siram. The story of Tulsidas’s life is not historically
verifiable and many details clearly are intended to
enhance the understanding that he was a saint. For
example, he did not cry at birth and was born with
32 teeth. His early life was fraught with sorrow
because his parents died when he was still young.
Some say that his foster parents also passed away
when he was young. We know he was married to a
woman named Buddhimati or Ratnavali. It is said
he had a son named Tarak.
Tulsidas was inordinately fond of his wife. One
day she went to her father’s house without telling
her husband. When Tulsidas found out, he could
not stay away from her and went to sleep with her
in her father’s house. Buddhimati, trying to resist
his advances in embarrassment, said that if Tulsi-
das had half the love for Lord RAMA that he had
for her lowly body, he would most certainly reach
liberation from birth and rebirth. Shamed by this,
Tulsidas resolved to leave the householder life and
become an ascetic.
He spent the next 14 years visiting the vari-
ous PILGRIMAGE sites of North India. Living in the
wilderness, Tulsidas would spill the excess water
after his ablutions on the root of a particular
tree. This pleased the being within the tree, who
offered Tulsidas a boon. Tulsidas asked for a direct
vision of Lord Rama. The being told Tulsidas to
go to a particular temple where HANUMAN, the
monkey god, visited regularly in the form of a
leper. He was told to approach Hanuman for his
request. This he did, and he received DARSHAN of
Lord Rama.
Tulsidas wrote 12 books, but, by far, the most
important is the Ramcharitmanas (The Holy Lake
of the Acts of Ram), a Ramayana written in old
Hindi (Avadhi) couplets. The book was written
under the direction of Hanuman himself. It is
read all over North India, and particularly during
the time of the Ramlila. It is sung aloud in large
groups for devotional purposes. Vinaya Patrika is
another excellent book said to be written by Tulsi-
das, who also authored Gitavali (1571), Kavitavali
(1612), and Barvairamayana (1612)
Several stories demonstrate Tulsidas’s special
spiritual status. Once some thieves went to his
ASHRAM to steal. They were frightened off by a
dark-complexioned guard holding a bow and
arrow in his hand. The next morning they asked
Tulsidas about this unusual-looking guard. Tulsi-
das realized that it had been Lord Rama and was
overcome with devotion. In thanks, he gave away
all his wealth to the needy.
In another story it is said that Tulsidas, while
visiting BENARES, was greeted by a murderer, asking
alms in the name of Lord Rama. Tulsidas invited
him to his house and gave him PRASADA, sacred
food, from the worship of Rama. The BRAHMINS were
angered; they thought it improper to give a criminal
such a blessing and to sit and eat with him. The
Brahmins challenged Tulsidas; they said they could
approve giving alms to a murderer only if the tem-
ple icon of NANDI, Shiva’s bull mount, would accept
food from the hand of this murderer. Tulsidas took
them up on this challenge, and the temple Nandi
did indeed eat from the murderers hands.
In another tale saint Tulsidas restores a poor
woman’s husband to life. Finally, Tulsidas is said
to have been jailed by the Mughal emperor; when
he was freed by a band of monkeys, friends of
Hanuman, the emperor himself, though a Muslim,
recognized Tulsidas as a saint.Further reading: A. G. Atkins, trans., The Ramayana
of Tulsidas (New Delhi: Hindustan Times, 1954); S. P.
Bahadur, The Ramayana of Goswami Tulsidas (Bombay:
Jaico Publishing House, 1972); S. P. Bahadur, trans.,
Complete Works of Gosvami Tulsidas (Varanasi: Prachya
Prakashan, 1978); S. R. Bakshi and Sangh Mitra, eds.,
Saints of India (New Delhi: Criterion, 2002); Ramdat
Bharadwaj, The Philosophy of Tulsidas (New Delhi:
Munshiram Manoharlal, 1979); Sant Vani: Hindi Devo-
tionals from Saint Poets (Dum Dum: EMI: His Master’s
Voice, 1975); Devendra Singh, Tulsidas (Bombay: India
Book House, 1971).Turiya See STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS.
Turiya 457 J