Catalyst ......contd.

Certain catalystic events has shook some men from their somnolence and set them on the path of creativity, inspiring them to spin poems, philosophy and work on ideas in a torrential downpour of words ,that have retained the purity of rain water cascading from clouds!

Three men , Tulsidas ,Thirumangai azhwar and Thondarapidi Azhwar gifted with poetic and spiritual mind were also once leading a life not normally associated with Rishi's and seers ,till certain events in their life changed them ,for good!

Tulsi das was the son of a scholar and seer ,whose services were requisitioned by Akbar.When the father decided to demit office ,his son was asked to take over . And he did.

Tulsidas had been brought up with a sound spiritual education . The attractions of the court life was so enormous that he succumbed to the pleasures it offered . His worried parents got him married in a bid to reform and tie him down.Now he transferred all his affection to his wife and imprisoned her with his excessive attention .

One day , unknown to him ,she left to her parents house. Tulsidas unable to bear the separation went in search . He crossed the swollen river in pelting rain at dead of the night clinging to a bier of a corpse floating on the water
, thinking it to be a log ,and knocked at the door his wife's parental house triumphantly!

Shocked at his lust , his wife wailed at his fascination for a body that was perishable and lamented that had he shown a fraction of this attachment to Rama the eternal being , he would be a better person.

These words stung Tulsidas .He shook off his libertine ways then and there itself , bowed to her calling her his guru and took leave .He became an ascetic . he delved deep into spiritual life and composed several treatises ,the most popular being Ramcharitra manas ,the rendition of Valmik's sanskrit work Ramayana in a language easily understood by the common people, Hindi.

He implores in one of his verses---


Sri Rama kripalu, bajumana

Harana bhavabhaya darunam|


This harsh life is full of fears

To destroy those fears

O, mind of mine

Meditate on the ever compassionate one,

'Sri Rama '!