Prabhupada on Rama-carita-manasa by Tulsidas

[Guest guest]

Room Conversation with Srila Prabhupada,

August 21, 1976, Hyderabad

 

Jayapataka: When the public began to recite Gitar-gan at their functions,

like they're doing this Tulasidasa Ramayana, if they start that in Bengal,

Gitar-gan, then it will be a big success.

Prabhupada: Tulasidasa. Tulasidasa Ramayana is very popular. Because the

Hindis, they have no literature. There is no literature.

Jayapataka: If some Gaudiya Vaisnava could rewrite that according to

siddhanta, then it would be very good.

Prabhupada: Which one?

Jayapataka: His Ramayana has got many philosophical errors in it.

Prabhupada: Oh, yes.

Jayapataka: If a Gaudiya Vaisnava could write that properly...

Prabhupada: Why? Gaudiya Vaisnava has immense literature. Why they should

bother with Tulasidasa? By reading Tulasidasa's Rama-carita-manasa in my

experience I've not seen a single man has come to the spiritual platform. I

have not seen a single man.

Gargamuni: That is not transcendental literature. Because by reading these

books you come to transcendental realization.

Prabhupada: Yes, that is wanted. They want asirvada. Just like so many

people come, asirvada. "You are a saintly person, you give me asirvada so my

material happiness may increase. I am not interested with the spiritual

knowledge. Give me blessing so that for nothing I get, upgrade my material

opulence." This is their... So those Tulasidasa readers, they are like that.

They want material opulence. Arto-artharthi, artharthi, want some material

benefit. They chant Tulasidasa's Rama-carita-manasa for some material

benefit. They're not interested in the spiritual advancement. Nobody. That

Delhi temple where they have pandita? I'm forgetting his name.

 

Srila Prabhupada's Letter to: Raktaka, Hamburg, 6 September, 1969

 

Regarding the two books you have mentioned, Sri Ramacharitamanasa by Goswami

Tulasi das is not very authorized, and Ramayana is authorized. One thing is

though, you have got enough other books to study. Did you appear in the

examination held on Janmastami Day? Why should you go to Ramayana when you

have got Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and Teachings of Lord Caitanya?

Don't divert your attention in that way. The author of Ramacharitamanasa,

Goswami Tulasi das, has a tint of Mayavadi philosophy. He belongs to the

Ramananda Sampradaya. They are mixed up combination of personalist and

impersonalist. Therefore, the author is not considered as pure Vaisnava.

Pure Vaisnava is free from all material contamination of fruitive activities

and mental speculation. The pure Vaisnava is simply, purely disposed to

transcendental loving service to Krishna. The pure Vaisnava rejects anything

which has no pure idea of serving the Personality of Godhead.