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Gosvāmī Tulsīdās (1532-1623; Devanāgarī: तुलसीदास, may be written as Tulasī Dāsa depending on if the name is transcribed to indicate Sanskrit pronunciation instead of Hindi) was an Awadhi poet and philosopher, and the author Rāmacaritamānasa ("The Lake of the Deeds of Rama"), an epic devoted to Lord Rama.

He was born in Rajpur, India in the present day Banda District, ¹ Uttar Pradesh, during the reign of Humayun to Hulsi and Atmaram Dubey.² During his lifetime, Tulsidas wrote 22 different works ³ and, although a Sanskrit scholar, he is considered the greatest and most famous of Hindi poets. He is regarded as an incarnation of Valmiki,³ the author of Ramayana written in Sanskrit.

Rāmacaritamānasa ("The Lake of the Deeds of Rama"), an epic devoted to Lord Rama, was the Awadhi version of Ramayana of Valmiki, like many translations of the original Sanskrit Ramayana, is read and worshipped with great reverence in many Hindu homes in northern India. It is an inspiring book that contains sweet couplets in beautiful rhyme called 'chaupai'. Vinaya Patrika is another important book written by Tulsidas.

Contents 1 Rāmacaritamānasa 2 Other works 3 His doctrine 4 Sources and manuscripts 5 Differences in Tulsi Rāmacaritamānasa and Valmiki Ramayana 6 References 7 External links

Rāmacaritamānasa

Tulsidas's most famous poem is Rāmacaritamānasa, or "The Lake of the Deeds of Rama". It is popularly called Tulsi-krita Ramayana and is as well known among Hindi-speaking Hindus in India. 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 the Rāmacaritamānasa. 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.

Other works

Besides the Rāmacaritamānasa, Tulsidas was the author of five longer and six shorter works, most of them dealing with the theme of Rama, his doings, and devotion to him. The former are

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 Kabitta Ramayan or Kavitavali, which is a history of Rama in the kavitta, ghanakshari, chaupaï and savaiya metres; like the Rāmacaritamānasa, it is divided into seven kandas or cantos, and is devoted to setting forth the majestic side of Rama's character,
3. the Gitavali, 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 Krishnavali or Krishna gitavali, a collection of 61 songs in honor of Krishna, in the Kanauji dialect of Hindi: the authenticity of this is doubtful,
5. the Vinaya Patrika, or Book of petitions, 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 ⁴. Of the smaller compositions the most interesting is the Vairagya Sandipani, or Kindling of continence, a poem describing the nature and greatness of a holy man, and the true peace to which he attains.

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

His doctrine

Tulsi's doctrine encompasses and includes almost all major streams of thought of the Sanatana Dharma as an amalgamation. According to Tulsi, there is no difference in Saguna and Nirguna, Bhakti and Jnana, Vishnu and Siva, Rama and Krishna. His verses on Maya concur with the concept in Sankaracharya's monism, while his recommendation of surrender to the lord (Sharanagati) can be compared to the concept of Prapatti in Ramanuja's qualified monism. In the Rama Gita of Ramcharitmanas, the difference between Jiva and Brahman is also explained. In his works like Ramcharitmanas and Vinaypatrika, he refers to the elements (tattvas) of Sankhya philosophy, and also to Yama and Niyama as defined by Patanjali's system of Yoga. At the begginning of the Ramcharitmanas, Tulsidas himself attests that his work is in accordance with numerous Puranas, Vedas and (Tantric) Agamas -

नानापुराणनिगमागमसम्मतं यद् (RCM Balkand seventh verse)

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, as a Saryupareen Brahmin, 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 (Ramayana, Lankakanda, Doha 3). 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 practise, the practise 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, ⁵). 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. Thus it is not Rama that "saves", but the name of Rama.

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.

Sources and manuscripts

In Growse's translation of the Rāmacaritamānasa⁶, will be found the text and translation of the passages in the Bhagatmala of Nabhaji 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, called Gosai-charitra, by Benimadhab Das, who was a personal follower and constant companion of the Master, and died in 1642, has disappeared, and no copy of it is known to exist.

In the introduction to the edition of the 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, see Dr. Grierson's paper in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, July 1903, pp. 447-466. (C. J. L.)

A manuscript of the Ayodhya-kanda, said to be in the poets own hand, exists at Rajapur in Banda, his reputed birthplace. One of the Bala-kanda, dated Samvat 1661, nineteen years before the poet's death, and carefully corrected, it is alleged 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. An excellent translation of the whole into English was made by F. S. Growse, of the Indian Civil Service (5th edition, Cawnpore, Kanpur, 1891).

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. A nice introduction to the grammar of the Sri Ramcharitmanas was written by Edwin Greaves titled "Notes on the grammar of the Ramayan of Tulsi Das"⁷ (1895).

Differences in Tulsi Rāmacaritamānasa and Valmiki Ramayana

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 characterisation and brilliant similes.

References

1. ^ Goswami Tulsidas Biography By Swami Sivananda at Divine Life Society.
2. ^ Biography Tulsidas at hinduism.about.com.
3. ^ ^{a b} Biography www.poetseers.org.
4. ^ Tulsidas www.ramcharitmanas.iitk.ac.in.
5. ^ Ramacharitamanas, Bal Kand, Doha 23
6. ^ The Rámáyana of Tulsi Dás
7. ^ Notes on the grammar Ramayana of Tulsi Das

External links

• Tulsidas at Kavita Kosh (Hindi)
• Original works of Tulsidas in Hindi (Wikisource)
• Rāmacaritamānasa text in Hindi
• Biography Tulasidas
• Poetic eulogies by Tulsidas -Stutimandal
• Complete text of Tulsidas's Rāmacaritamānasa, with Gujarati translation by Shri Yogeshwarji
• Tulsi Das finds Sri Ram in Lord Jagannath

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

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