The magnum opus of Tulsidas is, however, Ramcharitmanas in Hindi orAvadhi. It is the life story of Rama as narrated by Valmiki in his Ramayana with slight modifications, writes MEERA SASHITAL.
Tulsidas was the most important poet of the Rama Bhakti school. The wave of the Bhakti movement spear-headed in the North by Ramananda may have influenced Tulsidas. But to Ramananda it was irrelevant whether the devotee was a Nirguna or Saguna Bhakta so long as he followed Ramananda’s preaching and had religious fervour. His disciples were free to interpret Rama in any manner they liked so long as they felt drawn towards Him as an object of worship and devotion.
Among the different Bhakti schools, the most prominent were the Nirguna and Saguna. Nirguna School believed in formless God, whereas those belonging to Saguna worshipped a personal God with a form. Kabir who founded the Nirguna School of Bhakti conceived Rama as a formless God whereas Tulsidas and his followers worshipped Rama as Saguna God taking into account His divine qualities and achievements.
Even the Nirguna School of Bhakti was split into two groups – those who believed in ‘gyan’ (knowledge) and had an intellectual approach to devotion and those who believed in love and attachment, and total surrender to God for attaining Him. Those who followed the latter path were the Sufis or mystics. The Saguna school of Bhakti also branched into two directions, one devoted to ‘Rama’ and the other for ‘Krishna’. The former school of saint poets was led by Tulsidas and the latter by Surdas. Thus in Hinduism the three schools of Bhakti which produced poetry of highest order was Kabir, Surdas and Tulsidas, besides the Sufis.
As mentioned above, the foremost poet of the Rama Bhakti school was Tulsidas who was born in Rajpur or Soron in Uttar Pradesh in 1532 A.D. He was a Sarayuparina Brahmin by birth and is regarded as an incarnation of Valmiki, the author of the epic Ramayana written in Sanskrit. His father’s name was Atmaram Shukla Dube and his mother’s name was Hulsi. It is learnt, Tulsidas did not cry at the time of his birth and had all the thirty-two teeth intact. His childhood name was Tulsiram or Ram Bola.
Tulsidas’s early life was of religious type and he was even initiated by his preceptor into Ram Bhakti. But after Tulsidas got married, he became passionately attached to his wife Buddhimati. He swerved from his righteous path and his devotion transformed into carnal love, but this happened to be just a passing phase as from this bondage only he got release and salvation. For once when his wife was away at her maternal house, unable to bear the separation he reaches her father’s house at dead of night to surprise her.
But instead of being pleased she changes his destiny by rebuking him for his blind attachment to flesh. “Such a devotion to Rama,” she is reported to have said, “would free you from the ills of worldliness and secure your emancipation.” This was a turning point in Tulsidas’s life. Her truthful words pierced him for then onwards he became a staunch devote of Lord Rama.
His devotion spontaneously flowered into poetry. He is credited with the authorship of 31 books of which unfortunately only 12 are available, namely, 1) Rama Lalanahachhu 2) Ramagya Prashna, 3) Janaki Mangala, 4)Ramcharitamanas, 5) Parvatimangala, 6) Gitavali, 7) Krishna Gitavali, 8) Vinaypatrika, 9) Barvai, 10) Dohavali, 11) Kavitavali, and 12) Hanumanbahuk.
The magnum opus of Tulsidas is, however, Ramcharitmanas in Hindi or Avadhi. It is the life story of Rama as narrated by Valmiki in his Ramayana with slight modifications. The Manas has been adjudged as the best work in Hindi literature with devotion as the theme and, as one of the best epics in any tongue anywhere. It presents Rama as an ideal man in all respects, viz. as a son, brother, husband, friend, warrior and a king.
For Tulsidas Rama was an incarnation of God (Vishnu) Himself. No other book has made such a deep impact on the minds of the people in the North. Many scholars and even foreign critics have gone to the extent of comparing ‘Manas’ (Tulsidas) with Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’. According to H.C. Kala, both believed in a life with spirituality and truth as the dominant note, struggle between good and evil, and ultimate triumph of god over evil. Both have a classical theme and subject; Tulsidas narrated the story of Rama and Ravana, and Milton having made us of Adam and Eve.
In his beautiful verse of couplets in rhyme (dohas), Tulsidas has described the greatness of Rama and also the characterization of Bharat, Sita, Lakshman and Kaushalya superbly. Equally fascinating is the collection of poems in Vinaya Patrika and Kavitavalli.
When Tulsidas abandoned home and became an ascetic, he is said to have spent fourteen years visiting numerous sacred places of pilgrimage. One of the moving descriptions by Tulsidas in the Manas is that of Chitrakoot which Rama, Lakshman and Sita passed during their exile. A most touching incident about Tulsidas and Chitrakoot tells us about his unfathomable love for Lord Rama.
It is said at this crowded Chitrakoot Ghat Tulsidas sat making the paste of sandalwood waiting for the ‘darshan’ of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshman who were to visit there. But actually when the Trio came to his counter and stood in front of him, Tulsidas was so engrossed in his love for making the paste for his Rama that he doesn’t look up!
It seems in a Hanuman temple, Hanuman used to come in the guise of a leper to hear daily the Ramayana. Hanuman was the first to come and last to go. It was here that Tulsidas recognised Hanuman and through His grace had Darshan or vision of Lord Rama.
There are many anecdotes regarding Tulsidas’ life. Tradition has it that once some thieves came to Tulsidas’s Ashram to steal. They saw a blue-complexioned guard with bow and arrow following them. They were frightened and ran away. Next day, however, they asked Tulsidas who the guard was. Tulsidas needed no further explanation. He wept for he understood it was none other than his Lord Rama who had protected him!
Once when Tulsidas went to Brindavan he visited a temple where he saw the image of Krishna. Tulsidas pondered and expressed how he could describe the beauty of Krishna for Tulsidas will bow his head only if He took up bow and arrow in His hands. To Tulsidas’s amazement, Lord Krishna immediately revealed to him in the form of Lord Rama with bow and arrows.
Besides its literary excellence, the Manas is the most brilliant and unquestionably the most popular treatise on devotion to God. The highest virtues such as truthfulness, patience, non-violence, forgiveness, generosity detachment, control of the senses, purity and service to humanity which are the components of Indian ethics and culture have found their rightful place in this great epic.
Tulsidas left this world for ever and entered the abode of Immortality and Eternal Bliss in 1623 AD at Asighat in Varanasi. Grierson has aptly described Tulsidas as the “greatest public leader of India after the Buddha”.
