Birth and Childhood:
Goswami Tulsidas, honored with titles like Loknayak, Modern Valmiki, and the eternal singer of Ramkatha, was born in 1497 in Rajapur, a village about 80 km from Prayagraj. It was the seventh day of the month of Sawan. His father Atmaram Dubey was a respected Sarayuparin Brahmin. His mother’s name was Hulsi, and it is also said that the aunt who raised him was also named Hulsi. He was born under the Abhuktamool Nakshatra, considered inauspicious by popular belief. It is also said that he stayed in his mother’s womb for about 12 months, and when he was born, he already had teeth and a well-developed body. Usually, newborns cry, but it is said that he did not cry and instead spoke his first word—“Ram.” That’s why he was named “Rambola.”
It is also believed that he was born at his maternal home, and upon witnessing his unusual behavior, his birth mother grew anxious and fearful of bad omens. She sent him away with a maid to her in-laws, and the next day she passed away. When his father, Atmaram Dubey, heard of this, he distanced himself from the child, believing him to be the cause of his wife’s death. Rambola was thus nearly abandoned. The maid named Chuniya raised him.
Another belief is that his aunt raised him. When Rambola was about five years old, even the woman who raised him passed away. He became completely orphaned—losing his birth mother at birth, abandoned by his father, and later losing his foster mother. His life was filled with hardships, and he had no path left except surrender to divine existence.
Meeting the Guru:
It is believed that a Brahmin woman, inspired by Goddess Parvati, used to feed him. It is also said that by Lord Shiva’s inspiration, Saint Narhariyanand (Narharidas) found Rambola and took him to Ayodhya. Around the age of 7, he was given the sacred thread ceremony and initiated into the chanting of Ram’s name.
Rambola was highly talented. He could memorize verses and mantras from scriptures in a short time. He also amazed people with various feats. For about 15 years, he studied the Vedas, Vedangas, and other scriptures. By the age of 21 or 22, Rambola was proficient in sacred texts. But destiny had other plans, and worldly desires began to stir in him. With permission from his guru, he returned to his ancestral village. On arrival, he found that his family and relatives had completely disintegrated. He performed their last rites.
Marriage and Renunciation:
In his village, Rambola started narrating Ramkatha (stories of Ram) to earn his living. During this time, he married Ratnavali, the virtuous daughter of Dinbandhu Pathak. After years of wandering and penance, he now had the joy of spending life with a beautiful wife. He became so absorbed in this companionship that he forgot everything else. But as in nature, the spring of life was short-lived and summer soon arrived.
One day, Ratnavali’s brother came and took her to her parents’ house. It was the rainy season. Rambola somehow spent the day, but the night was unbearable. Even one night of separation from his wife was too much for him, and he left home in the middle of the night to reach her. On the way, he encountered the Yamuna river. He requested a boatman to help him cross, but the boatman refused due to the time of night. Driven by desire, Rambola walked along the bank and saw a large piece of wood, which he used as a raft to cross the river. Some believe it was not wood but a corpse.
After crossing the river and being drenched by rain and river water, he finally reached his in-laws at midnight. He didn’t want to knock and disturb anyone, so he decided to climb to Ratnavali’s upstairs room using the creepers like a rope and entered through the window.
When Ratnavali realized this, she was furious. She scolded him, saying, “You have such attachment to this body of flesh and bones. If you had even half this attachment to God, you would have attained salvation.”
This was not just a sentence—it was like a poisonous yet infallible arrow from Ratnavali’s bow-like lips that pierced Rambola’s heart. It is said that he immediately left the same way he had come. He left not just physically, but with heart, mind, and soul.
He went straight to Prayagraj and renounced worldly life, becoming the ascetic “Tulsidas.”
“Empty words only hit the head,
But Tulsidas’s leaves became the scripture’s bed.”
He stayed for some time in Prayagraj and then journeyed to Lord Shiva’s city, Kashi. Popular belief is that in Kashi, he met the storyteller Kakbhushundi, who inspired him to narrate Ramkatha. It is said that Hanuman himself used to come and listen to his Ramkatha. One day, he revealed himself to Tulsidas. Tulsidas then prayed, “O son of the wind, please help me see Lord Ram.” Hanuman replied that he would see Ram in the serene valleys of Chitrakoot.
Vision of Lord Ram:
In Chitrakoot, Tulsidas chose Ramghat to wait for Lord Ram’s appearance and service. Many times, Ram came, but Tulsidas could not recognize him. Hanuman then granted him spiritual vision and instructed him not to miss the divine sight the next morning.
