सकुचत हौं अति राम कृपानिधि! क्यों करि बिनय सुनावौं। सकल धरम बिपरीत करत, केहि भाँति नाथ! मन भावौं॥ १॥ जानत हौं हरि रूप चराचर, मैं हठि नयन न लावौं। अंजन-केस-सिखा जुवती, तहँ लोचन-सलभ पठावौं॥ २॥ स्रवननिको फल कथा तुम्हारी, यह समुझौं, समुझावौं। तिन्ह स्रवननि परदोष निरंतर सुनि सुनि भरि भरि तावौं॥ ३॥ जेहि रसना गुन गाइ तिहारे, बिनु प्रयास सुख पावौं। तेहि मुख पर-अपवाद भेक ज्यों रटि-रटि जनम नसावौं॥ ४॥ ‘करहु हृदय अति बिमल बसहिं हरि,’ कहि कहि सबहिं सिखावौं। हौं निज उर अभिमान-मोह-मद खल-मंडली बसावौं॥ ५॥ जो तनु धरि हरिपद साधहिं जन, सो बिनु काज गँवावौं। हाटक-घट भरि धरयो सुधा गृह, तजि नभ कूप खनावौं॥ ६॥ मन-क्रम-बचन लाइ कीन्हे अघ, ते करि जतन दुरावौं। पर-प्रेरित इरषा बस कबहुँक किय कछु सुभ, सो जनावौं॥ ७॥ बिप्र-द्रोह जनु बाँट परयो, हठि सबसों बैर बढ़ावौं। ताहूपर निज मति-बिलास सब संतन माझ गनावौं॥ ८॥ निगम सेस सारद निहोरि जो अपने दोष कहावौ। तौ न सिराहिं कलप सत लगि प्रभु, कहा एक मुख गावौं॥ ९॥ जो करनी आपनी बिचारौं, तौ कि सरन हौं आवौं। मृदुल सुभाउ सील रघुपतिको, सो बल मनहिं दिखावौं॥ १०॥ तुलसिदास प्रभु सो गुन नहिं, जेहि सपनेहुँ तुमहिं रिझावौं। नाथ-कृपा भवसिंधु धेनुपद सम जो जानि सिरावौं॥ ११॥
I am deeply ashamed, O Rama, treasury of compassion; how can I present my petition? Everything I do opposes dharma—how, Lord, can I please your heart? (1) I know that all moving and unmoving existence is Hari’s form, yet stubbornly I will not set my eyes upon it. I send the moths of my eyes instead to the flame of a young woman’s collyrium-dark hair. (2) I understand and teach that the fruit of the ears is hearing your story; yet with those ears I continually hear others’ faults, filling myself with them and burning. (3) With the tongue that could sing your virtues and attain happiness without effort, I croak accusations against others like a frog and squander my life. (4) “Make the heart utterly pure so that Hari may dwell there”—this I repeatedly teach everyone, while within my own heart I lodge the wicked company of pride, delusion, and intoxication. (5) I waste without purpose the body through which people seek Hari’s supreme feet. Nectar stands at home in golden vessels, yet I abandon it and have a well dug in the sky. (6) I carefully conceal the sins I deliberately committed in mind, act, and speech. If ever, prompted by another or under envy’s influence, I did some good, I proclaim it. (7) Enmity toward brahmins seems to have fallen to my share, and I obstinately increase hostility toward all. Even so, among all the saints I parade the clever displays of my own understanding. (8) Were Veda, Shesha, and Sharada entreated to recount my faults, Lord, they would not finish in a hundred cosmic ages; how then could I sing them with one mouth? (9) If I consider my own conduct, could I even dare come for refuge? I show my mind this one strength: Raghupati’s tender nature and gracious character. (10) Lord, Tulsidas has no virtue by which he could please you even in a dream. Yet knowing that by the Master’s grace the ocean of becoming is like a cow’s hoofprint, I take heart. (11)