Bhakthi rathnakara- 3. Tulasidas- Tulasi the wanderer

[Guest guest]

Tulasi the wanderer

 

Tulasidas left the house of her

father in law and wearing a single cloth like a mendicant wandered all over the

holy places, such as Ayodhya, Puri, Prayag and finally came to Manasarover. He went

round the mount Kailas

and witnessed a glorious sight near the lake Manasarover.

There was a blinding brilliance of sunlight reflected on the water and when he

covered his eyes and looked through the opening between his fingers he saw

various birds sitting silently and a

crow was reciting Ramayana. He realized that they were rshis. He went round

them and bowed down to them with closed

eyes. When he opened his eyes again he was in Banares.

 

Tulasi stayed in Banares giving discourses in Ramayana. One day he had

a strange experience. Everyday he would go in a boat and carry Ganges water in a pot for his morning chores. After he

finished his use he used to pour the water at the bottom of a banyan tree. There

was a spirit of a man who committed suicide residing in the tree. It used to drink the water

and gradually it attained peace. Then one day when Tulasi was returning it stood on the way

and Tulasidas felt something obstructing him. He chanted ramanama and the sprit

spoke to him saying that he realized that Tulasi must be a great saint since the

water poured by him gave it the peace of mind and asked him whether there is

anything it could do for him. Tulasidas said that he wanted nothing except to have

a darsan of Rama.

 

The spirit told him that it was

very easy since Hanuman was coming to hear his discourse of Ramayana everyday

and if Tulasi could get hold of him, Hanuman will secure him a darsan of Rama. Tulas

asked how he could recognize Hanuman and

the spirit said that he would come in the guise of a man with leucoderma so

that no one will approach him. The next day during his discourse Tulasidas saw a

man as described by the spirit covering his head with a cloth. Tulasi was

narrating the episode of Sabari, who was pining for the arrival of Rama as told

by her guru, patiently waiting in the asrama of her guru. Tulasidas was describing

the feeling of Sabari while waiting for Rama expecting him everyday, having

faith in the words of her guru that Rama would come there one day. He was overwhelmed

by the emotion of Sabari which was similar to his own and crying "when will I

see Rama," he fainted. He woke up after along time and saw the man with

leucoderma standing near him. Tulasi caught his feet and lost consciousness

again. Hanuman lifted him and carried

him to Chithrakoota. When Tulasi woke up Hanuman told him that he was in Ramagiri

in Chitrakoota , where Rama lived during his vanavasa. Hanuman then told him to

take bath in Mandakini river nearby and chant ramanama and Rama would come to

him. Hanuman said that he would also be with him as he is always present

wherever ramanama is chanted. Then Hanuman disappeared and Tulasidas, chanting

ramanama waited like Sabari for Rama to

come to him.