Salutation to the Wicked
Tulsidas offers even the wicked a formal salutation, recognizing that awareness of their nature teaches vigilance. He also implicitly seeks freedom from the obstacles they create.
Bal Kand · Episode 4 / 59
Episode Text
बहुरि बंदि खल गन सतिभाएँ। जे बिनु काज दाहिनेहु बाएँ॥ पर हित हानि लाभ जिन्ह केरें। उजरें हरष बिषाद बसेरें॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bahuri bandi khala gana satibhāeṃ। je binu kāja dāhinehu bāeṃ॥ para hita hāni lābha jinha kerẽ। ujareṃ haraṣa biṣāda basereṃ॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
Now I sincerely bow to the wicked, who, without any cause, act even against those who do them good. In their eyes, harming others' welfare is gain; they rejoice in others' ruin and grieve in their prosperity.
हरि हर जस राकेस राहु से। पर अकाज भट सहसबाहु से॥ जे पर दोष लखहिं सहसाखी। पर हित घृत जिन्ह के मन माखी॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
hari hara jasa rākesa rāhu se। para akāja bhaṭa sahasabāhu se॥ je para doṣa lakhahiṃ sahasākhī। para hita ghṛta jinha ke mana mākhī॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
They are like Rahu to the moon of Hari's and Hara's glory, and like Sahasrabahu in valor when doing harm to others. They see others' faults with a thousand eyes, and for the ghee of others' welfare their minds are like a fly's: as a fly falls into ghee and spoils it, so the wicked ruin others' work even at their own loss.
तेज कृसानु रोष महिषेसा। अघ अवगुन धन धनी धनेसा॥ उदय केत सम हित सब ही के। कुंभकरन सम सोवत नीके॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
teja kṛsānu roṣa mahiṣesā। agha avaguna dhana dhanī dhanēsā॥ udaya keta sama hita saba hī ke। kumbhakarana sama sovat nīke॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
Their heat is like fire, their wrath like Yama; they are wealthy in the wealth of sin and faults like Kubera. Their rise is like Ketu, bringing harm to everyone, and it is best for them to sleep like Kumbhakarna.
पर अकाजु लगि तनु परिहरहीं। जिमि हिम उपल कृषी दलि गरहीं॥ बंदउँ खल जस सेष सरोषा। सहस बदन बरनइ पर दोषा॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
para akāju lagi tanu pariharahīṃ। jimi hima upala kṛṣī dali garahīṃ॥ bandaũ khala jasa seṣa saroṣā। sahasa badana baranai para doṣā॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
Just as hailstones destroy the crop and then melt away themselves, so they even sacrifice their own bodies to spoil others' work. I bow to the wicked, likened to Shesha with a thousand mouths, who with great anger proclaim the faults of others through a thousand mouths.
पुनि प्रनवउँ पृथुराज समाना। पर अघ सुनइ सहस दस काना॥ बहुरि सक्र सम बिनवउँ तेही। संतत सुरानीक हित जेही॥ ५ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
puni pranavaũ pṛthurāja samānā। para agha sunai sahasa dasa kānā॥ bahuri sakra sama binavaũ tehī। santata surānīka hita jehī॥ 5 ॥
Meaning:
Again I bow to them as to King Prithu, who asked for ten thousand ears in order to hear the Lord's glory, and who hear others' sins with ten thousand ears. Then I bow to them like Indra, for whom the host of the gods is always favorable.
उदासीन अरि मीत हित सुनत जरहिं खल रीति। जानि पानि जुग जोरि जन बिनती करइ सप्रीति॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
udāsīna ari mīta hita sunata jarahiṃ khala rīti। jāni pāni juga jori jana binatī karai saprīti॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
Such is the wicked's habit: they burn upon hearing of the welfare of anyone—neutral, enemy, or friend. Knowing this, this servant joins both hands and humbly prays to them with love.
मैं अपनी दिसि कीन्ह निहोरा। तिन्ह निज ओर न लाउब भोरा॥ बायस पलिअहिं अति अनुरागा। होहिं निरामिष कबहुँ कि कागा॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
maiṃ apanī disi kīnh nihorā। tinha nija ora na lāuba bhorā॥ bāyasa pali'ahiṃ ati anurāgā। hohiṃ nirāmiṣa kabahuṃ ki kāgā॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
I have pleaded from my side, but they will never turn toward my side. Crows may be reared with great affection, but can they ever become abstainers from meat?
बंदउँ संत असज्जन चरना। दुखप्रद उभय बीच कछु बरना॥ बिछुरत एक प्रान हरि लेहीं। मिलत एक दुख दारुन देहीं॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bandaũ santa asajjana caranā। duḥkhaprada ubhaya bīca kachu baranā॥ bichurata eka prāna hari lehīṃ। milata eka dukha dārun dehīṃ॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
I now bow to the feet of both saints and the unsaintly; both give pain, yet a difference is noted. The difference is this: one, when separated from us, seems to take away our life, while the other, when encountered, gives terrible suffering.
उपजहिं एक संग जग माहीं। जलज जोंक जिमि गुन बिलगाहीं॥ सुधा सुरा सम साधु असाधू। जनक एक जग जलधि अगाधू॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
upajahiṃ eka saṃga jaga māhīṃ। jalaja joṃka jimi guna bilagāhīṃ॥ sudhā surā sama sādhu asādhū। janaka eka jaga jaladhi agādhū॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
Saints and the unsaintly are born into the world together, yet, like the lotus and the leech, their qualities differ. The lotus gives delight by sight and touch, while the leech begins to suck blood as soon as it touches the body. The saint is like nectar, and the wicked are like wine; yet the same unfathomable ocean of the world produces both. The scriptures say that from the churning of the ocean came both nectar and wine.
भल अनभल निज निज करतूती। लहत सुजस अपलोक बिभूती॥ सुधा सुधाकर सुरसरि साधू। गरल अनल कलिमल सरि ब्याधू॥ गुन अवगुन जानत सब कोई। जो जेहि भाव नीक तेहि सोई॥ ४-५ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bhala anabhala nija nija karatūtī। labhata sujasa apaloka bibhūtī॥ sudhā sudhākara surasari sādhū। garala anala kalimala sari byādhū॥ guna avaguna jānata saba koī। jo jehi bhāva nīka tehi soī॥ 4-5 ॥
Meaning:
Good and bad people each receive glory or infamy according to their own deeds. Nectar, the moon, the Ganga, and saints; poison, fire, the river of impurities, and the hunter—all are known for their virtues and faults. Yet whatever pleases someone, that alone seems good to him.
भलो भलाइहि पै लहइ लहइ निचाइहि नीचु। सुधा सराहिअ अमरताँ गरल सराहिअ मीचु॥ ५ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bhalo bhalāihi pai lahai lahai nicāihi nīcu। sudhā sarāhia amaratā̃ garala sarāhia mīcu॥ 5 ॥
Meaning:
The good take only goodness, and the low cling to lowness. Nectar is praised because it grants immortality; poison is praised because it kills.