Tulsi Das ji, while composing the Ramayan, formed a large Hindu religious text full of Bhakti and piety. It was composed in seven Adhyayas, explaining the entire life of Lord Ram in this sacred text.
First, Tulsi Das ji had composed the Ramayan in Sanskrit, but strangely enough, the writing continued to vanish all by itself.Accepting this as a divine indication from God, he decided to write the Ramayan in a simple, easily understood language.
When Tulsi Das ji received a divine vision of Lord Shiva and was commanded to write the Ramayan, he immediately began writing. It took him nearly five years to complete the scripture, and by then, he was around 90 years old.
As he wrote, the fame of the holy scripture spread rapidly in society. However, some ancient saints of Varanasi did not want Tulsi Das ji to complete the granth and plotted to steal it from his residence at Assi Ghat (also known as Tulsi Ghat). Tulsi Das ji lived at Assi Ghat, where he would regularly bathe in the sacred Ganga River.
At that time, Tulsi Das ji had not yet completed the Ramayan and had only finished one chapter. Even with just a part of it written, people who heard the scripture found it easy to understand, developing a deep interest in it, which led to its popularity spreading throughout nearby regions.
The temple authorities and locals were shocked. “Now we definitely cannot allow her inside,” they said.
The saint responded firmly, “Let me say one thing—if she enters the temple and offers the mukut, and if the idol of Lord Rangnath bows its head to accept her offering, then let that be the sign of God’s will. But if it does not happen, we, the entire group of saints, pledge to give up our lives right here in front of this temple.”
This bold declaration spread like wildfire. Even the head of the village arrived to witness what would unfold.
The saint told Ganika to wait while the other saints sat and began
singing keertans. After about an hour of singing, the saint received
an inner message—divine permission from Lord Rangnath Himself.
He said to Ganika, “Daughter, go inside and offer the mukut.”
Ganika, with deep humility and surrender, approached the inner sanctum of the temple. Her heart was heavy with remorse but full of hope. She placed the mukut before the idol of Lord Rangnath, and in that sacred moment, the miracle happened—the idol of Rangnath ji bowed His head to accept her offering.
Tears streamed down her face. It was a moment of divine grace, a sign from God that no one is beyond forgiveness.
The day a soul truly pledges to correct its past mistakes is the day God accepts that soul at His feet, wiping away all sins, and giving it a new beginning.
Noticing this growing admiration among people, the old saints feared
losing their own importance in society. As a result, the Brahmins sent
thieves at night to steal the scripture from Tulsi Das ji’s place.
Tulsi Das ji lived in a temple constructed with four doors, one in
each direction. When the robbers came up to the main door of tulsi das
ji's residence to stole the scripture, they were apprehended by two
young, divine-looking boys with shining faces, carrying bows in their
hands. Upon seeing their shining presence, robust bodies, and kingly
presence, the burglars became frightened and planned to attempt a
different entrance. But as they made their way towards the second
door, they saw the same two divine boys waiting there too, sternly
telling them to go away.
Terrified, the robbers ran away and did not try to re-enter.
The following morning, the robbers confronted Tulsi Das ji, confessing
that they had visited the night before in order to steal the Ramayan
scripture. However, they were stopped by the two divine-looking boys
guarding the scripture.
Curious and still shaken, they asked Tulsi Das ji, “Who are those two
radiant young men guarding your scripture? They looked like kings from
somewhere. How did you get them to protect the Ramayan for you? We saw
them at each door, two at one entrance and two at another. Who are
they? Their divine presence has left us sleepless all night.” Hearing
this, Tulsi Das ji smiled and joyfully exclaimed,
“Oh Lord! You yourself came to protect the scripture!”
(Whenever evil threatens the saints, the Lord himself comes to protect his devotees from harm.)
Concluding all the above, it is very important to live a life separate from others for oneself and maintain inner attachment with God to remember God's love at the time of death to avoid creation of rebirth karma.
“The story of Tulsidas Ji’s birth reminds us that those born under difficult circumstances can still rise to illuminate the world through unwavering devotion, divine grace, and the power of sacred words.”
This sakhi tells the story of Tulsidas Ji’s suffering, struggles, and
eventual enlightenment, which led him to write the Hanuman Chalisa and
Ramcharitmanas.
Tulsidas Ji was born into an ill-fated nakshatra that was said to
cause bad luck for those surrounding him. Due to this, his father did
not accept him and left him at the door of their home, warning the
people that whoever gave him shelter would experience severe
difficulties. There was neither anybody who came forward to give the
newborn food nor who came to assist his mother, who was dying on her
deathbed.
After three days of suffering, his mother, collecting her last strength, summoned a trusted servant, left behind her jewelry and money, and committed her infant son to him. She died the following day because of her declining health.
The family who had adopted Tulsidas Ji soon encountered disasters—deaths began to take place one by one. The woman who was taking care of him first died, followed by his other family members. In fear that his presence was the reason for such tragedies, they also left him on the streets.
At the age of only four, Tulsidas Ji was left all alone, rejected by society and forced to fend for himself in intense hunger. Passing through the village, Tulsidas Ji hugged his empty belly, tapping his little hands upon it and spreading his mouth to display the villagers his hunger pangs. Still, no one sympathized with him or provided him with food. Wailing and starving, he walked lost, his small feet taking him far until he eventually arrived at a temple. One day, out of insufferable hunger, the child strayed to a Hanuman Ji temple. Through divine providence, temple monkeys started leaving food for him. His pain was so extreme that even the gods noticed.
