Goswami Tulsidas

Goswami Tulsidas was a great devotee of Lord Rama. He is one of the most familiar saints in India and his version of the epic story of Sri Rama that is called “Sri RamCharit Manas” is an extremely popular scripture. Sri RamCharit Manas is a proof of the exalted state of devotion that this saint has achieved and the grace God has showered upon him. It is said that Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana have appeared to Tulsidas in person on a few occasions. The story of Goswami Tulsidas is highy inspirational to aspirants in the present age; it revives faith in the Divine and proves that God can be attained through pure devotion even in this Kali Yuga.

Tulsidas was born in Rajpur, in the district of Banda in Uttar Pradesh, in 1532 A.D. His father’s name was Atmaram Shukla Dube and his mother’s name Hulsi. In childhood his name was Tulsiram or Ram Bola. He showed unusual qualities even at the time of his birth. He was married to Ratnavali and had a son named Tarak.

Tulsidas was passionately attached to his wife. He coult not bear even a day’s separation from her. One day his wife went to her father’s house without informing her husband. Tulsidas stealthily went to see her at night at his father-in-law’s house. This produced a sense of shame in Ratnavali. She said to Tulsidas, “My body is but a network of flesh and bones. If you would develop for Lord Rama even half the love that you have for my filthy body, you would certainly cross the ocean of Samsara and attain immortality and eternal bliss.” These words pierced the heart of Tulsidas like an arrow. He did not stay there even for a moment. He abandoned home and became an ascetic. He spent fourteen years visiting the various sacred places of pilgrimage.

While returning from answering the calls of nature, Tulsidas used to throw the water that was left in his water-pot at the roots of a tree, which a spirit was occupying. The spirit was very much pleased with Tulsidas. The spirit said, “O man! Get a boon from me”. Tulsidas replied, “Let me have Darshan of Lord Rama”. The spirit said, “Go to the Hanuman temple. There Hanuman comes in the guise of a leper to hear the Ramayan as the first hearer and leaves the place last of all. Get hold of him. He will help you”. Accordingly, Tulsidas met Hanuman, and through His grace, had Darshan or vision of Lord Rama.

Tulsidas wrote twelve books. The most famous book is his RamCharit manas. He wrote this book under the directions of Hanuman. It is said that after the battle between Sri Rama and Ravana, Hanuman himself wrote the story of Lord Rama and showed it to Sage Valmiki, the author of Ramayana in Sanskrit. Reading that story, Sage Valmiki told Hanuman that it was so beautifully written that nobody would read Valmiki’s version of Ramayan anymore. At this Hanuman blessed Sage Valmiki that in his next birth he would rewrite Ramayana in a popular dialect, which will be extremely popular, and submerged his own story into the sea. Goswami Tulsidas is regarded as an incarnation of Sage Valmiki and RamCharit Manas is the Ramayana in popular dialect, Avadhi.

The other works of Goswami Tulsidas include – Dohavali, Kavitavali, Gitavali, Krishnavali, Vinaya Patrika, and Vairagya Sandipani.