Goswami Tulsidas

About Goswami Tulsidas

He was a great Hindu poet as well as saint, reformer, and philosopher who composed various popular books.
Birthplace: As per the historians, he was born (around 16th century)in Rajapur (also known as the Chitrakuta) at the bank of the Yamuna river in UP.
The name of his parents is Hulsi and Atmaram Dubey
He is also remembered for his devotion to Lord Rama and being the author of the great epic, the Ramcharitmanas.
Reincarnation of the Valmiki: Tulsidas was always admired as a reincarnation of the Valmiki (original composer of the Ramayana in Sanskrit and Hanuman Chalisa).
He spent his entire life in the city of Banaras(Varanasi) and also took his last breath in this city.
After his birth, he started enchanting the name of Rama instead of crying. That’s why he was named Rambola, he himself stated in Vinaya Patrika
He himself had given some of the facts and events of his life in his various works.
Two ancient sources of his life are the Bhaktamal and Bhakti Ras Bodhini composed by the Nabhadas and Priyadas respectively.
Nabhadas had written in his writing about Tulsidas and described him as an incarnation of the Valmiki.
Priyadas composed his writing 100 years after the death of Tulsidas and described the seven miracles and spiritual experiences of the Tulsidas.
Two other biographies of Tulsidas are Mula Gosain Charit and Gosain Charit composed by Veni Madhav Das in 1630 and Dasanidas (or Bhavanidas) around 1770 respectively.

His contributions

Ramcharitmanas

He started to write Ramcharitmanas in Ayodhya around 1631 and completed it in 1633
Ramcharitmanas, is an epic poem in Awadhi language
The word Ramcharitmanas literally means “Lake of the deeds of Rama”.
It is considered one of the greatest works of Hindi.

His other Major Works

Apart from the Ramcharitmanas, there are the five major works of the Tulsidas which are:

Dohavali: It has a collection of miscellaneous Doha and Sortha in Braja and Awadhi. Out of all-around 85 Dohas of it are also included in the Ramcharitmanas.
Kavitavali: It has a collection of Kavitas in Braja. Just like the epic, Ramcharitmanas, it also has seven books and many episodes.
Gitavali: It has a collection of 328 Braja songs divided into seven books and all are of Hindustani classical music type.
Krishna Gitavali or Krishnavali: It has a collection of Braja songs especially for Krishna. Out of the 61, 32 songs are dedicated to childhood and Rasa Lila of Krishna.
Vinaya Patrika: It has a collection of Braja stanzas. Out of all, around 43 hymns are attended to a variety of deities, Rama’s courtiers, and attendants.

His Minor Works are:

Barvai Ramayana: It has 69 verses created in the Barvai meter and divided into seven Kands.
Parvati Mangal: it has verses describing the marriage of the Parvati and Lord Shiva in the Awadhi.
Janaki Mangal: It has verses describing the marriage of Sita and Rama in the Awadhi.
Ramalala Nahachhu: It described the Nahachhu ritual (cutting the nails of the feet before the Vivaha) of the child Rama in the Awadhi.
Ramagya Prashna: It described the Will of Rama in Awadhi
Vairagya Sandipani: It consists of 60 verses in Braja describing the state of realization and Vairagya.

Popularly Recognized Works

Hanuman Chalisa: It consists of 40 verses devoted to the Hanuman in the Awadhi, 40 Chaupais and 2 Dohas and is a prayer to Hanuman.
Sankatmochan Hanumanashtak: It consists of 8 verses for the Hanuman in the Awadhi.
Hanuman Bahuka: It has 44 verses in the Braja describing the Arm of Hanuman (praying to the Hanuman for curing his hand).

Tulsi Satsai: It has a collection of dohas in both Awadhi and Braja and separated into seven Sargas or cantos