जे जनमे कलिकाल कराला । करतब बायस बेष मराला ॥
चलत कुपन्थ बेद-मग छाँड़े । कपट-कलेवर कलि मल भाँड़ें ॥
je janame kalikāla karālā | karataba bāyasa beṣa marālā ||
calata kupantha beda-maga chām̐r̤e | kapaṭa-kalevara kali mala bhām̐r̤eṃ ||
Bala Kanda
Chapter 12: Tulsidas confesses his own faults
7 verses · 12 of 361
What happens in this chapter
Tulsidas confesses his own faults
Tulsidas turns the eye on himself. Those born in harsh Kali act like crows dressed as swans, leave the Vedic path and call themselves Rama's devotees while serving gold, anger and lust. Among such hypocrites under a banner of dharma he puts himself first. To list all his faults would make the katha endless, so he says little. After this plea no one should blame the katha, and whoever still doubts it is duller than he. He is no poet and sings Rama's virtues as far as his mind allows. What is a tuft of cotton before a wind that blows away Meru? Even Sharada, Shesha, Mahesh, Brahma and the Vedas can only say neti neti.
बञ्चक भगत कहाइ राम के । किङ्कर कञ्चन कोह-काम के ॥
तिन्ह महँ प्रथम रेख जग मोरी । धींग धरमध्वज धन्धक धोरी ॥
bañcaka bhagata kahāi rāma ke | kiṅkara kañcana koha-kāma ke ||
tinha maham̐ prathama rekha jaga morī | dhīṃga dharamadhvaja dhandhaka dhorī ||
जौं अपने अवगुन सब कहऊँ । बाढ़इ कथा पार नहिँ लहऊँ ॥
तातेँ मैं अति अलप बखाने । थोरे महँ जानिहहिँ सयाने ॥
jauṃ apane avaguna saba kahaūm̐ | bār̤hai kathā pāra nahim̐ lahaūm̐ ||
tātem̐ maiṃ ati alapa bakhāne | thore maham̐ jānihahim̐ sayāne ||
समुझि बिबिध बिधि बिनती मोरी । कोउ न कथा सुनि देइहि खोरी ॥
एतेहु पर करिहहिं जे असङ्का । मोहि ते अधिक ते जड़ मति-रङ्का ॥
samujhi bibidha bidhi binatī morī | kou na kathā suni deihi khorī ||
etehu para karihahiṃ je asaṅkā | mohi te adhika te jar̤a mati-raṅkā ||
कबि न होउँ नहिं चतुर कहावउँ । मति अनुरूप राम-गुन गावउँ ॥
कहँ रघुपति के चरित अपारा । कहँ मति मोरि निरत संसारा ॥
kabi na houm̐ nahiṃ catura kahāvaum̐ | mati anurūpa rāma-guna gāvaum̐ ||
kaham̐ raghupati ke carita apārā | kaham̐ mati mori nirata saṃsārā ||
जेहिं मारुत गिरि मेरु उड़ाहीँ । कहहु तूल केहि लेखे माहीं ॥
समुझत अमित राम प्रभुताई । करत कथा मन अति कदराई ॥
jehiṃ māruta giri meru ur̤āhīm̐ | kahahu tūla kehi lekhe māhīṃ ||
samujhata amita rāma prabhutāī | karata kathā mana ati kadarāī ||
सारद सेष महेस बिधि, आगम निगम पुरान ।
नेति नेति कहि जासु गुन, करहिं निरन्तर गान ॥
sārada seṣa mahesa bidhi, āgama nigama purāna |
neti neti kahi jāsu guna, karahiṃ nirantara gāna ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0