चौपाई :
कहेहु नीक मोरेहूँ मन भावा। यह अनुचित नहिं नेवत पठावा॥
दच्छ सकल निज सुता बोलाईं। हमरें बयर तुम्हउ बिसराईं॥
ब्रह्मसभाँ हम सन दुखु माना। तेहि तें अजहुँ करहिं अपमाना॥
जौं बिनु बोलें जाहु भवानी। रहइ न सीलु सनेहु न कानी॥
जदपि मित्र प्रभु पितु गुर गेहा। जाइअ बिनु बोलेहुँ न सँदेहा॥
तदपि बिरोध मान जहँ कोई। तहाँ गएँ कल्यानु न होई॥
भाँति अनेक संभु समुझावा। भावी बस न ग्यानु उर आवा॥
कह प्रभु जाहु जो बिनहिं बोलाएँ। नहिं भलि बात हमारे भाएँ॥
दोहा :
कहि देखा हर जतन बहु रहइ न दच्छकुमारि।
दिए मुख्य गन संग तब बिदा कीन्ह त्रिपुरारि॥
चौपाई :
पिता भवन जब गईं भवानी। दच्छ त्रास काहुँ न सनमानी॥
सादर भलेहिं मिली एक माता। भगिनीं मिलीं बहुत मुसुकाता॥
दच्छ न कछु पूछी कुसलाता। सतिहि बिलोकी जरे सब गाता॥
सतीं जाइ देखेउ तब जागा। कतहूँ न दीख संभु कर भागा॥
तब चित चढ़ेउ जो संकर कहेऊ। प्रभु अपमानु समुझि उर दहेऊ॥
पाछिल दुखु न हृदयँ अस ब्यापा। जस यह भयउ महा परितापा॥
जद्यपि जग दारुन दुख नाना। सब तें कठिन जाति अवमाना॥
समुझि सो सतिहि भयउ अति क्रोधा। बहु बिधि जननीं कीन्ह प्रबोधा॥
दोहा :
सिव अपमानु न जाइ सहि हृदयँ न होइ प्रबोध।
सकल सभहि हठि हटकि तब बोलीं बचन सक्रोध॥
चौपाई :
सुनहु सभासद सकल मुनिंदा। कही सुनी जिन्ह संकर निंदा॥
सो फलु तुरत लहब सब काहूँ। भली भाँति पछिताब पिताहूँ॥
संत संभु श्रीपति अपबादा। सुनिअ जहाँ तहँ असि मरजादा॥
काटिअ तासु जीभ जो बसाई। श्रवन मूदि न त चलिअ पराई॥
जगदातमा महेसु पुरारी। जगत जनक सब के हितकारी॥
पिता मंदमति निंदत तेही। दच्छ सुक्र संभव यह देही॥
तजिहउँ तुरत देह तेहि हेतू। उर धरि चंद्रमौलि बृषकेतू॥
अस कहि जोग अगिनि तनु जारा। भयउ सकल मख हाहाकारा॥
दोहा :
सती मरनु सुनि संभु गन लगे करन मख खीस।
जग्य बिधंस बिलोकि भृगु रच्छा कीन्हि मुनीस॥
भए प्रगट कृपाला दीनदयाला कौसल्या हितकारी।
हरषित महतारी मुनि मन हारी अद्भुत रूप बिचारी॥
The merciful, compassionate Lord — the benefactor of Kaushalya — appeared. The mother was filled with joy; the sage's mind was captivated at the sight of his wondrous form.
लोचन अभिरामा तनु घनस्यामा निज आयुध भुज चारी।
भूषन बनमाला नयन बिसाला सोभासिंधु खरारी॥
Beautiful eyes, a dark-cloud-hued body, four arms bearing his own weapons; adorned with ornaments and a garland of forest flowers, large eyes — an ocean of beauty, the destroyer of Khar.
बार बार नाइ चरन सिर, बिनय करइ रनिवास।
जनि प्रभु मोहि बिसारहु, करहु हृदय निवास॥
Bowing again and again at the Lord's feet, the palace ladies pray: "O Lord, do not forget me — make your home in my heart."
ठुमकि चलत रामचंद्र बाजत पैजनियाँ।
किलकि किलकि उठत धाइ गिरत भूमि लटपटाइ॥
Little Ramchandra toddles along, his anklets jingling. He squeals with delight, runs, then falls and rolls on the ground — again and again.
Bal Lila — English Meaning
The merciful, compassionate Lord — the benefactor of Kaushalya — appeared in his divine form. The mother was filled with overwhelming joy; even the sages' minds were captivated at the sight of his wondrous form.
