तात! बिचारो धौं, हौं क्यों आवौं। तुम्ह सुचि, सुद्ध, सुजान सकल बिधि, बहुत कहा कहि कहि समुझावौं॥ १ ॥ निज कर खाल खैंचि या तनतें जौं पितु पग पानही करावौं। होउँ न उरिन पिता दसरथतें, कैसें ताके बचन मेटि पतिआवौं॥ २ ॥ तुलसिदास जाको सुजस तिहुँ पुर, क्यों तेहि कुलहि कालिमा लावौं। प्रभु-रुख निरखि निरास भरत भए, जायो है सबहि भाँति बिधि बावौं॥ ३ ॥
Dear brother, consider: how can I return? You are pure, upright, and wise in every way; what more can I say by explaining it again and again? (1) Even if I stripped this body’s skin with my own hands and made sandals for my father’s feet, I could not repay my debt to Daśaratha. How, then, could I set aside his word and satisfy myself? (2) Tulsīdāsa says: how could I blacken the lineage whose fair fame fills all three worlds? Seeing the Lord’s resolve, Bharata despaired; fate had become perverse in every way. (3)