सुनहु राम रघुबीर गुसाई, मन अनीति-रत मेरो। चरन-सरोज बिसारि तिहारे, निसिदिन फिरत अनेरो॥ १॥ मानत नाहिं निगम-अनुसासन, त्रास न काहू केरो। भूल्यो सूल करम-कोलुन्ह तिल ज्यों बहु बारनि पेरो॥ २॥ जहँ सतसंग कथा माधवकी, सपनेहुँ करत न फेरो। लोभ-मोह-मद-काम-कोह-रत, तिन्हसों प्रेम घनेरो॥ ३॥ पर-गुन सुनत दाह, पर-दूषन सुनत हरख बहुतेरो। आप पापको नगर बसावत, सहि न सकत पर खेरो॥ ४॥ साधन-फल, श्रुति-सार नाम तव, भव-सरिता कहँ बेरो। सो पर-कर काँकिनी लागि सठ, बेंचि होत हठि चेरो॥ ५॥ कबहुँक हौं संगति-प्रभावतें, जाउँ सुमारग नेरो। तब करि क्रोध संग कुमनोरथ देत कठिन भटभेरो॥ ६॥ इक हौं दीन, मलीन, हीनमति, बिपतिजाल अति घेरो। तापर सहि न जाय करुनानिधि, मनको दुसह दरेरो॥ ७॥ हारि परयो करि जतन बहुत बिधि, तातें कहत सबेरो। तुलसिदास यह त्रास मिटै जब हृदय करहु तुम डेरो॥ ८॥
Hear me, Rama, Raghubira, Master: my mind is absorbed in injustice. Forgetting your lotus feet, it roams astray night and day. (1) It does not obey the command of scripture and fears no one. It has forgotten the pain of being pressed many times like sesame seed in the oil-mill of karma. (2) Where there is saintly company and Madhava’s story, it does not turn even in a dream. It gives its deepest love instead to those absorbed in greed, delusion, pride, lust, and anger. (3) Hearing another’s virtue, it burns; hearing another’s fault, it greatly rejoices. It builds a city of its own sins yet cannot endure even another’s little hamlet. (4) Your name is the fruit of all discipline, the essence of scripture, and the boat across the river of becoming. For a shell in another’s hand, the fool sells it and obstinately becomes that person’s slave. (5) If, through good company’s influence, I ever draw near the good path, then anger together with evil desire gives me a hard shove. (6) I am already poor, impure, and dull-witted, tightly surrounded by a net of calamities; on top of that, O treasury of compassion, I cannot endure this intolerable thrust of the mind. (7) I have been defeated after making many kinds of effort, and therefore say in advance: this fear of Tulsidas will disappear only when you make your dwelling in his heart. (8)