[Advaita-l] SAINT GOSWAMI TULASIDAS

[KAMESWARARAO MULA]

Dear Friends,                       Tulsidas was bornon saptami, the bright half of thelunar month Shraavana  a village Sukarkhet, Soron, near Kasganj, UP(Varahakshetra) on the banks of the river Ganga. His parents wereHulsi and Atmaram Dubey. Sources identify him as a Saryupareen Brahmin of the ParasharGotra(lineage). Veni Madhav Das's account in the Mula Gosain Charita, whichgives the year of Tulsidas' birth as VikramiSamvat 1554 and the total life span of Tulsidas equal to 126 years. Legend goes that Tulsidas was born afterstaying in the womb for twelve months, he had all thirty two teeth in his mouthat birth, his health and looks were like that of a five-year-old boy, and hedid not cry at the time of his birth but uttered Rama instead. He wastherefore named Rambola (literally, he who uttered Rama), asTulsidas himself states  & as per theMula Gosain Charita, he was born under the Abhuktamūla constellation, which according to  astrology causes immediate danger to the life of the father. Due to theinauspicious events at the time of his birth, he was abandoned by his parentson the fourth night, sent away with Chuniya,  afemale servant of Hulsi. In his works Kavitavali and Vinayapatrika,Tulsidas attests to his parents abandoning him after birth due to aninauspicious astrological configuration. Chuniya took the child to her village of Haripur and looked after him for five and a half years after which she died.Rambola was left to fend for himself as an impoverished orphan, and wanderedfrom door to door begging for alms. It is believed that the goddess Parvatiassumed the form of a Brahmin woman and fed Rambola every day.At the age offive years, Rambola was adopted by Narharidas, a Vaishnava ascetic the disciple of Anantacharya. Rambola was given the ViraktaDiksha (Vairagi initiation) with the new name of Tulsidas. Tulsidasnarrates the dialogue that took place during the first meeting with his guru ina passage in the Vinayapatrika. When he was seven years old, his Upanayana  was performed by Narharidas on the fifthday of the bright half of the month of Maghaat Ayodhya, a pilgrimage-site related to Rama. Tulsidasstarted his learning at Ayodhya. After some time, Narharidas took him to aparticular Varaha Kshetra Soron(a holy place with temple dedicated to Varaha– the boar avatar of Vishnu), where he first narrated the Ramayana to Tulsidas.Tulsidas mentions this in the Ramcharitmanas. 
    
Tulasidas married Ratnavali in 1583 on 13th bright fortnight of Jyeshtha. As Ratnavali was beautiful and accomplished , Tulasi was passionately attached to her. It was like this that he could not bear a moment's separation from her & wouldn't let her go th her parent's home even on a short visit.Renunication: One it happened that when Tulasi was not at home, Ratnavali's brother came to fetch her to her parent's house with great persuation in the absence of Tulasi. On his retrun to home, Tulasi found her absent at home and rushed to his in-law's place by swimming the yamuna river in the night. Ratnavali was greatly embrassed, angry, scolded her tulasi " he will attain freedom from the fear of transmigration" if he dedicates himself half to his lord Rama  as much as he was to her body of flesh & bones.It is said that true love to be diverted from mundane to spiritual & requires strong rebuke. Ratnavali's words sharp as arrows, pierced Tulasi's conscience and his eyes workup to the universe of Rama (initial seed for writing of Ramacharita Manas) as he closed to them to the material world.
Sri Guru Padaravindarpana MastuKameswara