कबहुँक हौं यहि रहनि रहौंगो।
श्री रघुनाथ कृपालु कृपा तें संत सुभाव गहौंगो॥

जथालाभ संतोष सदा काहू सों कछु न चहौंगो।
परहित निरत निरंतर मन क्रम बचन नेम निबहौंगो॥

परुष बचन अति दुसह स्रवन सुनि तेहि पावक न दहौंगो।
बिगत मान सम सीतल मन पर गुन नहिं दोष कहौंगो॥

परिहरि देहजनित चिंता दुख सुख समबुद्धि सहौंगो।
तुलसिदास प्रभु यहि पथ रहि अबिचल हरिभक्ति लहौंगो॥

Meaning

Will I ever live this way? By the grace of kind Shri Raghunath, will I take on the nature of a saint?

Content with whatever comes, wanting nothing from anyone; always busy in the good of others, keeping my vow in thought, deed and word.

Hearing harsh words that are hard to bear, I will not burn in their fire; free of pride, calm and even-minded, I will speak of others’ virtues, not their faults.

Giving up the worries born of the body, I will bear sorrow and joy with an equal mind. Tulsidas says: Lord, keeping to this path I will gain unshakable devotion to Hari.

About this bhajan

In Vinaya Patrika pada 172 Tulsidas does not ask Rama for anything outside himself. He asks to become a certain kind of person: content, slow to anger, quick to praise others. The verbs all point forward (rahaungo, gahaungo, chahaungo) and give the pada its hopeful, almost wistful rhythm. Sadhus quote it as a short rule of life, and it is a favourite in satsangs where the talk turns to conduct rather than ritual.

Vinaya Patrika, pada 172 (Gita Press); checked against Kavita Kosh