8 verses · 2 of 361
With the guru's dust as salve for his eyes of discernment, Tulsidas begins Rama's story. He bows first to the Brahmins, who clear doubts born of delusion, then to the gathering of the good. A saint's life is like cotton: plain, white and full of threads of virtue, bearing hardship to cover others' holes. The company of saints is a Prayag that walks the earth. Devotion to Rama is its Ganga, reflection on Brahman its Saraswati, the teaching of what to do and shun its Yamuna, Hari and Hara's katha the confluence, and firm faith its undying banyan. It is open to all, every day, in every land. The doha says those who bathe there with love gain all four aims of life in this very body.
गुरु-पद-रज मृदु मञ्जुल अञ्जन । नयन-अमिय दृग दोष बिभञ्जन ॥
तेहिं करि बिमल बिबेक बिलोचन । बरनउँ राम चरित भव-मोचन ॥
guru-pada-raja mṛdu mañjula añjana | nayana-amiya dṛga doṣa bibhañjana ||
tehiṃ kari bimala bibeka bilocana | baranaum̐ rāma carita bhava-mocana ||
बन्दउँ प्रथम महीसुर चरना । मोह जनित संसय सब हरना ॥
सुजन-समाज सकल-गुन-खानी । करउँ प्रनाम सप्रेम सुबानी ॥
bandaum̐ prathama mahīsura caranā | moha janita saṃsaya saba haranā ||
sujana-samāja sakala-guna-khānī | karaum̐ pranāma saprema subānī ||
साधु चरित सुभ सरिस कपासू । निरस बिसद गुन-मय फल जासू ॥
जो सहि दुख पर-छिद्र दुरावा । वन्दनीय जेहिं जग जस पावा ॥
sādhu carita subha sarisa kapāsū | nirasa bisada guna-maya phala jāsū ||
jo sahi dukha para-chidra durāvā | vandanīya jehiṃ jaga jasa pāvā ||
मुद-मङ्गल-मय सन्त-समाजू । जो जग जङ्गम तीरथराजू ॥
रामभगति जहँ सुरसरि धारा । सरसइ ब्रह्म-विचार-प्रचारा ॥
muda-maṅgala-maya santa-samājū | jo jaga jaṅgama tīratharājū ||
rāmabhagati jaham̐ surasari dhārā | sarasai brahma-vicāra-pracārā ||
विधि-निषेध-मय कलिमल-हरनी । करम कथा रबिनंदनि बरनी ॥
हरि-हर-कथा बिराजति बेनी । सुनत सकल-मुद-मङ्गल देनी ॥
vidhi-niṣedha-maya kalimala-haranī | karama kathā rabinaṃdani baranī ||
hari-hara-kathā birājati benī | sunata sakala-muda-maṅgala denī ||
बट बिस्वास अचल निज-धरमा । तीरथराज-समाज सुकरमा ॥
सबहिँ सुलभ सब दिन सब देसा । सेवत सादर समन कलेसा ॥
baṭa bisvāsa acala nija-dharamā | tīratharāja-samāja sukaramā ||
sabahim̐ sulabha saba dina saba desā | sevata sādara samana kalesā ||
अकथ अलौकिक तीरथराऊ । देइ सद्य फल प्रगट प्रभाऊ ॥
akatha alaukika tīratharāū | dei sadya phala pragaṭa prabhāū ||
सुनि समुझहिँ जन मुदित मन, मज्जहिँ अति अनुराग ।
लहहिं चारि-फल अछत-तनु, साधु-समाज प्रयाग ॥
suni samujhahim̐ jana mudita mana, majjahim̐ ati anurāga |
lahahiṃ cāri-phala achata-tanu, sādhu-samāja prayāga ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0
