Invocation and Auspicious Beginning
Tulsidas begins with an auspicious invocation, remembering Sarasvati, Ganesha, Bhavani-Shankara, and Rama. He seeks divine grace so the sacred poem may unfold under blessed guidance.
Bal Kand · Episode 1 / 59
Episode Text
वर्णानामर्थसंघानां रसानां छन्दसामपि। मङ्गलानां च कर्त्तारौ वन्दे वाणीविनायकौ॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
varṇānāmarthasaṃghānāṃ rasānāṃ chandasāmapi। maṅgalānāṃ ca karttārau vande vāṇīvināyakau॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
I bow to Vani and Vinayaka, the creators of letters, groups of meanings, poetic flavors, meters, and auspiciousness.
भवानीशङ्करौ वन्दे श्रद्धाविश्वासरूपिणौ। याभ्यां विना न पश्यन्ति सिद्धाः स्वान्तःस्थमीश्वरम्॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bhavānīśaṅkarau vande śraddhāviśvāsarūpiṇau। yābhyāṃ vinā na paśyanti siddhāḥ svāntaḥsthamīśvaram॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
I bow to Bhagavati Parvati and Lord Shankar, who are the very forms of faith and trust; without them, the perfected beings cannot behold the Lord dwelling in the heart.
वन्दे बोधमयं नित्यं गुरुं शङ्कररूपिणम्। यमाश्रितो हि वक्रोऽपि चन्द्रः सर्वत्र वन्द्यते॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
vande bodhamayaṃ nityaṃ guruṃ śaṅkararūpiṇam। yamāśrito hi vakro’pi candraḥ sarvatra vandyate॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
I bow to the eternal, knowledge-filled Guru, who is in the form of Shiva; by whose grace even the crooked moon becomes worthy of veneration everywhere.
सीतारामगुणग्रामपुण्यारण्यविहारिणौ। वन्दे विशुद्धविज्ञानौ कवीश्वरकपी श्वरौ॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sītārāmaguṇagrāmapuṇyāraṇyavihāriṇau। vande viśuddhavijñānau kavīśvarakapī śvarau॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
I bow to the two, who roam in the holy forest of the countless virtues of Sita and Rama, endowed with pure wisdom: the poet-lord Valmiki and the lord of the monkeys, Hanuman.
उद्भवस्थितिसंहारकारिणीं क्लेशहारिणीम्। सर्वश्रेयस्करीं सीतां नतोऽहं रामवल्लभाम्॥ ५ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
udbhavasthitisaṃhārakāriṇīṃ kleśahāriṇīm। sarvaśreyaskarīṃ sītāṃ nato’haṃ rāmavallabhām॥ 5 ॥
Meaning:
I bow to Sita, beloved of Rama, who brings forth, sustains, and withdraws creation, removes afflictions, and grants every blessing.
यन्मायावशवर्त्ति विश्वमखिलं ब्रह्मादिदेवासुरा यत्सत्त्वादमृषैव भाति सकलं रज्जौ यथाहेर्भ्रमः। यत्पादप्लवमेकमेव हि भवाम्भोधेस्तितीर्षावतां वन्देऽहं तमशेषकारणपरं रामाख्यमीशं हरिम्॥ ६ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
yanmāyāvaśavartti viśvamakhilaṃ brahmādidevāsurā yatsattvādamṛṣaiva bhāti sakalaṃ rajjau yathāherbhramaḥ। yatpādaplavamekameva hi bhavāmbhodhestitīrṣāvatāṃ vande’haṃ tamaśeṣakāraṇaparaṃ rāmākhyamīśaṃ harim॥ 6 ॥
Meaning:
I bow to Hari, called Rama, the supreme Lord beyond all causes—whose maya governs the entire universe, including Brahma, the gods, and the demons; by whose existence the whole world appears real, just as a rope is mistaken for a snake; and whose feet alone are the boat for those who wish to cross the ocean of worldly life.
नानापुराणनिगमागमसम्मतं यद् रामायणे निगदितं क्वचिदन्यतोऽपि। स्वान्तःसुखाय तुलसी रघुनाथगाथा- भाषानिबन्धमतिमञ्जुलमातनोति॥ ७ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nānāpurāṇanigamāgamasammataṃ yad rāmāyaṇe nigaditaṃ kvacidanyato’pi। svāntaḥsukhāya tulasī raghunāthagāthā- bhāṣānibandhamatimañjulamātanoti॥ 7 ॥
Meaning:
For the joy of his own heart, Tulsidas composes an exquisitely charming verse in the vernacular on the tales of Lord Raghunath—what is sanctioned by many Puranas, the Vedas and the Agamas, what is told in the Ramayana, and what is found elsewhere too.
जो सुमिरत सिधि होइ गन नायक करिबर बदन। करउ अनुग्रह सोइ बुद्धि रासि सुभ गुन सदन॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
jo sumirat sidhi hoi gana nāyaka karibara badana। karau anugraha soi buddhi rāsi subha guna sadana॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
May the Lord with the elephant face, the master of the ganas and the treasure-house of wisdom and noble qualities, grant me grace—He whose remembrance brings all accomplishment.
मूक होइ बाचाल पंगु चढ़इ गिरिबर गहन। जासु कृपाँ सो दयाल द्रवउ सकल कलि मल दहन॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
mūka hoi bācāla paṅgu chaṛhai giribara gahana। jāsu kṛpāṃ so dayāla dravau sakala kali mala dahana॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
By whose grace a mute becomes eloquent and a lame man climbs the steepest mountains, may that compassionate One, who burns away all the sins of Kali Yuga, be merciful to me.
नील सरोरुह स्याम तरुन अरुन बारिज नयन। करउ सो मम उर धाम सदा छीरसागर सयन॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nīla saroruha syāma taruna aruna bārija nayana। karau so mama ura dhāma sadā chīrasāgara sayana॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
May that Lord, dark as a blue lotus, with eyes like fully bloomed red lotuses, who ever rests on the Ocean of Milk, dwell in my heart.
कुंद इंदु सम देह उमा रमन करुना अयन। जाहि दीन पर नेह करउ कृपा मर्दन मयन॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kunda indu sama deha umā ramana karuṇā ayana। jāhi dīna para neha karau kṛpā mardana mayana॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
May Shiva, whose body is fair like jasmine and the moon, who is the beloved of Uma and the abode of compassion, and who loves the humble, show mercy to me—the destroyer of Kama.
बंदउँ गुरु पद कंज कृपा सिंधु नररूप हरि। महामोह तम पुंज जासु बचन रबि कर निकर॥ ५ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bandauṃ guru pada kanj kṛpā siṃdhu nararūpa hari। mahāmoh tama puṃja jāsu bacana rabi kara nikara॥ 5 ॥
Meaning:
I bow to the lotus feet of the Guru, who is an ocean of mercy and none other than Hari in human form; whose words are like a host of sunbeams to dispel the dense darkness of great delusion.