Tulsidas (1497–1623), also known
as Goswami Tulsidas was a Ramanandi Vaishnava saint and poet, renowned for his
devotion to the deity Rama. He wrote several popular works in Sanskrit and
Awadhi, but is best known as the author of the epic Ramcharitmanas, a retelling
of the Sanskrit Ramayana based on Rama's life in the vernacular Awadhi.
Early life and Work
Tulsidas spent most of his life in
the city of Varanasi and Faizabad. The Tulsi Ghat on the Ganges River in Varanasi
is named after him. He founded the Sankatmochan Temple dedicated to Lord
Hanuman in Varanasi, believed to stand at the place where he had the sight of
the deity. Tulsidas started the Ramlila plays, a folk-theatre adaption of the
Ramayana.
He has been acclaimed as one of
the greatest poets in Hindi, Indian, and world literature. The impact of
Tulsidas and his works on the art, culture and society in India is widespread
and is seen to date in vernacular language, Ramlila plays, Hindustani classical
music, popular music, and television series.
Tulsidas was born on saptami, the
seventh day of Shravana shukla paksha. His birthplace, most scholars identify
the place with Sookar Kshetra Soron in Uttar Pradesh, a village on the banks of
the river Ganga. His parents were Hulsi and Atmaram Dubey. Most sources
identify him as a Brahmin.
Legend
Tulsidas had another name called Rambola
in his childhood. He was abandoned by his parents on the fourth night, sent
away with a female servant of Hulsi. Rambola was left to fend for himself as an
impoverished orphan, and wandered from door to door begging for alms. It is
believed that the goddess Parvati assumed the form of a Brahmin woman and fed
Rambola every day.
Initiation from guru and learning
At the age of five years, Rambola
was adopted by Narharidas. Rambola was given the Virakta Diksha (Vairagi
initiation) with the new name of Tulsidas. After Upanayanam, Tulsidas started
his learning at Ayodhya. After some time, Narharidas took him to Varaha Kshetra
Soron.
Tulsidas later came to the sacred
city of Varanasi and studied Sanskrit grammar, four Vedas, six Vedangas,
Jyotisha and the six schools of Hindu philosophy over a period of 15–16 years.
Travels
After renunciation, Tulsidas
travelled across India to many places, studying different people, meeting
saints and Sadhus and meditating.
Tulsidas hints at several places
in his works, that he had met face to face with Hanuman and Rama.
Literary life
Tulsidas started composing poetry
in Sanskrit in Varanasi on the Prahlada Ghat. In the year Vikram 1631 (1575
CE), Tulsidas started composing the Ramcharitmanas in Ayodhya on Sunday,
Ramnavami day. He composed the epic over two years. He then composed the
Hanuman Bahuk.
Death
Tulsidas left his body at the Assi
Ghat on the bank of the river Ganga in the Shravana month.
Other major works
Tulsidas, apart from Ramcharitmanas contributed five other major works also.