Tulsi Das Ji and the Divine Guardians of the Ramayan: A Tale of Bhakti and Protection
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.
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.)