TULASI TO GANDHI - 1

जेहि सुमिरत सिधि होई, गण-नायक करिवर-वदन ।
करो अनुग्रह सोई, बुद्धि-रासि शुभ-गुण-सदन ।।
मूक होई वाचाल, पंगु चढै गिरिवर गहन ।
जासु कृपासु दयालु, द्रवौ सकल कलि-मल-दहन ।।
O elephant-mouthed one, the chief of ganas by thinking on whom one attains salvation and who is a storehouse of knowledge and virtues, may Thy grace descend upon me; O merciful one by whose mercy the dumb speak, the lame ascend steep hills and who washes off all the scorching dirt of Kali—shower thy blessings upon me.
तु दयालु, दीन हौं, तू दानि, हौं भिखारी ।
हौं प्रसिद्ध पातकी, तू पाप- पुंज-हारी ।। १ ।।
नाथ तू अनाथको, अनाथ कौन मोसो ?
मो समान आरत नहि, आरत-हर तोसो ।। २ ।।
ब्रह्म तू, हौं जीव, तू ठाकुर, हौं चेरो ।
तात, मात, गुरू, सखा तू, सब विधि हितु मेरो ।। ३ ।।
तोहिं मोहिं नाते अनेक मानियै जो भावै ।
ज्यों त्यों तुलसी कृपालु चरन-सरन पावै ।। ४ ।।
Thou art merciful, I am in distress; Thou art the giver, I am a beggar; I am a known sinner, Thou art the forgiver of mountains of sins; Thou art the help of the helpless and who can be so helpless as I?
There is none so afflicted like me, there is no deliverer like unto Thee; Thou art the creator, I am a little creature; Thou art the lord, I am a slave; Thou art father, brother, teacher, friend, all in all to me; if I have only faith, I know that there is much between Thee and me; may Tulsi somehow feel the protecting power of Thy holy feet.
ऐसी मूढता या मनकी ।
परिहरि रामभक्ति-सुरसरिता आस करत ओस-कनकी ।।
धूम-समूह निरखि चातक ज्यों तृषित जानि मति धनकी ।
नहिं तहं सीतलता, न बारि, पुनि हानि होति लोचनकी ।।
ज्यों गच कांच विलोकि स्येन जड छांह आपने तनकी ।
टूटत अति आतुर अहारबस, छति बिसारि आननकी ।।
कहं लौं कहौं कुचाल कृपानिधि, जानत हौं गति जनकी ।
तुलसिदास प्रभु ! हरहु दुसह दुख करहु लाज निजपनकी ।। O my soul! How foolish art thou, thou leavest the celestial waters of Ramabhakti and runnest after the mirage even as the chatak bird being thirsty mistakes a volume of smoke for a cloud but finds neither coolness nor water and damages its eyes into the bargain; or even as the hungry hawk seeing its own reflection through a glass floor falls upon it forgetting the injury done to its own face.
O merciful God, how long need I relate my misdeeds? Thou knowest the minds of Thy devotees.
Tulsidas says: Lord, think of Thy  promise and deliver Thy servant from the insufferable misery.
** Translated by Gandhi ji  the  verses of Tulasi from Vinay ptrika  that were included in his prayer-book .