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 '!
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