His eyes were enchanting, his body dark as rain-clouds; he held his own weapons in four arms. Adorned with ornaments and a garland of forest flowers, with large eyes — he was an ocean of beauty, the destroyer of Khar.
Little Ramchandra toddles along with his anklets jingling sweetly. He squeals with delight, runs excitedly, then falls and rolls on the ground — then gets up and does it all over again. His dark beautiful form dusted with earth was so enchanting that Tulsidas could only compare him to the beautiful child Krishna, son of Nanda.
The palace women bow again and again at his feet, praying with folded hands: "O Lord, do not forget us — make your eternal dwelling in our hearts."
The Bal Lila is not merely a description of Ram's childhood — it is a profound spiritual teaching on vatsalya bhakti (devotion as a parent). Tulsidas shows us that the supreme Lord who sustains the universe chose to appear as a helpless, laughing, tottering child — entirely out of love for his devotees. Every parent who reads this feels Kaushalya's joy, and every devotee feels the privilege of being loved by such a Lord.
भए प्रगट कृपाला दीनदयाला कौसल्या हितकारी।
Chaupai 1, Line 1 — Balkanda · Bal Lila
| # | Word (Sanskrit) | Roman | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | भए | Bhae | Verb (Past) | Appeared / became manifest |
| 2 | प्रगट | Pragaṭa | Adjective | Manifest / visible / appeared |
| 3 | कृपाला | Kṛpālā | Noun (vocative) | The merciful / compassionate one |
| 4 | दीनदयाला | Dīnadayālā | Compound Noun | दीन (poor/humble) + दयाला (compassionate) = the merciful to the humble |
| 5 | कौसल्या | Kausalyā | Proper Noun | Kaushalya — mother of Lord Ram, queen of Dasharatha |
| 6 | हितकारी | Hitakārī | Adjective | One who does good / benefactor / well-wisher |
हरषित महतारी मुनि मन हारी अद्भुत रूप बिचारी।
Chaupai 1, Line 2 — Balkanda · Bal Lila
| # | Word | Roman | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | हरषित | Haraṣita | Adjective | Filled with joy / overjoyed / delighted |
| 2 | महतारी | Mahatārī | Noun | Mother (Awadhi) — refers to Kaushalya |
| 3 | मुनि | Muni | Noun | Sage / ascetic / one who has taken a vow of silence |
| 4 | मन | Mana | Noun | Mind / heart / consciousness |
| 5 | हारी | Hārī | Verb | Captivated / stolen / enchanted (mind was won over) |
| 6 | अद्भुत | Adbhuta | Adjective | Wondrous / extraordinary / beyond description |
| 7 | रूप | Rūpa | Noun | Form / appearance / beauty |
| 8 | बिचारी | Bicārī | Verb (gerund) | Upon contemplating / reflecting / seeing |
Tulsidas follows the Bhakti tradition of seeing the Lord as one's child (vatsalya). Kaushalya's joy at seeing the divine child is the archetype of this devotion — she doesn't see the all-powerful Vishnu; she sees her baby Ram, and that limited, personal love is itself the highest spiritual achievement.
The Bal Lila section uses the chaupai metre — four-line verses in Awadhi, each line of 16 matras (syllabic units). This metre gives the verses a rhythmic, almost musical quality suited to the joyful subject matter.
The dohas (two-line couplets) that appear between groups of chaupais serve as summaries and meditative pauses — a traditional structure Tulsidas inherited from the Sant Kavya tradition of his predecessors like Kabir and Surdas.
Notice the onomatopoeia in "ठुमकि" (thumaki) — the word itself sounds like the toddle of a child. This is Tulsidas at his literary finest, using sound to reinforce meaning.
The Bal Lila prakarana of Balkanda is among the most beloved sections of the Ramcharitmanas. It deals with the divine childhood of Lord Ram — his first steps, his playful antics, the joy of his parents, and the wonder of the citizens of Ayodhya who witness these acts.
Goswami Tulsidas chose to include these episodes to highlight the concept of vatsalya bhakti — devotion in the mood of a parent. In this form of devotion, the devotee sees God not as the supreme master but as their own beloved child, to be pampered, protected, and delighted in.
The famous verse "ठुमकि चलत रामचंद्र बाजत पैजनियाँ" (Thumaki chalat Ramachandra, bajat paijaniyaan) captures the divine child Ram toddling with his anklets ringing — an image so tender that it has been set to music and sung across India for centuries.