भए प्रगट कृपाला दीनदयाला कौसल्या हितकारी।
हरषित महतारी मुनि मन हारी अद्भुत रूप बिचारी॥
लोचन अभिरामा तनु घनस्यामा निज आयुध भुज चारी।
भूषन बनमाला नयन बिसाला सोभासिंधु खरारी॥
कह दुइ कर जोरी अस्तुति तोरी केहि बिधि करौं अनंता।
माया गुन ग्यानातीत अमाना बेद पुरान भनंता॥
करुना सुख सागर सब गुन आगर जेहि गावहिं श्रुति संता।
सो मम हित लागी जन अनुरागी भयउ प्रगट श्रीकंता॥
ब्रह्मांड निकाया निर्मित माया रोम रोम प्रति बेद कहै।
मम उर सो बासी यह उपहासी सुनत धीर मति थिर न रहै॥
उपजा जब ग्याना प्रभु मुसुकाना चरित बहुत बिधि कीन्ह चहै।
कहि कथा सुहाई मातु बुझाई जेहि प्रकार सुत प्रेम लहै॥
माता पुनि बोली सो मति डोली तजहु तात यह रूपा।
कीजै सिसुलीला अति प्रियसीला यह सुख परम अनूपा॥
सुनि बचन सुजाना रोदन ठाना होइ बालक सुरभूपा।
यह चरित जे गावहिं हरिपद पावहिं ते न परहिं भवकूपा॥
Bhae pragat kripala dindayala Kausalya hitkari,
harashit mahatari muni man hari adbhut roop bichari.
Lochan abhirama tanu ghanasyama nij ayudh bhuj chari,
bhushan banamala nayan bisala sobhasindhu Kharari.
Kah dui kar jori astuti tori kehi bidhi karaun ananta,
maya gun gyanatit amana Bed Puran bhananta.
Karuna sukh sagar sab gun agar jehi gavahin shruti santa,
so mam hit lagi jan anuragi bhayau pragat Shrikanta.
Brahmand nikaya nirmit maya rom rom prati Bed kahai,
mam ur so basi yah upahasi sunat dhir mati thir na rahai.
Upaja jab gyana prabhu musukana charit bahut bidhi kinh chahai,
kahi katha suhai matu bujhai jehi prakar sut prem lahai.
Mata puni boli so mati doli tajahu tat yah roopa,
kijai sisulila ati priyasila yah sukh param anupa.
Suni bachan sujana rodan thana hoi balak surbhupa,
yah charit je gavahin Haripad pavahin te na parahin bhavakupa.
Meaning
The kind Lord, merciful to the humble, Kausalya’s benefactor, appeared. The mother was filled with joy as she gazed at his wondrous form that steals the hearts of sages: eyes delightful, body dark as a rain-cloud, holding his own weapons in four arms, adorned with jewels and a garland of forest flowers, wide-eyed, an ocean of beauty, the slayer of Khara.
Joining her hands she said: “Endless one, how can I praise you? The Vedas and Puranas say you are beyond maya, beyond the gunas and beyond knowledge, beyond all measure. You, ocean of compassion and joy, home of every virtue, of whom the Shrutis and saints sing, the Lord of Lakshmi, have appeared for my good out of love for your devotees.
The Vedas say that in every pore of your body are hosts of universes made by maya, and you have lived in my womb. Hearing this wonder, even a steady mind cannot stay still.” When this knowledge dawned in her, the Lord smiled; he wished to perform many leelas. He told her a lovely katha of her past and explained it, so that she would love him as a son.
Then the mother’s mind changed and she said: “Dear one, leave this form. Play as a little child, so dear to me; that joy has no equal.” Hearing these words, the wise Lord, king of the devas, became a baby and began to cry. Those who sing of this reach Hari’s feet and do not fall into the well of worldly life.
About this bhajan
In the Bal Kanda of the Ramcharitmanas this chhand is the moment of birth itself. Bhagwan Vishnu stands before Kausalya in his four-armed form, she recognises him, and then she asks him to become her baby, and he begins to cry. On Ram Navami temples across north India open the curtain at noon, and this is the hymn that fills the hall as the bells ring. Its internal rhymes (kripala, dindayala; abhirama, ghanasyama) fall every few beats and carry a crowd easily.
Ramcharitmanas, Bal Kanda, chhand before doha 192 (Gita Press); checked against Kavita Kosh