Tulsidas and thieves

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> Tulsidas and thieves

> One night two thieves broke into the temple. They

> took as many as they could

> carry. And when they tried to go out...

> By Manpreet

>

> Many years ago when the great Emperor Akbar ruled at

> Delhi there lived a man

> named Tulsi Das who wrote the Ramayana. Valmiki

> wrote the Ramayana in

> Sanskrit but Tulsi Das wrote it in Hindi the spoken

> language of the people.

> That is why Tulsi Das’s Ramayana is more popular

> than that of Valmiki’s. It

> is enacted every year as Ramlila in every town and

> village in India.

>

> Tulsi Das had come to love the name of Rama from

> very childhood. But the

> turning point in his life came a few years after his

> marriage. Tulsi Das was

> very fond of his wife. He could not bear to be

> separated from her even for a

> short while. One day shortly after the birth of

> their little son he went out

> leaving his wife at home. When he returned he didn’t

> I find his wife there

> she had gone to her father’s place with her brother

> who visited in the

> absence of Tulsi Das.

>

> This made Tusli Das very sad. Unable to bear the

> separation he at once set

> out for his father-in-law’s house. On the way he had

> to cross a swollen

> river in the dark. But he jumped into the river and

> swam across it and

> reached the house of his wife’s father.

>

> His wife had hardly reached her father’s house when

> she was surprised to see

> Tulsi Das just coming after her. Instead of

> welcoming him she rebuked him by

> saying " If only you had as great love for Rama as

> you have for me a bundle

> of mere flesh and bones you would have become a

> great saint. "

>

> These words pierced his heart. Suddenly he had a

> vision of a blissful life

> wholly given up to God. He said to himself: " what a

> fool I have been all

> these years! I loved my wife with all my heart. But

> why should I have done

> so? I should have set my heart on something higher.

> I should have devoted my

> life to Rama. "

>

> The next morning at daybreak he left home for

> Varanasi where he became a

> devotee of Rama. He went about the streets of

> Varanasi begging. " Ram! Ram! "

> he cried as he went from street to street.

>

> It was not for himself that he begged but for a

> temple in the name of Rama

> which he wanted to build in the city. Rama had

> appeared to him and blessed

> him. Now he wanted to tell the people about Rama so

> that they could lead

> better lives.

>

> Little by little the money came in till at last

> Tulsi Das had enough money

> to build the temple. The temple was built. Here

> Tulsi Das started teaching

> people singing beautiful songs about Rama. So

> beautiful were his thoughts

> that people looked upon him as a saint. They loved

> and honored him and

> brought him presents in form of gold and silver

> vessels.

>

> Tulsi Das kept these presents in the temple. One

> night two thieves broke

> into the temple to steal the vessels of gold and

> silver in it. They took as

> many as they could carry. And when they tried to go

> out of the door they had

> come in from. Whom did they find there? The two men

> armed with bows and

> arrows standing outside the door. Then they went to

> another door. Here too

> they found the same two men standing guarding it.

> They then ran to the third

> door but the same two men were standing outside this

> door too!

>

> Tulsi Das Who wrote 'Ramayana'Trembling with fear

> the two thieves now took

> back the vessels to the place from where they had

> taken the mand tried to

> get out without them. But outside every door they

> went to they found the

> same two men standing guarding it with their bows

> and arrows. So they had to

> stay inside the temple that night.

>

> In the morning when Tulsi Das came to the temple he

> saw the two thieves

> trying to hide from him. Tulsi Das wanted to know

> who they were. They fell

> at his feet and told him the whole story.

>

> As Tulsi Das listened to their story he wondered who

> the two men could have

> been. But as he stood there thinking he knew all at

> once who they were. They

> were Rama and Lakshmana!

>

> The two thieves said : " O holy man! We are wicked

> men. We have done many

> sins. Let us serve you so that we too may become

> good men. "

>

> " You have been greatly blessed your eyes have seen

> the two great ones. Live

> in peace here. You are the true devotees of Rama.

> Very few in this world are

> as blessed as you are. "

>

> From that day the doors of the temple were never

> closed they were kept open

> day and night. No one came to the temple to steal.

>

> The people came to see the temple from other cities

> and towns. When they

> heard Tulsi Das singing songs of Rama they were

> filled with a strong desire

> to lead good lives. In this wayTulsi Das taught

> people the love of God. He

> did great good to them by writing a wonderful book

> on the life of Rama

> called Ramayana. There is hardly any boy or girl in

> India who does not know

> the beautiful story of Rama and Sita.

>

> Tulsi Das could count among his friends some of the

> famous men of his time.

> Todar Mal Akbar’s minister Maharaja Man Sing and his

> brotherJagat Singh of

> Amber were among his best friends. Some one once

> asked him: " Why do such

> great men now come to see you who had been so humble

> and so unknown? "

>

> Tulsi Das replied: " Once did I beg and could not get

> even a cracked cowrie

> (Coin) in alms. Who wanted me then for any purpose?

> But Rama the lover of

> the poor made me of great price. I used to beg from

> door to door for almsnow

> kings are at my feet. Then it was without Rama now

> Rama is my helper. "

 

 

 

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