नाहिनै नाथ! अवलंब मोहि आनकी। करम-मन-बचन पन सत्य करुनानिधे! एक गति राम! भवदीय पदत्रानकी॥ १॥ कोह-मद-मोह-ममतायतन जानि मन, बात नहिं जाति कहि ग्यान-बिग्यानकी। काम-संकलप उर निरखि बहु बासनहिं, आस नहि एकहूँ आँक निरबानकी॥ २॥ बेद-बोधित करम धरम बिनु अगम अति, जदपि जिय लालसा अमरपुर जानकी। सिद्ध-सुर-मनुज दनुजादि सेवत कठिन, द्रवहिं हठजोग दिये भोग बलि प्रानकी॥ ३॥ भगति दुरलभ परम, संभु-सुक-मुनि-मधुप, प्यास पदकंज-मकरंद-मधुपानकी। पतित-पावन सुनत नाम बिस्त्रामकृत, भ्रमित पुनि समुझि चित ग्रंथि अभिमानकी॥ ४॥ नरक-अधिकार मम घोर संसार-तम- कूपकहिँ, भूप! मोहि सक्ति आपानकी। दासतुलसी सोउ त्रास नहि गनत मन, सुमिरि गुह गीध गज ग्याति हनुमानकी॥ ५॥
Lord, I have no other support. O treasury of compassion, in deed, mind, and speech this vow of mine is true: Rama, my one refuge is your sandals. (1) Knowing my mind to be the abode of anger, pride, delusion, and possessiveness, no talk of knowledge or realization can even be spoken of. Seeing many impulses of desire and latent cravings in my heart, there is not one atom of hope for liberation. (2) Though my heart longs to go to the city of the immortals, it is exceedingly inaccessible without the works and duties taught by the Veda. Service of siddhas, gods, humans, demons, and the rest is hard; they relent only when given hatha-yoga, offerings, and the sacrifice of life. (3) Devotion is supremely difficult: Shambhu, Shuka, and sage-bees remain thirsty to drink the sweet nectar of your lotus feet. I hear that the Name purifies the fallen and grants repose, yet even after understanding, my mind strays again because of the knot of pride in the heart. (4) My entitlement is to hell, O King—to the dark well of terrible worldly existence—yet my strength is yours. Servant Tulsi does not reckon even that terror, remembering the kind of Guha, the vulture, the elephant, and Hanuman. (5)