Swami Tulsidas ji

Tulsidas was born after staying in his mother’s womb for twelve months.When he was born , he showed strange signs. His health and looks were like that of five year old child. He had all 32 teeth. Instead of crying after birth,he uttered “Ram -Ram”. So , he was named ‘Rambola’ , which means the one who recites name of Rama.

Tulsidas birth was accompanied by bad omens, and according to astronomical predictions, there was an immediate danger to the life of his father after his birth. He was abandoned by his parents on the fourth day of his birth and was taken care of by their female servant named ‘Chuniya’.

She looked after him for five years before passing away .

After her death,Tulsidas led his life as an abandoned orphan and wandered from place to place and begged for food. It is believed that the goddess Parvati assumed the form of a Brahmin woman and fed Rambola every day.

Excerpt from Ramcharitmanas :
मैं पुनि निज गुर सन सुनी कथा सो सूकरखेत ।
समुझी नहिं तस बालपन तब अति रहेउँ अचेत ॥

mai puni nija gura sana sunī kathā so sūkarakheta ।
samujhī nahi̐ tasa bālapana taba ati raheu̐ aceta ॥

And then, I heard the same narrative from my Guru in a Sukarkhet (Varaha Kshetra) Soron. I did not understand it then, since I was totally without cognition in childhood.

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Narharidas , a Vaishnav saint adopted tulsidas at the age of six .

A Vaishnava ascetic of Ramananda’s monastic order who is believed to be the fourth disciple of Ramananda,or alternately, the disciple of Anantacharya . He was given the title of ‘Tulsidas’ and the ‘Virakta Diksha’ (initiation of renunciation). At the age of seven the sacred thread ceremony called ‘Upanayana’ was performed for him at Ayodhya.
Tulsidas heard the first narration of Ramayana from his guru in Varaha kshetra Soron (in kashganj ,Uttar Pradesh) .

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According to popular belief Tulsidas was married to Ratnavali. He was so passionately attached to her that he could not bear a separation of one day from her .Once she went to her father’s house without informing Tulsidas about her visit. Out of attachment Tulsidas went to see her at her father’s house at night.
His wife felt it as a humiliation and said to Tulsidas :
“My body is but a network of flesh and bones. If you would develop for Lord Rama even half the love that you have for my filthy body, you would certainly cross the ocean of Samsara and attain immortality and eternal bliss”.

Tulsidas left her at the very moment and lived as an ascetic . He then moved to Varanasi , and studied Sanskrit literature, scriptures, Vedangas, Jyotish and schools of Hindu Philosophy. He travelled to Prayag, Ayodhya, and Chitrakuta and several pilgrimage for the next fourteen to fifteen years.

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During his travel he went to far off places including the four Dham – Badrinath,Dwarka ,Puri and Rameshwaram. He also went to Lake Mansarovar (presently in Tibet).It is believed that here he had a sight of Kakabhushundi ( the crow who is one of the four narrators in Ramcharitmanas).

Some scholars believe the story of his marriage to be a later interpolation in the lifestory of tulsidas. They believe that he was a bachelor throughout his life.

The detailed account of Tulsidas meeting Hanuman and Ram is given by Priyadas ( a contemporary poet and saint ) in his work ‘Bhaktirasabodhini’.
Tulsidas used to visit outside Varanasi for his morning nature call . When he returned he offered the remaining water to a tree , which was the residence of a Pret (a type of ghost) . This would quench his thirst. Pleased by this act of Tulsidas ,the ghost asked Tulsidas to ask him a boon.

Tulsidas moved to Chitrakoot and lived in an ashram at Ramghat. While performing circumambulation of Kamadgiri mountain ,Tulsidas saw two princes sitting on horseback passing from there. He could not recognise them and moved ahead. The next day Hanuman told him that they were Rama and Lakshman .

Tulsidas repented of his act of ignorance. He was pacified when Hanuman told him that the two brothers would again visit him the next morning.
The next day , two young boys visited him and asked him to apply the tilak of sandalwood paste on their forehead. This time Tulsidas recognised them and had full vision of Rama. He was enchanted by their looks and lost his senses. Tulsidas was so charmed that he forgot about the sandalwood. Rama took the sandalwood paste and put a Tilaka himself on his forehead and Tulsidas’ forehead before disappearing. In reference to this incident there is a famous proverb:
चित्रकूट के घाट पर हुई संतन की भीर
तुलसीदास चन्दन घिसे तिलक देते रघुबीर.

Chitrakoot ke ghat par hui santan ki bheed
tulsidas chandan ghise tilak kare raghubeer

Source: mahaprasada,

Swami Tulsidas Ji: Life, Bhakti, and Spiritual Legacy

Swami Tulsidas Ji was one of the greatest poet-saints of India, remembered for his deep devotion to Lord Rama and his priceless contribution to Hindi devotional literature. He gave ordinary people a simple and emotional way to connect with the Ramayana through the Ramcharitmanas. His life teaches that true spirituality is not limited to scholarship or ritual; it becomes meaningful when the heart is filled with devotion, humility, and service.

Swami Tulsidas Ji is traditionally connected with Rajapur and Varanasi, though historical details about his exact birth year differ in various sources. He lived during a time when Sanskrit scriptures were difficult for common people to understand. By writing in Awadhi, a language of the people, he made the story of Lord Rama accessible to homes, villages, and devotional gatherings. This was a major spiritual and literary service.

Swami Tulsidas Ji is best known for composing the Ramcharitmanas, a devotional retelling of the Ramayana. This work presents Rama not only as a king and hero, but as the ideal of dharma, compassion, courage, and divine grace. Through this text, he showed how family duty, truthfulness, sacrifice, and devotion can guide human life. The Ramcharitmanas remains one of the most loved scriptures in North India.

Swami Tulsidas Ji also inspired devotion through works such as Vinay Patrika, Dohavali, Kavitavali, and the widely recited Hanuman Chalisa, traditionally attributed to him. His writing style combines poetry, philosophy, emotion, and practical wisdom. He wrote for everyone: scholars, villagers, householders, saints, and children. This universal appeal made his words a permanent part of Indian spiritual culture.

Swami Tulsidas Ji gave special importance to Rama naam. He believed that remembrance of God’s name purifies the mind and protects the devotee from fear, ego, and confusion. His bhakti was full of surrender, but it was also disciplined. He taught that devotion should improve conduct. A true devotee should speak truth, respect others, control anger, serve the needy, and live with moral strength.

Swami Tulsidas Ji remains important because his teachings connect devotion with daily life. He did not present religion as escape from responsibility. Instead, he showed that family, society, leadership, and personal struggle can all become spiritual when guided by dharma. His characters, especially Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharat, and Hanuman, became living examples of duty, loyalty, courage, and faith.

Swami Tulsidas Ji continues to inspire modern readers because people still need clarity, peace, and moral direction. His writings remind us that strength without humility becomes pride, and knowledge without devotion becomes dry. His message is simple: remember God, follow dharma, respect family values, serve society, and keep the heart pure.

Swami Tulsidas Ji stands as a saint of Rama bhakti, poetry, wisdom, and cultural unity. His legacy lives through recitation, Ramlila performances, temples, literature, music, and daily prayers. Even today, his words bring comfort to devotees and guide people toward righteousness, devotion, and inner peace.