Tulsidas

From ArticleWorld

Childhood

Born in a Brahmin family and supposedly abandoned at birth, Tulsidas is believed to have been brought up by a wandering ascetic. He traveled far and wide and visited many religious places along with his foster parent, and in the process imbibed a religious and spiritual mind. He is said to have returned to his parents and pursued studies. His name signifies his regard for and nurturing with devotion of the Hindu sacred plant Tulsi. His native place is Sukhar-khet , a place near the birth place of his deity, Lord Ram, whose ardent follower he later became in life, and practiced and preached selfless devotion to the bodily incarnation of the Supreme Being.

Tulsidas’s induction into undying , selfless devotion and total surrender in lifetime to Rama was further brought about by a most unlikely and not-so-happy-at-that situation in his later life.

His work

He married in his father’s lifetime and bore a child who passed away in infancy. His wife, who, for the want of love of Rama, returned to her parents place is said to have reproached him when he tried to bring her back with him. Stung by the backfire handed out to him, a desolate Tulsidas introspected deep within to calm the turbulence. He sought answers to his state of mind and the cause of misery.

Tulsidas gave up the material world and started on the course of “Mukti”-salvation. He became the disciple of Nav Haridas, a spiritual descendant of the founders of Vaishnavism in India. Under the guidance of his guru, Tulsidas delved deeper into Ramayana, the spiritual and philosophical text written by Sage Valmiki. He dreamt of Rama asking him to write Ramayana in a language easily understood and followed by the common masses.

Ramcharitmanas

“Ramayana” was revisited with alterations to make easier, common, expanding, illustrating certain difficult and concise verses, and some portions. And “Ramacharitmanas” –literally meaning Lake of Deeds of Rama, has several “dohas”, “chhand”, “sortha” to elucidate the Ramayana. Many of the dohas and idioms and phrases are of spiritual nature, prophetic and instill a sense of confidence, in the listener as well as one reading it. Tulsidas then shifted to Benaras, along the banks of Ganges, where he completed the work he had started in his native place, Sukar-khet. Tulsikrita Ramayana is credited with dissolving the divisive lines of the lower and upper castes by opening the doors of Ramayana to one and all in the society. “Show love to all creatures, for, he who loves all, loves Him.” That was the essence of all of Tulsidas’s teachings renditions.