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