Great Vaisnava poet Tulasidas
He was one of the best poets ever to have graced Bharat. His verses were written in Hindi and accessible to everyone. He is well known for the work, which was referred to as the greatest book ever written by Gandhiji, 'Ramacharita manasa' It is impossible to write a brief note about Tulasidas and be content about it. The reader is kindly advised to read in detail Rama charita manasa for a deeper appreciation of Tulasidas, the person, the poet, the philosopher, the saint and, more importantly, the devotee of Lord Rama.

Tulasidas was born in the year 1532 to a brahmin family in the town of Rajapur. He suffered separation from his parents at a very young age and was not taken care of by his relatives. He came into contact with some saints who advised him to surrender to Lord Rama. Thus, he got associated with a Hanuman temple and ate whatever was given to him. Not much is known about Tulasi's guru, but he met him in Sukarkheta. Since tulasidas was not mentally equipped at that time for complex philosophies, his guru advised him to take up the path of devotion to Rama. As time grew on, Tulasi's love for Rama grew deeper and deeper.

However, in his youth, he got married to a woman named Ratnavali. Once his wife went to stay with her parents for a while. Tulasi, not being able to bear the separation, went to meet her. Ratnavali is said to admonished Tulasi by saying 'I am just a bag of flesh and bones. Why are you so attracted to it ? Why don't you love Lord Rama with the same fervor?' This type of retort is not typical of Indian wives (atleast during that time). One wonders whether Ratnavali was itself spiritually inclined or whether God determined it was the appropriate time for Tulasi to leave the family life. Anyway, Tulasi contemplated on this remark and left all connections with the family life.

After bidding goodbye to family life, he lived in Chitrakuta for some time before 1564. He used to go around houses for alms. One day, he came to the house where his wife and father-in-law lived, but he did not recognize them. Though the wife recognized him, she just gave him alms and food. When she insisted that he partake spices like pepper, salt etc, he replied that he had his own supply of spices in his possession. Early next morning, when Tulasidas was preparing to leave the house, his wife requested him to take her with him. But, he refused saying that he has renounced family life. Ratnavali was angered and remarked, 'You have spices in your possession, but not wife. What kind of renunciate are you ?.' Tulasidas recognized the folliness of being attached to food, and thanked his wife for the lesson and threw away all his remaining possessions. He, then, migrated to Kashi. Scholars have rightly pointed out that Rama charita manasa would never have been written if not for Ratnavali's remarks. Though he made several pilgrimages throughout the country, his permanent residence was in Kashi. He commenced writing rama charita manasa in Ayodhya but came back to Kashi.

Nabhaji, the author of Bhaktamala (1600), writes that Tulasidas was an incarnation of Valmiki itself born again to explain Ramayana in the vernacular langauge. This raise in his fame naturally created many enemies, who attacked his caste, his asceticism etc, but Tulasi does not seem to have been bothered by this.

Tulasi was a personification of humility. He declares in the Manasa that he is no poet and he is imperfect and only sings the excellence of Rama according to his poor wit and understanding. This is the case in his other works Gitavali (1571), Kavitavali (1612), Barvairamayana (1612) and one of the best works, Vinaya Patrika (request to Rama). Tulasi, should not, however, be considered partial to Rama in exclusion to others. He appreciated the diverse tenets of Saiva, advaita and samkhya philosophies. He authored 22 different works. He never became attracted to miracles or money. Once the powerful king Jahangir offered him money in return for the performance of some miracles. Tulasi retorted 'Who needs money when one has the love of (and for) Rama ? What use is miracles before his glory ?'

In Kashi, he became the head of the monastery in lolarka kunda and was designated 'Gosain.' Around 1612, he started to suffer from acute arm pain, boils causing uprooting of his hair and also seems to have suffered from the epidemic in the local area. Having dedicated his life to Lord Rama, these were considered to mere trifles and Tulasi passed away on the third day of the dark fortnight in the month of Shravana in 1623.
Rama charita manasa

Having examined the life of Tulasidas, let us encounter the work 'Rama charita manasa.' There is no book which is considered more valuable by millions of devotees of Lord Rama in North India. The Manasa ministers munificently to the fancy of millions of Indians whose companion is Tulasi's poetry. Many a friend of mine utter tulasi's kritis when idling or hum his verses during monotonous work.

When the country was plunged in a gloomy atmosphere during the Muslim rule, the bhakti movement which inspired hundreds of people arose. Whether it was Chaitanya, Ramananda, Vallabha, Mirabhai, Tukaram, Ramanuja, Madhva, Kabir, Suradas etc.., the common thread was the bhakti exhibited toward Rama or Krishna. But the epic Manasa brings the common people hope even nowadays in the darkness of Kali yuga.

