Tulsidas the Poet.

Tulsidas. (1532-1623)

Tulsi Tulsi Sab Kahe,
Tulsi Ban Ki Ghass,
Ho Gai Kripa Ram Ki
To Ban Gaye Tulsi Das.


Kaam Krodh Mad Lobh Ki
Jo Log Main Hai Khaan,
To Log Pandit Murakh Ek Saman.

Naman Naman Main Fer,
Bahoot Name Naadan,
Tulsi Kahe Daya Na Chhodi Ye
Jab Tak Tan Main Pran.


Goswami Tulsidas was a great devotee, philosopher and writer of many books on
Sri.Ram. His Ramcharita manas, an epic devoted to Lord Rama, was the Awadhi version of Ramayana of Valmiki.

He was born in Banda district in UP during the reign of Akbar.
He is regarded as an incarnation of sage Valmiki.
In Bhavishya Uttar Purana, Lord Shiva, narrates to Parvati, how Valmiki got
a boon from Hanumana to sing the glory of Lord Rama in Kaliyuga.


Tulsidas's most famous and read piece of literature apart from the Ramayana is the "Hanuman Chalisa” a poem praising Hanuman. Hindus recite it daily as a prayer.


Like many translations of the original Sanskrit Ramayana, his work is read and worshipped with great reverence in many Hindu homes. It is an inspiring book that contains couplets in verse form.
Ramacharitamanas is not exactly the "Awadhi version", but the original one of its kind. Apart from "Awadhi"- three other languages are also seen in the epic. They are "Bhojpuri", " Brijbhasa" and "the local language of people of Chitrakut".

It is well known among Hindi-speaking Hindus. Many of its verses are popular proverbs in that region. Tulsidas' phrases have passed into common speech, and are used by millions of Hindi speakers and even speakers of Urdu without the speakers being conscious of their origin. Not only are his sayings proverbial: his doctrine actually forms the most powerful religious influence in present-day Hinduism and, though he founded no school and was never known as a guru or master, he is everywhere accepted as both poet and saint, an inspired and authoritative guide in religion and the conduct of life.
Tulsidas professed himself the humble follower of his teacher, Narhari Das, from whom as a boy in Sukar-khet he first heard the tale of Rama's exploits that would form the subject of Ramacharitamanasa, and Narhari Das was the sixth in spiritual descent from Ramananda a founder of popular Vaishnavism in northern India, who was also known for his famous poems.
There are numerous differences between Tulsi Rāmacaritamānasa and Valmiki Ramayana. One example is the scene in which Kaikayi forces her husband to exile Rama. in Tulsi Das it becomes considerably longer and more psychological, with intense characterization and brilliant similes.
Besides Ramacharitamanasa, Tulsidas is the author of five longer and six shorter works, most of them dealing with the theme of Rama, his doings, and devotion to him.
1. The Dohavali consisting of, 573 miscellaneous doha and sortha verses; of this there is a duplicate in the Ram-satsai, an arrangement of seven centuries of verses, the great majority of which occur also in the Dohavali and in other works of Tulsi,
2. The Kavitavali, which is a history of Rama in the kavitta, ghanakshari, chaupaï and savaiya metres, similar to Ramacharitamanasa, it is divided into seven kandas or cantos, and is devoted to setting forth the majestic side of Rama's character,
3. The Geetavali, also in seven kandas, aiming at the illustration of the tender aspect of the Lord's life; the metres are adapted for singing
4. the Krishna-geetavali, a collection of 61 songs in honor of Krishna, in the Kanauji dialect of Hindi.
5. Vinaya Patrika is a series of hymns and prayers of which the first 43 are addressed to the lower gods, forming Rama's court and attendants, and the remainder, Nos. 44 to 279, to Rama himself.
His minor works include Baravai Ramayana, Janaki Mangal, Ramalala Nahachhu, Ramajna Prashna, Parvati Mangal, Krishna Gitavali, Hanuman Bahuka, Sankata Mochana and Vairagya Sandipini. Of the smaller compositions the most interesting is the
Vairagya Sandipani, a poem describing the nature and greatness of a holy man, and the true peace to which he attains.

