GOSWAMI TULSIDAS

GOSWAMI  TULSIDAS

Goswami Tulsidas was an enlightened poet saint who lived over 500 years ago. He composed the great “Ramcharitmanas” in Hindi (Awadhi). It is the most famous rendition of the life of Lord Ram, an ideal to all of humanity. It was referred to as ‘the greatest book ever written’ by Mahatma Gandhi. It is an inspiring book. It contains sweet couplets in beautiful rhyme. He lived most of his life in Kashi. By some he is considered an incarnation of Maharishi Valmiki . He wrote 12 books and was a param bhakt (supreme devotee) of Lord Ram, he showed the way of bhakti yoga (devotional path to salvation). One of his famous couplets explaining his total devotion to the Lord is “Tulsi Tulsi sab kahe,Tulsi ban ki ghaas; Ho gayi kirpa Ram ki, to ban gaye Tulsidas” meaning “People keep praising me all the time, calling me Tulsi, Tulsi. Tulsi however, is as insignificant as the grass in the woods. It is only when 'Ram' (the Lord) decided to bestow His grace on me that I became famous as Tulsidas”.