बलि जाउँ, और कासों कहौं? सदगुनसिंधु स्वामि सेवक-हित कहुँ न कृपानिधि-सो लहौं॥ १॥ जहँ जहँ लोभ लोल लालचबस निजहित चित चाहनि चहौं। तहँ तहँ तरनि तकत उलूक ज्यों भटकि कुतरु-कोटर गहौं॥ २॥ काल-सुभाउ-करम बिचित्र फलदायक सुनि सिर धुनि रहौं। मोको तौ सकल सदा एकहि रस दुसह दाह दारुन दहौं॥ ३॥ उचित अनाथ होइ दुखभाजन भयो नाथ! किंकर न हौं। अब रावरो कहाइ न बूझिये, सरनपाल! साँसति सहौं॥ ४॥ महाराज! राजीवबिलोचन! मगन-पाप-संताप हौं। तुलसी प्रभु! जब तब जेहि तेहि बिधि राम निबाहे निरबहौं॥ ५॥
I bow to you—to whom else shall I speak? Nowhere can I find a master who is an ocean of virtues, works for his servant’s welfare, and is a treasury of compassion like you. (1) Wherever, driven by greed and craving, my restless heart desires some good for itself, from each such place I turn like an owl seeing the sun, wander away, and enter a tree hollow. (2) Hearing that time, nature, and action yield varied fruits, I remain beating my head. For me, all three always have a single flavor: they burn me with unbearable, terrible heat. (3) It was fitting that I became an orphan and a vessel of sorrow, Lord, while I was not your servant. Now that I am called yours, guardian of the surrendered, I cannot understand why I endure torment. (4) Majesty, lotus-eyed one, I am submerged in the anguish of sin. Lord, Tulsi can survive only when Rama sustains him, whenever and however he may. (5)