भाई! हौं अवध कहा रहि लैहौं। राम-लखन-सिय-चरन बिलोकन काल्हि काननहि जैहौं॥ १ ॥ जद्यपि मोतें, कै कुमाततें ह्वै आई अति पोची। सनमुख गए सरन राखहिंगे रघुपति परम सँकोची॥ २ ॥ तुलसी यों कहि चले भोरहीं, लोग बिकल सँग लागे। जनु बन जरत देखि दारुन दव निकसि बिहग-मृग भागे॥ ३ ॥
Brother, what would I gain by remaining in Ayodhyā? Tomorrow I shall go to the forest to behold the feet of Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and Sītā. (1) Although an exceedingly wicked deed has come about through me or through my evil mother, the deeply considerate Raghupati will shelter me when I go before him for refuge. (2) Tulsī says that, speaking thus, Bharata departed at dawn, and the distraught people went with him—like birds and deer fleeing from a forest when they see it burning in a terrible wildfire. (3)