चौपाई :
जब जदुबंस कृष्न अवतारा। होइहि हरन महा महिभारा॥
कृष्न तनय होइहि पति तोरा। बचनु अन्यथा होइ न मोरा॥
रति गवनी सुनि संकर बानी। कथा अपर अब कहउँ बखानी॥
देवन्ह समाचार सब पाए। ब्रह्मादिक बैकुंठ सिधाए॥
सब सुर बिष्नु बिरंचि समेता। गए जहाँ सिव कृपानिकेता॥
पृथक-पृथक तिन्ह कीन्हि प्रसंसा। भए प्रसन्न चंद्र अवतंसा॥
बोले कृपासिंधु बृषकेतू। कहहु अमर आए केहि हेतू॥
कह बिधि तुम्ह प्रभु अंतरजामी। तदपि भगति बस बिनवउँ स्वामी॥
दोहा :
सकल सुरन्ह के हृदयँ अस संकर परम उछाहु।
निज नयनन्हि देखा चहहिं नाथ तुम्हार बिबाहु॥
चौपाई :
यह उत्सव देखिअ भरि लोचन। सोइ कछु करहु मदन मद मोचन॥
कामु जारि रति कहुँ बरु दीन्हा। कृपासिन्धु यह अति भल कीन्हा॥
सासति करि पुनि करहिं पसाऊ। नाथ प्रभुन्ह कर सहज सुभाऊ॥
पारबतीं तपु कीन्ह अपारा। करहु तासु अब अंगीकारा॥
सुनि बिधि बिनय समुझि प्रभु बानी। ऐसेइ होउ कहा सुखु मानी॥
तब देवन्ह दुंदुभीं बजाईं। बरषि सुमन जय जय सुर साईं॥
अवसरु जानि सप्तरिषि आए। तुरतहिं बिधि गिरिभवन पठाए॥
प्रथम गए जहँ रहीं भवानी। बोले मधुर बचन छल सानी॥
दोहा :
कहा हमार न सुनेहु तब नारद कें उपदेस॥
अब भा झूठ तुम्हार पन जारेउ कामु महेस॥
चौपाई :
सुनि बोलीं मुसुकाइ भवानी। उचित कहेहु मुनिबर बिग्यानी॥
तुम्हरें जान कामु अब जारा। अब लगि संभु रहे सबिकारा॥
हमरें जान सदासिव जोगी। अज अनवद्य अकाम अभोगी॥
जौं मैं सिव सेये अस जानी। प्रीति समेत कर्म मन बानी॥
तौ हमार पन सुनहु मुनीसा। करिहहिं सत्य कृपानिधि ईसा॥
तुम्ह जो कहा हर जारेउ मारा। सोइ अति बड़ अबिबेकु तुम्हारा॥
तात अनल कर सहज सुभाऊ। हिम तेहि निकट जाइ नहिं काऊ॥
गएँ समीप सो अवसि नसाई। असि मन्मथ महेस की नाई॥
दोहा :
हियँ हरषे मुनि बचन सुनि देखि प्रीति बिस्वास।
चले भवानिहि नाइ सिर गए हिमाचल पास॥
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.