Who, Tulasidas?

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Dandavats. Jaya Prabhupada!

 

On 08 Mar 2000, Krsna Candra wrote:

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

> Tulasidasas Rama-carita manasa.

Who was sitting in front of him at the time? Please do some

research into this significant factor, and then post what you probably

already know about it. Thanks for your consideration.

 

 

 

> 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.

There is no doubt Tulasidasa was a great poet and devotee, and

his book is second to none in the entire Avadhi language; his Manasa is

appreciable in many valuable ways. That's my sincere opinion, and I've

studied his work personally.

But he wasn't a bonafide vaishnava acharya, and most certainly not

ours.

 

 

 

> 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.

Yes, these are very good points. It won't be effective, to say

the least, to vehemently argue against a book one has never even read,

although we may certainly doubt it's veracity on the basis of what

Prabhupada said about it, and we should. Not only are we forbidden from

imitating Prabhupada, but it's also impossible for us to do so.

 

 

 

> 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.

Are you speculating?

 

 

 

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

> such a jewel of the vaishnavas.

Now THIS is an exaggeration. How can you possibly compare the

work of Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, your sampradaya acharya, to

Tulasidasa's work? At best, Tulasidasa was a member of the Ramananda

sampradaya, an offshoot from the Ramanujas; but as far as I know, this

claim isn't recognized by the Ramamnandis themselves, and there is no

evidence to support Tulasi''s affiliation with any other sampradaya

either. On the basis of what exact sources did Srila Prabhupada--once,

and in an offhand manner--link Tulasidasa to the Ramanandis? Do you

know? Does it matter to you? Do you think Prabhupada would insist on

this assertion, as you are likely to do? If so, what are your sources?

Have you even considered these questions?

 

 

 

> Lecture 21.8.73 in London

> Lecture 9.7.74 in Los Angeles>

> 24.4.72 in Tokyo

> 26.11.76 in Vrindavan

> room conversation 12.4.69 in New York

Frankly, I don't think any of these quotes can possibly support

the comparison of Tulasidasa's Manas to Krishnabhavanamritam. Again,

Tulasi was a consummate poet. Prabhupada quoted him as often, or perhaps

more often, than he quoted, say, Shakespeare. And Tulasidasa was clearly

a celebrated devotee, too. But do these things warrant comparision of

Tulasidasa with Srila Visvanatha Cakravartipada? Please give this some

careful thought, and take a few years doing so if you have to; you'll

need to realize this for yourself before what I say really means anything

to you.

 

 

> Evening darshan 8.7.75 in Washington

> Prabhupda: 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.

Fair enough. This tacit recognition of Tulasi's general

qualification is a bit more substantial. But still, Tulasi is no

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura--at least there's no indication that

Prabhupada accepts such a radical notion here. So is your opinion based

on something else? If so, please share it with the rest of us. And don't

mind my criticism; again, I think Tulasidasa wrote delightful poetry about

Sita and Rama, and I know for a fact that that he was a learned scholar

and even a good preacher too. But to compare him to Visvanatha

Cakravarti Thakura? One should definitely provide adequate support for

such bombastic praise, and I don't think you've done so. Hare Krishna.

Your humbke servant,

 

MDd