नानापुराणनिगमागमसम्मतं यद्
Like Ramanuja, Tulsi believes in a supreme personal God, possessing all gracious qualities (sadguna), as well as in the quality-less (nirguna) neuter impersonal Brahman of Sankaracharya; this Lord Himself once took the human form, and became incarnate, for the blessing of mankind, as Rama. The body is therefore to be honored, not despised. The Lord is to be approached by faith bhakti disinterested devotion and surrender of self in perfect love, and all actions are to be purified of self-interest in contemplation of Him. Show love to all creatures, and thou wilt be happy; for when thou lovest all things, thou lovest the Lord, for He is all in all. The soul is from the Lord, and is submitted in this life to the bondage of works karma Mankind, in their obstinacy, keep binding themselves in the net of actions, and though they know and hear of the bliss of those who have faith in the Lord, they don't attempt the only means of release. The bliss to which the soul attains, by the extinction of desire, in the supreme home, is not absorption in the Lord, but union with Him in abiding individuality. This is emancipation mukti from the burden of birth and rebirth, and the highest happiness. Tulsi, venerates the whole Hindu pantheon, and is especially careful to give Shiva or Mahadeva; the special deity of the Brahmins, his due, and to point out that there is no inconsistency between devotion to Rama and attachment to Shiva. But the practical end of all his writings is to inculcate bhakti addressed to Rama as the great means of salvation and emancipation from the chain of births and deaths, a salvation which is as free and open to men of the lowest caste as to Brahmins.
However it is important to understand that for Tulsidas "doctrine" is not so important. Far more relevant is practice, the practice of repeating Rama-Nama, the name of the Rama. In fact, Tulsidas goes as far as to say that the name of Rama is bigger than Rama Himself (कहउँ नामु बड़ राम तें निज बिचार अनुसार, Why is the name of Rama bigger than Rama? Because "Rama" is a mantra a sound, the repetition of which can lead one to higher states of consciousness. Because the name itself contains Lord Rama himself in it. Rama itself means the one which is present in every atom of this universe (Ramta sakal jahan).
The literary worth of Tulsidas has been highlighted by Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla in his critical work Hindi Sahitya Ka Itihaas.Acharya Shukla has elaborated Tulsi's Lokmangal as the doctrine for social upliftment which made this great poet immortal and comparable to any other world littérateur.

In Growse's translation of Ramacharitamanas will be found the text and translation of the passages of Bhagatmala and its commentary, which are the main original authority for the traditions relating to the poet. Nabhaji had himself met Tulsidas; but the stanza in praise of the poet gives no facts relating to his life – these are stated in the tika or gloss of Priya Das, who wrote in A.D. 1712, and much of the material is legendary and untrustworthy. Unfortunately, the biography of the poet, Gosaichariata, has disappeared, and no copy of it is known to exist.
In the introduction to the edition of Ramayana by the Nagri Pracharni Sabha all the known facts of Tulsi's life are brought together and critically discussed, for an exposition of his religious position and his place in the popular religion of northern India.
A manuscript of Ayodhyakand, said to be in the poets own hand, exists at Rajapur in Banda, his reputed birthplace. One of Balakanda dated Samvat 1661, nineteen years before the poet's death, and carefully corrected, it is alleged written by Tulsidas himself, is at Ayodhya. Another autograph is reported to be preserved at Maliabad in the Lucknow, district, but has not, so far as known, been verified. Other ancient manuscripts are to be found at Benares.
A person from non-Hindi background may find Sri Ramcharitmanas bit difficult to understand. This mainly arise from the colloquialisms, and the idiomatic and elliptical structure of the sentences. These very difficulties constitute its peculiar value to the student who wishes to learn the Sri Ramcharitmanas. It disciplines the mind into recognizing words which have been distorted and twisted, and teaches one that a sentence can be turned upside down and inside out and yet remain intelligible.
O mind! Worship the compassionate Shree Ramachandra
Who destroys fear of the phenomenal world
His eyes are like fresh lotuses. He is lotus faced.
His hands are like lotuses, his feet are like lotuses.
His beauty excels that of myriad Cupids,
He is handsomely blue-hued like a cloud.
I bow before the one who wed the daughter of Janaka,
Who wears the yellow garment, the pure one who destroys arrogance.
Worship the friend of the poor,
The Sun who destroys the families of demons.
The progeny of Raghu, the son of Dasharatha,
The reservoir of bliss, the moon to Kosala.
Worship the one who wears the crown on his head,
Ear ornaments and crimson mark on the forehead
Whose every limb is decorated beautifully and generously,
Who is tall of stature, well built with strong arms,
Carrying bow and the arrows and victorious over evil demons in battle.
Thus says Tulsidas, worship Him who pleases Shankara and all the sages,
Reside in the lotus of my heart, destroying evil feelings like lust.
Tulsidas urges his mind to meditate on Sri Rama, the ever compassionate one who will destroy all the fears that we have during this harsh life of ours.