Awakening and Determination
अबलौ नसानी, अब न नसैहौं।
राम-कृपा भव-निसा सिरानी, जागे फिरि न डसैहौं ॥ १ ॥
“Until now, I have wasted this life, but I will not allow it to be wasted anymore. With the grace of Shri Ram, the night of the world has ended, and I have awakened from the illusion that surrounded me. Now that I am awake, I will not spread the bed of illusion again; I will not get caught in the trap of illusion again.
Past Recognition: “I wasted my life until now.”
Present Awakening: “Ram’s grace woke me up”
Future Commitment: “I won’t fall asleep again.”
Night = Ignorance, Maya, spiritual sleep.
Awakening = Spiritual consciousness, seeing truth.
Bed of Maya = Comfort in illusion, spiritual laziness.
Not spreading the bed = Staying alert, never returning to ignorance.
Tulsidas ji invites every seeker to wake up from the deep sleep of forgetfulness.
Life is sacred and fleeting, yet it often slips away in the pursuit of comfort, ambition, and fleeting pleasure.
Through the grace of Shri Ram, the Divine Presence within, one can awaken from the darkness of maya, the illusion that hides truth.
Hold Fast to the Jewel of Rama’s Name
पायेउँ नाम चारु चिंतामनि, उर कर तें न खसैहौं।
स्यामरूप सुचि रुचिर कसौटी, चित कंचनहिं कसैहौं ॥ २ ॥
“The beautiful gem of Rama’s Name is the greatest treasure. Never let it slip from the hand of your heart. Let the heart remember it constantly, and let the hands turn the beads in japa. Test the gold of your mind on the touchstone of His form,
the pure, dark, and radiant form of Shri Raghunath to see whether your mind remains absorbed in His remembrance.”
The Treasure Found: Ram’s Name is the ultimate prize.
Guard It Carefully: Never forget it.
Two-Way Practice: Mental remembrance + physical chanting.
Self-Testing: Check your devotion constantly.
Chintamani = Wish-fulfilling gem, Ram’s Name gives everything.
Heart’s hand = Internal grip, constant awareness.
Touchstone = Testing stone for gold’s purity.
Mind as gold = Is your devotion pure or fake?
Tulsidas ji calls the Divine Name a Chintamani, a wish-fulfilling gem.
But unlike worldly treasures, this one fulfills the soul’s deepest longing: unity with God.
The “hand of the heart” symbolizes inner remembrance, while the “beads” represent steady practice.
A seeker should constantly test the mind on the touchstone of Shri Ram’s form, checking whether the heart remains in devotion or drifts toward distraction.
Master the Senses and Offer Them to the Divine
परबस जानि हँस्यो इन इंद्रिन, निज बस ह्वे न हँसेहौं।
मन मधुकर पनकै तुलसी रघुपति-पद-कमल बसैहौं ॥ ३ ॥
“When the senses rule a person, the senses make him dance and mock his weakness. True freedom begins when one gains mastery over the mind and senses. Then they can no longer cause humiliation. Dedicate your mind like a bee bound by love to the lotus feet of Shri Rama, never allowing it to fly elsewhere.”
Past Slavery: Senses controlled me.
Their Mockery: ridicule vulnerabilities
Present Freedom: Now I’ve won the battle.
Future Vow: Permanent commitment.
Senses as masters = Desires controlling you
Making you dance = Pulling you everywhere against your will
Ridicule/mockery = False promises, temporary pleasures leading to pain
Bee-like mind = Restless, jumping from thing to thing
Lotus feet = Shri Ram’s sacred presence
Bee in lotus = Mind absorbed in devotion
Goswami Tulsidas warns that uncontrolled senses enslave the soul.
They pull the mind outward, toward desire, anger, pride, and endless craving.
But when disciplined through devotion, the same senses become allies on the spiritual path.
The mind should remain fixed at the Lord’s feet, like a bee that clings to a lotus, intoxicated by its fragrance. Once the heart tastes such sweetness, it no longer seeks other flowers.
The Path of Inner Renewal
When these three are practiced with sincerity, divine light fills the heart, and the long night of illusion fades forever. Tulsidas reminds us that grace is not distant; it awakens the moment we turn inward and remember.
