राग बसन्त बंदौ रघुपति करुना-निधान। जाते छूटे भव-भेद-ग्यान॥ १॥ रघुबंश-कुमुद-सुखप्रद निसेस। सेवत पद-पंकज अज महेस॥ २॥ निज भक्त-हृदय-पाथोज-भृंग। लावन्य बपुष अगनित अनंग॥ ३॥ अति प्रबल मोह-तम-मारतंड। अग्यान-गहन-पावक प्रचंड॥ ४॥ अभिमान-सिंधु-कुंभज उदार। सुररंजन, भंजन भूमिभार॥ ५॥ रागादि-सर्पगन-पन्नगारि। कंदर्प-नाग-मृगपति, मुरारि॥ ६॥ भव-जलधि-पोत चरनारबिंद। जानकी-रवन आनंद-कंद॥ ७॥ हनुमंत-प्रेम-बापी-मराल। निष्काम कामधुक गो दयाल॥ ८॥ त्रैलोक-तिलक, गुनगहन राम। कह तुलसिदास बिश्राम-धाम॥ ९॥
Raga Vasanta—I bow to Raghupati, abode of compassion, through whom the divided knowledge born of worldly existence falls away. (1) He is the full moon that delights the water-lily of Raghu’s line; unborn Brahma and great Shiva serve his lotus feet. (2) He is the bee within the lotus-hearts of his devotees; the beauty of his body equals countless Loves. (3) He is the sun against the immensely powerful darkness of delusion and the blazing fire against the dense forest of ignorance. (4) He is the noble Agastya to the ocean of pride, delighting the gods and breaking the burden of the earth. (5) He is Garuda to the host of serpents beginning with attachment, the lion against the elephant of desire, and the enemy of Mura. (6) His lotus feet are a boat across the ocean of becoming; Janaki’s beloved is the source of bliss. (7) He is a swan in the stepwell of Hanuman’s love, and for the desireless he is the wish-fulfilling cow, deeply compassionate. (8) Rama, forehead-mark of the three worlds, deep forest of virtues, is the abode of repose—so says Tulsidas. (9)