from Rāma; then, watered by the nectar of Bharata’s love, they all found relief. (4)