Oh Tongue.

 kāhē na rasanā, rāmahi gāvahi? nisidina para-apavāda vṛthā kata raṭi-raṭi rāga baṛhāvahi. 1. naramukha sundara mandira pāvana basi jani tāhi lajāvahi. sasi samīpa rahi tyāgi sudhā kata ravikara-jala kaham̐ dhāvahi. 2. kāma-kathā kali-kairava-candini, sunata śravana dai bhāvahi. tinahiṁ haṭaki kahihari-kala-kīrati, karana kalaṅka nasāvahi. 3. jātarūpa mati, juguti rucira mani raci-raci hāra banāvahi. sarana-sukhada rabikula-sarōja-rabi rāma-nṛpahi-pahirāvahi. 4. bāda-bibāda, svāda taji bhaji hari, sarasa carita cita lāvahi. tulasidāsa bhava tarahi, tihūm̐ pura tū punīta jasa pāvahi. 5. Verse no. 237—[In the context of this verse, refer also to verse no. 129 and 247 of this Book ‘Vinai Patrika’ where Tulsidas has advised the Tongue wisely in a similar manner.] Oh my Tongue (rasanā)! Why don't you sing (i.e. talk and discuss) about the countless glories, the excellent fame, the virtuous qualities, and the divine stories of Lord Sri Ram (kāhē na rasanā, rāmahi gāvahi)? Why do you wear yourself down and increase your delusions and get confounded, why do you enhance your attachment and entanglement with this world by worthlessly criticising and speaking ill of others, gossiping, tatling, chattering ceaselessly, and indulging in heresy and hearsay, day and night (i.e. always)? (nisidina para-apavāda vṛthā kata raṭi-raṭi rāga baṛhāvahi) (1). Why do you stay to defile and put to shame the beautiful and sanctified symbolic shrine represented by the mouth of a human body (naramukha sundara mandira pāvana basi jani tāhi lajāvahi)? [To wit, oh Tongue, why do you not take Sri Ram's holy name to keep and maintain the holiness and sanctity of the temple-like mouth of the human body, instead of polluting it with worthless chatter?] Why do you run behind the illusionary water of the mirage (symbolised by the allurements, attachments and enticements of the object of this deluding world) to quench your thirst even though you have a direct access to an eternal source of Amrit, the elixir of life (by the way of being able to utter the holy and divine name of Lord Ram and sing his glories)? (sasi samīpa rahi tyāgi sudhā kata ravikara-jala kaham̐ dhāvahi). [To wit, why doesn’t the tongue chant the holy name of Lord Ram instead of constantly chattering about useless things related to this delusory world?] (2). 775 The talk about the pleasures, comforts and charms of the different sense objects of this materialistic mundane world (kāma-kathā) are like the rays of the moon that help the water-lilies, symbolised by all the countless temptations associated with the present corrupt era of Kaliyug, to bloom (kali-kairava-candini) 1 . [1 The water lily blooms in the light of the moon during the night. Tulsidas cites this example to stress that talking about worldly matters and charms of the countless objects of the senses would naturally ignite attraction and infatuation for them. All these relate to the world which is compared to Kaliyug because both are dark and fearsome for the creature. The moon rises only during the night, and ‘night’ is a metaphor for all things that are dark, fearsome, deluding and ridden with spiritual ignorance. No one can see properly in the darkness of the night; even the moonlight does not help much, and often it casts such ominous and eerie long shadows that a person begins to imagine that he is seeing a shadow of ghosts and phantoms. Hence, the moonlight more often than not inspires fear and horror.] Oh Tongue! You are so naïve that you spend your precious time and energy in attentively hearing about them, and getting enthralled and captivated by them (sunata śravana dai bhāvahi). Oh Tongue! Stop talking about the pleasures and objects of this world, and instead sing the magnificent glories and fames of Lord Sri Hari (Sri Ram) so that the ignominy and blemishes cast upon the ears by hearing nonsense things are removed and eliminated for your own good (tinahiṁ haṭaki kahihari-kala-kīrati, karana kalaṅka nasāvahi) 2 . [ 2 The ears have become tainted and polluted by constantly hearing about this world and its nuisance, and it can be rectified and purified only by hearing the pure and glorious fame of Sri Ram, and it is the tongue which can do it. This is because one hears about anything only when someone speaks or talks about it, and ‘speaking and talking’ are the function of the ‘tongue’. So the main culprit in spreading heresy and hearsay, in entangling the creature in the web of delusions and ignorance, in creating lust and passion and attachment in him, is the ‘tongue’.] (3). Make a symbolic garland of gold representing wisdom, intellect and discrimination, use beautiful beads made up of various methods (to worship, adore, revere and have devotion for the Lord) to complete this garland (jātarūpa mati, juguti rucira mani raci-raci hāra banāvahi), and then offer it to Lord Sri Ram who is a provider of comfort, solace and succour to those who have sought refuge in his holy feet, and who is like a ‘sun’ that enables the lotus of the Sun-race to bloom (sarana-sukhada rabikula-sarōja-rabi rāma-nṛpahi-pahirāvahi) 3 . [ 3 The tongue is advised to chant and sing the holy and divine name of Lord Ram, about his excellent virtues, glories and fame. For this purpose, the tongue should take the help of the mind with its resources of purified wisdom and refined intellect. Talking about the holiness and divinity of the Lord in an honest and affectionate way, with faith and devotion, is the symbolic form of worship that the ‘tongue’ can do. Since ‘gold’ is the most precious of things that one gifts to someone whom he loves dearly, such talk of the Lord is a symbolic offering of a golden garland to him. The ‘beads’ of this garland would be the different episodes related to Lord Ram from the scriptures, as well as the many excellent virtues and divine qualities of the Lord that one narrates.] (4). 776 Oh Tongue! Abandon talking about all things that cause discord, debate, confusion, bewilderment and dilemma, and without paying attention to their ‘taste’ (i.e., whether any of these things are pleasant or not, attractive or not) (bāda-bibāda, svāda taji), you should focus your attention to having devotion for Lord Ram, adoring and venerating the Lord, having faith in him, developing true affection for him, worshipping him, and involving yourself in singing the Lord’s glories, virtues and fame (bhaji hari, sarasa carita cita lāvahi). If you do it, then (with your help) Tulsidas shall cross this ocean-like world for sure (i.e., he shall certainly be free from the cycle of birth and death; he shall overcome the horrors incumbent with transmigration) (tulasidāsa bhava tarahi). And at the same time, you shall also become eligible for great honour and renown in all the three Lokas (worlds) (tihūm̐ pura tū punīta jasa pāvahi)