‘Vinai-Patrika’ was his last composition, penned roughly between Samvat 1631 and 1679

kāhē tē hari mōhiṁ bisārō. jānata nija mahimā mērē agha, tadapi na nātha sam̐bhārō. 1. patita-punīta, dīnahita, asarana-sarana kahata śruti cārō. hauṁ nahiṁ adhama, sabhīta, dīna? kidhauṁ bēdana mṛṣā pukārō?. 2. khaga-ganikā-gaja-byādha-pām̐ti jaham̐, taham̐ haunhūm̐ baiṭhārō. aba kēhi lāja kṛpānidhāna! parasata panavārō phārō. 3. jō kalikāla prabala ati hōtō, tuva nidēsa tēṁ n'yārō. tau hari rōṣa bharōsa dōṣa guna tēhi bhajatē taji gārō. 4. masaka biran̄ci, biran̄ci masaka sama, karahu prabhā'u tumhārō. yaha sāmaratha achata mōhiṁ tyāgahu, nātha tahām̐ kachu cārō. 5. nāhina naraka parata mōkaham̐ḍara, jadyapi hauṁ ati hārō. yaha baḍi trāsa dāsatulasī prabhu, nāmahu pāpa na jārō. 6. Verse no. 94—Oh Lord Hari (i.e. Lord Sri Ram, who was an incarnation of Lord Hari, one of the many names of Lord Vishnu)! Why have you forgotten me (kāhē tē hari mōhiṁ bisārō)? Oh Lord! You are aware of your own reputation, fame and glory on the one hand, and of my sins and misdemeanours on the other hand (jānata nija mahimā mērē agha). Inspite of that, why don't you take care of me (tadapi na nātha sam̐bhārō)?1 (1). [ 1 The Lord has a reputation of being merciful and of taking care of even the most sinful and humble of creatures if the latter honestly prays to the Lord, seeking the Lord’s protection while promising to change his evil ways. Not only this, the Lord is so gracious that if someone takes his shelter, the Lord ensures that the person changes his evil nature on his own by subtly influencing his mind and heart. In this stanza, Tulsidas invokes this quality of Lord Ram and stresses that the Lord should be careful about acting in accordance with his famed reputation and his own words that he would afford protection to the most lowly and humble, the most sinful and wretched, if the latter prays to him and surrenders himself before the Lord. Otherwise, his immaculate reputation would be tarnished if he neglects Tulsidas and does not give solace and succour to him. In the following stanzas, the stellar virtues and glories of Lord Ram which have made him so famous in this creation are enumerated in brief.] 317 Oh Lord, you are the one who purifies those who are tainted, those who are sinful, evil, vile and wicked; you make those who have countless faultless into ones who are faultless (patita-punīta). You are a benevolent benefactor and a selfless well-wisher of those who are unfortunate, distressed, lowly and humble; you think and act in their interest (dīnahita). You provide refuge and shelter to them who have no refuge or shelter anywhere else (asarana-sarana). These are facts that are affirmed by all the four Vedas (kahata śruti cārō). Then tell me, if this is the case, am I not eligible for your attention and mercy; am I not distressed, downtrodden, scared and sinful enough that I do not deserve your kindness and grace (for my salvation and deliverance)? (hauṁ nahiṁ adhama, sabhīta, dīna?). Or else, is the assertion of the Vedas wrong; is their proclamation erroneous (kidhauṁ bēdana mṛṣā pukārō)? (2). To start with, you had me sit along with the bird (vulture Jatau), Ganika1 (the prostitute who attained salvation), the elephant (Gaja) and the hunter/bandit (named Valmiki)2 . [To wit, you have acknowledged that I am a sinner like one of them; you have equated me or treated me at par with them: “khaga-ganikā-gaja-byādha-pām̐ti jaham̐, taham̐ haunhūm̐ baiṭhārō”.] Now, oh merciful Lord, what hesitation or shame do you now have in providing me with the same benefit, the same mercy and grace that you bestowed upon them (aba kēhi lāja kṛpānidhāna) 3 ? [ 1 Ganika (The prostitute): There was a prostitute by the name of Pingla. One day she had decorated herself with flowers and ornaments and waited eagerly for her lover. When he did not turn up even till midnight, she was very contrite and it dawned upon her that if she had spent so much of her time in devotion and remembrance of the Lord, she would have found deliverance. Right onwards, she turned away from her profession and became an ardent devotee of the Lord. This led to her emancipation and salvation. 2 The story of Jatau, Gaja and Valmiki are narrated in notes appended to verse no. 57, stanza no. 3 of this book Vinai Patrika. 3 To wit, first you accepted that you had provided the benefit of liberation, deliverance, peace and happiness to the above named entities who everyone knows were sinful, evil and lowly. Then you had also accepted that Tulsidas was no better than them—i.e. you treated Tulsisas at par with these sinful fellows. Now, if you can grant your mercy and grace upon these creatures on the ground that it is your very nature to provide succour and solace to those who are distressed and lowly, as well as to purify the impure and the sinful, then tell me oh Lord why are you not being equally graceful and merciful to Tulsidas? Verily oh Lord, I also expect the same treatment at your hands.] Now therefore, once you have allowed me to sit alongside the above-named persons, why are you taking away the platter (i.e. the plate of leaves for partaking food in a community meal) put in front of me (parasata panavārō phārō) 4 ? [ 4 Here, Tulsidas refers to the tradition of great Kings of inviting the poor and the humble for a commumity meal. In this metaphor, the benevolence, grace and spiritual rewards that the Lord bestowed upon the vulture Jatau, the prostitute Ganika, the elephant Gaja, and the hunter-turned great sage Valmiki is likened to the 318 wonderful and delicious food served to them in this community meal. These creatures had never expected in their