कबहुँ मन बिश्राम न मान्यो। निसिदिन भ्रमत बिसारि सहज सुख, जहँ तहँ इंद्रिन तान्यो॥ १॥ जद्यपि बिषय-सँग सह्यो दुसह दुख, बिषम जाल अरुझान्यो। तदपि न तजत मूढ़ ममताबस, जानतहुँ नहिं जान्यो॥ २॥ जनम अनेक किये नाना बिधि करम-कीच चित सान्यो। होइ न बिमल बिबेक-नीर बिनु, बेद पुरान बखान्यो॥ ३॥ निज हित नाथ पिता गुरु हरिसों हरषि हृदै नहिं आन्यो। तुलसिदास कब तृषा जाय सर खनतहि जनम सिरान्यो॥ ४॥
The mind never consented to rest. Wandering night and day, forgetting its natural joy, it pulled the senses here and there. (1) Though it suffered unbearable pain in the company of sense-objects and became entangled in their dreadful net, the foolish mind, ruled by possessiveness, still does not leave them; even knowing, it did not know. (2) Through many births it performed deeds of many kinds and smeared the mind with their mud. It does not become spotless without the water of discernment—so Veda and Purana declare. (3) It did not joyfully bring into the heart Hari—its own benefactor, master, father, and teacher. Tulsidas, when will thirst go if one’s life ends merely in digging the lake? (4)