गौने मौनही बारहि बार परि परि पाय। जात जनु रथ चीर कर लछिमन मगन पछिताय॥ १ ॥ असन बिनु बन, बरम बिनु रन, बच्यौ कठिन कुघाय। दुसह साँसति सहनको हनुमान ज्यायो जाय॥ २ ॥ हेतु हौं सियहरनको तब, अबहु भयो सहाय। होत हठि मोहि दाहिनो दिन दैव दारुन दाय॥ ३ ॥ तज्यो तनु संग्राम जेहि लगि गीध जसी जटाय। ताहि हौं पहुँचा कानन चल्यो अवध सुभाय॥ ४ ॥ घोरहृदय कठोर-करतब सृज्यो हीं बिधि बायँ। दास तुलसी जानि राख्यो कृपानिधि रघुराय॥ ५ ॥
Again and again Lakṣmaṇa fell at her feet, then went away silently, submerged in remorse like a cloth effigy riding in the chariot. (1) I survived the forest without food, battle without armor, and the terrible blow of the śakti. Hanumān restored me to life in vain, only so I might bear this unbearable torment. (2) Then I became a cause of Sītā's abduction; now again I have become an instrument of her exile. Even my favorable day stubbornly turns into cruel fate's hard stroke. (3) For her the renowned vulture Jaṭāyu gave his body in battle; I, by contrast, have brought her to the forest and now travel naturally back toward Ayodhyā. (4) Hostile fate must have fashioned me hard-hearted for harsh deeds. Servant Tulsī says compassionate Raghurāi knew this and kept me for them. (5)