Prabhupada on Rama-carita-manasa by Tulsidas

[Guest guest]

Srila Prabhupada starts the lecture on Radhastami 1968 by a verse of

Tulasidasas Rama-carita manasa.

Prabhupada calls him a great devotee of the lord, that all he writes is on

the basic of shastra, and he quotes him many times.

 

It may be that Srila Prabhupada said dome things about Tulasi das which were

not very nice. But one has to consider the circumstances.

 

I saw it so often: Many devotees take just some quotes of Prabhupada and

missuse it immaturly in their preaching. Even against great devotees like

Tulasi das.

Most of us have never even read these books, but we dare to criticize it. If

Srila Prabhupada did so some times,-even though he also said that Tulasi das

is a very great devotee- it does not give us the right to imitate him. Just

like parents have to protect their child very intensly in the beginning, but

if they continue like that for 20 years, it becomes an abnormal situation

and behavior. In the same way did also Srila Prabhupada, like a loving

father, protect the very weak devotional creeper of his new disciples in the

beginning.

So in the beginning it is best just to concentrate oneself. That is why he

discouraged his early disciples to read that.

 

Srila Prabhupada writes in the 46th chapter of Krishna book:

 

"Srila Vishvanatha cakravarti Thakur has given us a transcendental literary

work entitled Krishna Bhavanamrta, which is full with Krishna’s pastimes.

Exalted devotees can remain absorbed in Krishna-thought by reading such

books. Any book of krishna lila, even this book, Krishna, or our Teachings

of Lord Caitanya, is actually solace for devotees feeling separation from

Krishna."

 

Rama carita Manasa is certainly such a book. Please never preach against

such a jewel of the vaishnavas.

 

 

Sri Tulasi das ji maharaj says in his Vinay patrika:

"May that tongue fall from the mouth and may it become the loitering place

of the worms which grow in the stool of a dog which does not sing the

glories of Sri Janaki naatha."

 

 

I have many vaishnava friends in India who grew up with Ram-carita manasa.

By hearing this regulary they got so much love of godhead.

When I heard their parents singing it, they often had tears in their eyes.

And these were not sentimental tears but the ones I am praying for daily

(nayanam galad asru dharaya)

 

 

 

Here some quotes of Srila Prabhupada:

 

 

 

30.August 1968 Class on Radhastami by Srila Prabhupada

 

 

....am aprameyam anaghaà nirväëa-çänti-pradaà brahma-çambhu-phanéndras tebhyo

’niçaà vedänta-vedyaà vibhuà sura-guruà mäyä-mänuñya-harià vande ’haà

karunäkaraà raghu-varaà bhü-päla-cudämaëim

This is a verse composed by a great devotee, Tulasi dasa. He was a devotee

of Lord Rämacandra. So Lord Rama and Lord Krishna, there is no difference.

When we speak Krishna, that means He includes all other incarnations.

 

 

Actually, Tulasi dasa has expressed his own feelings about his devotion to

Lord Rama, and therefore he has named it Rama-carita-manasa, his mind full

with service attitude for Lord Rama. That is the real meaning of this book.

 

 

So in the fifth chapter, Sundara-Khanda, it is a very nice verse. What is

that? Çäntaà çäçvatam aprameyam anaghaà nirväëa-çänti-pradam. Each word is

meaningful. Çäntam. The Lord is never disturbed. Why He shall be disturbed?

 

I have explained that one Sloka from this Rama-carita-manasa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lecture 21.8.73 in London

.. That... Tulasi dasa has said that in the ocean, the waves of the ocean, if

you put one elephant very powerful, very strong, the elephant will be washed

away by the waves. But a small fish, a teeny fish, it is swimming against

the waves.

 

 

Lecture 9.7.74 in Los Angeles

 

And there is a version of Tulasi dasa in Hindi. It is said sukse sabe hari

bhaje, duhkhse saha hari bhaje, sukse bhaje khoya.(?) Or sukhase ara hari

bhaje, tu duùkha hase hoya(?). It is very nice instruction. The instruction

is that when one is distressed, everyone remembers God. Yes. Duhkhse saba

hari bhaje. Saba means “all.” At that time...

 

 

 

24.4.72 in Tokyo

 

Tulasi dasa says—it is very nice—that “Put and mut, they are coming from

the same source. So a put, if he is devotee of the Lord, then he is put. If

he is not, then he is mut. Then he is mut.” If the son... After begetting

son, if the son does not become devotee, then he is as good as mut. I pass

urine. Mut son, he says, because he’s less than mut. Because mut, I pass

urine. The obnoxious thing, that is gone away. But it is present. It is

present. The bad smell is constantly giving me trouble. Mut karma’s

there.(?) So these are very instructive.

 

... Anyway, that Tulasi dasa says that if he is devotee, then he is son.

 

 

 

26.11.76 in Vrindavan

 

And Tulasi dasa, he has also said... Tulasi dasa is big poet in Hindi

language. He has written the Rama-carita-manas. His opinion... Not only his

opinion, that is the Vedic opinion, that... He says...

 

 

 

 

room conversation 12.4.69 in New York

 

“If you have got so much attachment for this skin and bone; if you had so

much attachment for Rama then your life would have been different.” So he

took it seriously. “Why not attachment for Rama?” So he became a great

devotee of Rama, Tulasi das. His book, Rama-carita-manasa. “Thinking always

of Rama,” that is his book. It is very famous book, and that is the only

important literature in the Hindi language, Rama-carita-manasa.

 

 

 

 

Evening darshan 8.7.75 in Washington

 

Prabhupäda: The Tulasi dasa’s Ramayana means Rama-carita. It is not

Ramayana. Rama-carita Manas. He was devotee of Lord Ramacandra. So as he was

thinking of Lord Ramacandra, he has written. So he was a learned scholar,

brahmana, he must have read Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavatam. So all his

translation is there on the basis of the sastra, especially Bhagavata and

Bhagavad-gita. You’ll find many parallel passages.