5 verses · 163 of 361
The false ascetic says: do not wonder at it, son; nothing is beyond reach of tapas. By the power of tapas Brahma creates the world, by tapas Vishnu became its protector, by tapas Shambhu destroys it; nothing in the world is unattainable by tapas. Hearing this the king grew very fond of him, and the man began to tell old kathas. He set out dharma, karma and many itihasas, and told countless marvels of creation, preservation and dissolution. Listening, the king fell fully under the ascetic's power and was about to tell his own name. The ascetic said: king, I know you; you acted with guile, and I liked it. Kings rightly hide their names; seeing your shrewdness, my love for you is all the greater.
जनि आचरज करहु मन माहीँ । सुत तप तेँ दुर्लभ कछु नाहीँ ॥
तप बल तेँ जग सृजइ विधाता । तप बल बिष्नु भये परित्राता ॥
jani ācaraja karahu mana māhīm̐ | suta tapa tem̐ durlabha kachu nāhīm̐ ||
tapa bala tem̐ jaga sṛjai vidhātā | tapa bala biṣnu bhaye paritrātā ||
तप बल सम्भु करहिँ सङ्घारा । तप तेँ अगम न कछु संसारा ॥
भयउ नृपहि सुनि अति अनुरागा । कथा पुरातन कहइ सो लागा ॥
tapa bala sambhu karahim̐ saṅghārā | tapa tem̐ agama na kachu saṃsārā ||
bhayau nṛpahi suni ati anurāgā | kathā purātana kahai so lāgā ||
करम धरम करम इतिहास अनेका । करइ निरूपन बिरति बिबेका ॥
उदभव-पावन-प्रलय कहानी । कहेसि अमित आचरज बखानी ॥
karama dharama karama itihāsa anekā | karai nirūpana birati bibekā ||
udabhava-pāvana-pralaya kahānī | kahesi amita ācaraja bakhānī ||
सुनि महिप तापस बस भयऊ । आपन नाम कहन तब लयऊ ॥
कह तापस नृप जानउँ तोही । कीन्हेहु कपट लाग भल मोही ॥
suni mahipa tāpasa basa bhayaū | āpana nāma kahana taba layaū ||
kaha tāpasa nṛpa jānaum̐ tohī | kīnhehu kapaṭa lāga bhala mohī ||
सुनु महीस असि नीति, जहँ तहँ नाम न कहहिँ नृप ।
मोहि तोहि पर अति प्रीति, सोइ चतुरता बिचारि तव ॥
sunu mahīsa asi nīti, jaham̐ taham̐ nāma na kahahim̐ nṛpa |
mohi tohi para ati prīti, soi caturatā bicāri tava ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0