It was the morning of Mauni Amavasya in the year 1550. Tulsidas was grinding sandalwood for tilak when a small boy came and applied it on his forehead. A parrot, inspired by Hanuman, began to chant, “This is Ram, this is Ram.” The divine touch of the tilak opened Tulsidas’s eyes—not just physical but spiritual ones—and he gazed upon Lord Ram, the very goal of his many lifetimes.
“On the banks of Chitrakoot, a crowd of saints gathered.
Tulsidas ground sandalwood, Ram himself applied the tilak.”
Because Hanuman helped him see the Lord and guided him like a guru, Tulsidas wrote:
“Knowing my body to be ignorant, I remember the son of the wind.
Give me strength, wisdom, knowledge, and remove my troubles and impurities.”
Meeting Saints and Composing Ramcharitmanas:
After spending many years in Chitrakoot, in 1571, inspired by Hanuman, Tulsidas left for Ayodhya. On the way, during the Magh Mela in Prayag, he met sages like Bharadwaj and Yajnavalkya under a banyan tree. After the fair, he went to Kashi and stayed at Prahlad Ghat, where he received divine inspiration for writing poetry.
He was proficient in Sanskrit and began composing in classical meters, but each night his written verses would disappear. After about a week of this, he had a dream in which Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati instructed him to write Ramkatha in the local language. Taking this dream as divine command, he went to Ayodhya and on the day of Ram Navami in 1574, began composing Ramcharitmanas.
The composition of Ramcharitmanas was the most important period of his life. In 2 years, 7 months, and 26 days, he completed this exceptional work, which became the heart-song of every devotee. By writing Ram’s story in a folk language, he opened the doors of devotion for the common people. But the elite scholars, who saw Sanskrit as the only rightful language, became his enemies. They tried every possible way to harm him and his work. But Tulsidas had unwavering faith in God.
“Tulsidas sleeps without fear, trusting in Ram.
What cannot happen will not happen; what must happen, will.”
His followers say that Lord Shiva himself signed the manuscript. His friend Todarmal helped preserve and print the scripture.
Major Travels:
Tulsidas traveled to Rajasthan and stayed at a temple, where Maharana Pratap visited him and sought blessings for freeing Mewar from Mughal rule. With Tulsidas’s blessings and the support of Bhamashah, the mission succeeded. It is also believed that Man Singh met him and was influenced by devotion. Akbar even sent Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana to invite Tulsidas to his court, but Tulsidas respectfully declined, saying, “Ram is my only Lord; what have I to do in a royal court?”
Tulsidas and his companion Anant were deeply immersed in devotion at a temple when some Bhils arrived to meet him, but the priest stopped them. Upon learning this, Tulsidas said, “During exile, Lord Ram stayed with their ancestors. They are devotees of the Lord. Devotees have no caste—I am their brother.” And he embraced them with love.
During his travels, Tulsidas reached the southern Rameshwaram temple but was denied entry for being a Vaishnav. He then worshipped Lord Shiva outside the temple. Shiva blessed him and instructed him to return to Kashi and serve on Assi Ghat.
Final Years at Assi Ghat:
Tulsidas settled at Assi Ghat. When he began facing difficulties, he prayed to Hanuman again, who inspired him to write devotional verses. Thus, Tulsidas composed Vinay Patrika and offered it at the feet of the Lord. It is said that Lord Ram signed this work himself.
The saint who lit the flame of devotion in both literate and illiterate hearts passed away in 1623 at Assi Ghat at the age of 126. Today, Tulsidas lives in every home through Tulsi plants, in every library through Ramcharitmanas, and in every heart through its verses.
Compositions:
Tulsidas is known for 12 main works, in chronological order:
- Gitavali
- Krishna Gitavali
- Ramcharitmanas
- Parvati Mangal
- Vinay Patrika
- Janaki Mangal
- Ram Lala Nahchu
- Dohavali
- Vairagya Sandipani
- Ram Agya Prashn
- Satsai
- Barvai Ramayan
In addition, Kavitavali, Hanuman Bahuk, and the widely chanted Hanuman Chalisa were also written by him.
Sources:
Ramcharitmanas (Gita Press Gorakhpur), Vinay Patrika (Gita Press), History of Hindi Literature by Dr. Nagendra, Northern Indian Saint Tradition by Parashuram Chaturvedi, Wikipedia, Saatvik YouTube Channel, and various Google sources.