lives to ever taste the sweetness of freedom from a life of sins and vices which was like their daily staple food, but on this occasion they tasted the most delicious food of their lives, symbolised by the nectar-like sweetness that is inherent in attainment of spiritual bliss and deliverance from the horrors of this world. Tulsidas says that he is no less sinful and lowly than them. And therefore, why is Lord Ram not granting him the same benefit as he had granted these four persons mentioned in this verse? Tulsidas reminds his Lord Ram that if he neglects the former, then it will have a negative effect on the Lord’s well known reputation of providing freedom from fear, freedom from sins and freedom from miseries to those who have sought refuge with the Lord even though they had been sinful and evil prior to seeking such refuge. To wit, Tulsidas earnestly pleads with his beloved Lord Ram, saying: “Oh Lord, why are you depriving me of the benefit of having peace and happiness, of having liberation and deliverance from all worldly horrors and miseries, like you had provided these to the sinful and pervert fellows named by me? Am I worse than them, or am I not as sinful and evil as they were? If they qualified for receiving your mercy, why am I not equally qualified?] (3). If Kaliyug (the personified form of the present age, the ‘yuga’, named after ‘Kali’, the deity of this age) had been stronger, more potent and powerful, and more gracious than you are (jō kalikāla prabala ati hōtō), and had he not been obeying your orders, had he not been under your command and was independent (tuva nidēsa tēṁ n'yārō)—then oh Hari (tau hari), we would have not troubled you, we would not have relied upon you for succour and solace, we would have stopped praising your fame and glories, and would have stopped getting angry at Kaliyug and finding faults with it (rōṣa bharōsa dōṣa guna). Instead of you, we would have worshipped and adored Kaliyug because it would have served our purpose. We would not have been angry at him or blame him for all the faults that afflict the world and cause interminable misery and pain to all living beings in it, because inspite of all its shortcomings and faults it would have been our Lord and Master for all practical purposes (rōṣa bharōsa dōṣa guna tēhi bhajatē taji gārō) 5 . [ 5 To wit, if Kaliyug is more powerful than Lord Ram, then Kaliyug would be the de-facto Lord of the world instead Sri Ram. In this situation, it would be prudent to keep him in good humour inspite of all his shortcomings—because it is always advisable to keep the King, in whose realm one has to live, in good humour. Otherwise, unnecessary problems are created by criticising the King and inviting his wrath. In this stanza Tulsidas politely and lovingly warns his Lord Ram that if he starts neglecting his devotees like Tulsidas, then they will think that Kali, the presiding deity of the current corrupt age, is more powerful. No one would then like to offend Kali and invite his wrath. They will stop worshipping the Lord and praying to him for their deliverance from miseries, and instead try to propitiate Kali. The Lord must understand that it will be a very shameful development, and would undermine his divinity and supremacy in this creation. Therefore, the Lord should pay heed to Tulsidas and take special care of the sinful and lowly creatures during the era known as Kaliyug if the Lord wishes to retain his glory and fame in this world.] (4). 319 But (what I have said above is not true because oh Lord) we all know about your majestic glories and mystical capabilities (karahu prabhā'u tumhārō) for you are capable of transforming a humble mosquito into the most exalted Brahma, the Creator, and vice-versa (masaka biran̄ci, biran̄ci masaka sama) 6 . [ 6 Albeit I have said that if you become slightly careless, the people of the world would think that you are afraid of taking action against Kaliyug or providing help to those whom Kaliyug wishes to enslave, as this would annoy the latter, and you do not wish to annoy him; but it is just for the sake of warning you, for actually all of us know that you are extremely powerful, being the sole Lord and the supreme Authority of creation. Even Kaliyug obeys your commands. We know for sure that you have that power whereby you can elevate the humblest to the stature of the most exalted, symbolised by your ability to turn a humble mosquito into the Creator of this creation!] Inspite of being so great, able, potent and powerful Lord of the world, (it seems that) are you are abandoning, ignoring and neglecting me (yaha sāmaratha achata mōhiṁ tyāgahu). Then, oh Lord, if even you behave this way, what can I do for I am feeling helpless (as I have no one to turn to and complain against you) (nātha tahām̐ kachu cārō). [But truly Lord, this does not behove of you and your majestic glory!] (5). Though I have been defeated (“jadyapi hauṁ ati hārō”--i.e. have lost all hopes of salvation and deliverance), and have recoinciled to my fate of falling into hell and have therefore overcome this fear too (nāhina naraka parata mōkaham̐ḍara)—but oh Lord (prabhu), this Tulsidas has the greatest regret and is feeling most anguished, hurt and sorrowful (yaha baḍi trāsa dāsatulasī) that even your great and powerful Name could not burn to ashes my sins, faults and blemishes which prevent me from attaining salvation and eternal peace for myself (nāmahu pāpa na jārō), though it certainly and surely can do so! (6). [Note—Tulsidas highlights Sri Ram's mercy, grace, benevolence, benefaction, benediction, munificence and magnanimity towards all and sundry, especially his devotees, in this verse.]