In the Uttara Kanda of the Ramcharitmanas, the sage Kakabhushundi tells of a past life in which he insulted his own guru, a Brahmin devoted to Shiva, inside a Shiva temple. Shiva pronounced a curse. The guru, instead of feeling wronged, stood before the Lord and sang these eight verses to plead for his disciple's release.

That is the vipra (Brahmin) named in the closing verse: the guru who sang the hymn inside the story. Tulsidas is the poet who wrote it. The hymn is a teacher's prayer for a student who had failed him.

• Read the meaning of all eight verses once before you chant them.
• Chant slowly, one verse at a time. Turn off Meaning above once the words feel familiar.
• Mondays and Pradosha evenings are traditional, but any quiet time works.
• Close with the ninth verse, the Phala Shruti.