Maa Parvati, feeling pained by his suffering, made up her mind to come
down to Earth as an old lady to look after him. Daily, she used to
visit to feed him and keep him fit. But eventually, a village woman
observed something strange—Tulsidas Ji, who no one gave food or
shelter, seemed to be well-fed. She became curious and hence decided
to find out and, hiding behind the temple, she saw the enigmatic old
woman feeding him. When she realized that the woman did not belong to
their village, she became suspicious.
No sooner was Maa
Parvati spotted than she vanished, since
divine creatures never intervene once they have made themselves known.
Thereafter, she never came anymore, and Tulsidas Ji once again
experienced the pangs of hunger.
Fate soon led him to the company of saints and sages, who took him in and provided him with education and shelter. With time, he gained profound knowledge of Sanskrit and began spreading spiritual teachings among the people.
Fate soon led him to the company of saints and sages, who took him in and provided him with education and shelter. With time, he gained profound knowledge of Sanskrit and began spreading spiritual teachings among the people.
Seeing his restlessness and fixation, she was both shocked and heartbroken. Glancing at him, she said:
"Itna prem agar Ram se karte, toh Ram darshan ho jaate."
("If you loved Lord Ram as intensely as you love me, you would have
attained His divine presence by now.")
These words pierced deep within the soul of Tulsidas Ji. At that time, he understood the essence of real, unshakable love—the love for the divine. After that day, he devoted himself completely to Lord Ram. His devotion became so complete that he indulged in Ram Simran and wanted nothing but the presence of the Lord.
It was this divine love that went on to inspire him later to write the sacred scriptures Ramcharitmanas and Hanuman Chalisa, leaving behind an ever-lasting legacy of love and knowledge for the world.
Dhanna Ji replied,
Tulsi Das ji story in Jail
There came a time in Tulsi Das ji’s life when all the people around him wished to attend the spiritual lectures he gave. The way he educated people about the life of Lord Ram made people eager to listen daily. Also, the Holy Scripture Ramcharitmanas, written by Tulsi Das ji under the mercy of Lord Ram, made people feel devoted and attached as they read those scriptures. It was easy to understand, and it narrated the life of Lord Ram with deep emotions and faith.The rapid rise to fame spread widely, diminishing the value of other revered saints' knowledge.
As Tulsi Das ji’s popularity and praise grew in society, the news reached King Akbar. Akbar called Tulsi Das ji for a meeting and asked him to write a holy scripture praising his life, just as he had written about Lord Ram.
Akbar wished to be seen as a saint, wanting everyone to praise him for his deeds and spread his religion, Din-e-Elahi. He decided that Tulsi Das ji, being the best person to write such a scripture, should write about him.
Akbar was more interested in being seen as a saint than a king. He believed in not differentiating between Hindus and Muslims and had generously donated to society. With this in mind, he wanted Tulsi Das ji to write a holy scripture praising his good deeds in helping others. However, Tulsi Das ji replied to Akbar:
"Akbar, you are mistaken. I am no one to write the Ramcharitmanas. It is all Lord Ram’s great mercy that allowed me to write this scripture. I cannot write about you, as I am fully devoted to Lord Ram."
Upon hearing such words from Tulsi Das ji, Akbar decided to imprison him, ordering his army to put Tulsi Das ji in prison immediately. Akbar imposed a condition on Tulsi Das ji: "Either write a granth about me or agree to be enslaved."
Tulsi Das ji agreed to be enslaved but refused to write a scripture about Akbar. At the age of 96, Tulsi Das ji was imprisoned and remained there for 40 days. He entered deep remembrance of Lord Hanuman, to whom he had been devoted since his childhood, and prayed internally for help to escape this situation.
He began meditating deeply on Lord Hanuman and started writing the Hanuman Chalisa in jail. After completing the Chalisa, he still did not receive the divine vision of Lord Hanuman and requested once more for Hanuman ji to show him his divine sight.
Hanuman ji responded:
"Tulsi Das, you are a great poet who wrote the Ramcharitmanas and other holy scriptures, but you have made a serious mistake in writing my scripture. You started praising me without first praising my Guru. Tulsi, I am nothing without my Guru."
Tulsi Das ji had written the Chalisa beginning with:
“Jai Hanuman
Gyan Gun Sagar, Jai Kapis Tihu Lok Ujagar.”
Hanuman ji then corrected Tulsi Das ji, giving him the opening lines
from his own mouth, saying:
“Shri Guru Charan Saroj Raj Nij Mun Mukur Sudhar.”
“Shri Guru Charan Saroj Raj Nij Mun Mukur Sudhar.”
The Guru holds supreme power; without the Guru, the devotee is nothing. As it is said:
The Guru holds supreme power; without the Guru, the devotee is nothing. As it is said:
One who receives the mercy of the Guru can directly speak to God, one
on one.
Tulsi Das ji then requested Hanuman ji to help him escape
the imprisonment of Akbar. Hanuman ji replied, "In Kaliyug, we must
follow the instructions of the Almighty, as we cannot directly
interfere with humans. But don’t worry, we will send our army to help
you."
Soon, crores of monkeys attacked Akbar’s army. Akbar’s army couldn’t fight the massive army of monkeys that had invaded his premises. Birbal and Todermal, two of Akbar’s staff, guided the king to correct his mistake, explaining that it was Hanuman ji’s mercy that caused all the monkeys to appear. They would keep increasing, and they requested Akbar to not make this sin.
Akbar then realized his mistake and released Tulsi Das ji.
These are beautiful tales of how God plays a role in the devotee's life.