Tulasi is so magnificent in telling the episodes, whether it is Bharata's lamentation on arrival at Ayodhaya, kaikeyi in the chamber, or the conversation of Narada and Rama, that it is extremely moving and coherent. Tulasi is so passionately devoted to Lord Rama that by the sheer liveliness of his poetic imagination, he brings into life Rama, not as a son of Dasartha but as a qualified incarnation of Vishnu and also as Brahman itself. Yes, the same Brahman which the vedas and upanishads struggle to define and comprehend and resort to negativity as 'neti neti' (not this, not this). The basic religious principle of Tulasi can be found in the Uttarakanda of the Manas in the dialogue between Garuda and Bhushundi. As Tulasi points out, the name Rama means 'like a sun who dispels the darkness of ignorance.' Tulasi's Rama is thus Satchitananda. He is the all prevading Brahman and as Shiva says 'the story of Rama is an axe which fells the tree of Kaliyuga.'

Though bhakti in all its glory, it is also advaitic. Often, he lets debates and long verses interrupt the storyline to pour a whole philosophy of advaita. However, neither the intregity or the unity of the story is ever lost. Tulasi cries out 'I am the servant and He my master.. Hold fast to this doctrine and worship the lotus feet of Rama.' but in the same breath, he says 'I am That - this unbroken mental state is the flame which burns away the ignorance. No distinction is possible at this state.' When there is genuine faith in Rama, the material objects does not lead one astray. When the senses are controlled, discrimination is cultivated. With discrimination, the essence of real and unreal is ascertained and with this and the Grace of Rama itself -mukti is obtained. Tulasi stresses the importance of loss of the individual in attaining the supreme state of bliss.

Some western scholars have alleged that this work is just a translation of the sanskrit ramayana by valmiki. One should remember that both Rama charita manas and ramayana are both biographies of Lord Rama. Naturally, there should not major changes between the two. Tulasi is an independent poet who creates a world using metaphors and similes which though overall consistent with Valmiki's rendition differs considerably in many places. For example, the uttarakanda in the Manas does not even resemble the Valmiki's Ramayana.

Some scholars have noted that Tulasidas is Kalidas of Hindi literature. Actually, he is much more. Kalidas was a great sanskrit poet, and there is no doubt of that, but he did not spread a social and bhakti movement. Whether it is in usage of rasa, similes or metaphors, Tulasidas parellels and even exceeds the versatality of Kalidas. Another issue is the use of various chandas (meters). Kalidas is a deft poet who in his Raghuvamsha literally plays with the language. Tulasi is not far behind, he also uses many meters including anushtubh, totaka, vamshastha, to name a few.

The Manasa abounds in metaphors. For example in the balakanda, the devotion of Rama is the season of rain, his faithful servants are the growing rice. Right thoughts are the earth and the heart a deep place within it. Vedas and Purana-s are the sea and the saints the clouds which rain down praise of Rama's glory in sweet, refreshing showers. The rain refreshes the rice-fields (and thus the life of his devotees). The cleansing waters falls on the earth of understanding and flows in one stream and fills the lake (mind) and settles there bringing it permanent bliss.

Tulasi, as many who preceded him like Abhinavagupta, holds that rasa is the main characteristic of a kavya. Among the many rasa (sentiments), the common ones are love (rati), grief (shoka), hasya (humor), krodha (anger), utasha (energy), bhaya (fear). He brings out the beauty of love when Rama and Sita meet in the garden of Janaka, the grief in the separation of Rama from Sita, the energy when Rama encounters the demons, the anger in Kaikeyi, the fear when describing the evil spirits. These are just a small sample of the various rasa-s described by Tulasi.

Next is the use of similes. Rama's wedding, according to Tulasi, is in spring; his departure to the forest is in the heat of summer; a blessing to the gods is in the rainy season (indicating showering); the rule of Rama in the season of pleasantness - autumn; the character of Bharata is that of coolness (equanimity) etc. Even the constant repetitions of certain phrases like 'lotus feet', 'streaming eyes', 'quivering frame' etc have their use. Tulasi's ramayana is not meant for recitation or debating but for reading and rereading. It is an epic which moves the reader so much that one is marvelled by the skill of Tulasidas. He, not only provides hope and security in the midst of an ever-changing world, but also provides a sanctuary of love and peace. Tulasi shines like a lamp of divine guidance and by the light generated by Manasa dispels the ignorance into knowledge and wisdom.

Tulasidas was not writing a biography of Rama, but expressing a love towards Lord Rama in his work. All of Tulsidas's Rama charita manas is inscribed on the marble walls of Tulasi Manasa Mandir in Kashi. Even his sandals and couple of his minor possessions are preserved in this mandir. When I stood at the mandir, eyes closed and hands folded, I understood the real meaning of Rama charita manas, nay, life itself. Whatever the trials and tribulations, successes and elations the mind feels, they are all completely unreal and everything happens only due to the Will of Rama. But life is not just an abject surrender to the will of Lord Rama with a mere acceptance of both good and bad as consequence of karma but a positive affirmation of 'I am That.'