Srila Prabhupada on Rama-carit-manas & Goswami Tulasi dasa

In ISKCON, there are devotees who think of Goswami Tulasi dasa as an unauthorized author and his work Rama-carit-manas as mayawada. This document is collection of quotations of Srila Prabhupada on this matter to understand its positive and negative sides.

ISKCON Bhagavata Mahavidyalaya has published an article entitled “Srila Prabhupada on Goswami Tulasi dasa”. In that article, there are already many quotes of Srila Prabhupada which positively speaks about Goswami Tulasi dasa. This document contains comments on those quotes which are negative.

 

Although there are 15 quotes of Srila Prabhupada from which it can be established that Goswami Tulasi dasa was a great devotee and his Rama-carit-manas is based on the conclusions of Srimad Bhagavat Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. Furthermore, Srila Prabhupada in one of his letters has said to preach the life of Tulasi dasa. The quotes go--

 

“The medicine is administered through submissive aural channel as Hari sankirtana which means:

1) To sing bhajan songs glorifying the Almighty and His pastimes.

2) To preach the teachings of Bhagavad-gétä, Ramayana, Bhägavata, life of such saints as Caitanya Mahäprabhu, Tulasi dasa, etc.”

(SPL to R. Prakash, 22nd June, 1951)

 

Here it can be said that Prabhupada is speaking about another Tulasi dasa, who appears in rasik mangal who stayed with rasikananda. But in this same letter we can see that Prabhupada is mentioning Ramayana, which clearly indicates that he is not speaking about that Tulasi dasa. Furthermore, Srila Prabhupada has himself glorified the life of Goswami in Room Conversation -- April 12, 1969, New York. But he never glorified about that Tulasi dasa who was the associate of Rasikananda.

 

Somebody may ask that this letter was in 1951, and we have recent quotes where he is telling negatively about Goswami? The answer is that by glorifying the life of Goswami Srila Prabhupada has himself followed his statement to glorify Goswami.

 

In his Hari kathamrta volume 1, Sri Bhaktivedanta Narayana maharaja also tells story from ram-carit-manas--- In this regard there is a story in Tulasi dasa’s Ramayana. There was a sudra who worshipped Sankara, but his spiritual master was a Vaishnava who chanted räma-näma. The guru instructed this sudra to also worship Räma but the sudra’s primary interest was worshipping Sankara. One day the guru said, “Sankara himself worships Räma, so why don’t you worship Räma?” The sudra replied, “Oh, you are inimical to Sankara?” All devotees of Shiva say this. If you tell them that the worship of Räma is superior to the worship of Shiva, they accuse you of being an offender. But this is not correct. So this sudra said, “To promote the worship of Räma you blaspheme Shiva?” He became very angry and began insulting his spiritual master. Then Sankara himself appeared from the mürti that was nearby and cursed the sudra, “You must reside in hell for millions of births.”

Hearing this, the guru offered many prayers and pleased Shiva, saying, “Lord, please be kind to him. No matter how fallen your devotee may be, he still belongs solely to you. Be merciful.”

 

Sankara then asked, “What do you desire?”

The guru replied, “That you please forgive him.”

Sankara replied, “I have said that he must take birth in hell for millions of births, yet now I give my blessing that this curse will be completed very quickly. He will take birth and then die immediately afterwards until the curse is fulfilled. In this way it will take no time at all.”

And it happened this way, by the spiritual master’s having prayed to Shiva. Soon afterwards the sudra took another human birth, then he took birth as Käkubhusaëòi and became a devotee of the Lord. This is the mercy of the spiritual master.

Once there was a disciple who would regularly eat päna, and his guru said to him, “Don’t take päna on Ekadashi.”

The disciple replied, “But the deity has accepted this päna; it is prasäda. So should we reject prasäda?”

The guru said, “Yes, we will not take this prasäda on the day of Ekadashi.”

Then the disciple said, “How is this possible? I cannot accept this.” He opposed his guru. Then the guru said, “Go! From today I renounce you as a disciple.”

 

Sri Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaj in his lectures on shiva-tattva says--

“The pastimes of Lord Räma are found in Ramayana, Srimad-Bhägavatam, the Puräëas and Räma-carita-mänasa, and they take place in a previous Age, called Tretä-yuga.”

 

There are quotes from Bhagavatam, from which it can be understood that Srila Prabhupada thought Tulasi dasa to be somewhat like a person, who is in favor of brahmana’s birth-right.

 

It sometimes takes place in the great. Just like Bhrigu Muni. There was meeting, "Who is the greatest, the three deities, Brahmä, Vishnu, Maheçvara?" So Bhrigu Muni was deputed to test. And he purposefully kicked on the chest of Vishnu. So the so-called brahmanas, they take pride: "Oh, our community man was able to kick." Even in Tulasi dasa's Ramayana that is very... But no brahmanas should discuss.

Srimad-Bhägavatam 6.3.12-15 Gorakhpur, February 9, 1971

 

In the present age, consideration of the necessary qualification is being neglected, and the false birthright claim is being supported even by a popular, sophisticated poet, the author of Räma-carita-mänasa.

Bhagavatam 1.16.31

 

It is to be understood that here Prabhupada is just telling, he is not conforming because there are many positive quotes.  Prabhupada has heard something. And he is using it in preaching.

 

If it is there also in the books of Goswami then from this one problem we can’t define Tulasi dasa to be unauthorized. Even in madhva sampradaya there are scholars, who give more stress on birth-right. For that reason, they don’t give Brahman initiation to those, who are not born as brahmanas.

 

There are some devotees, who say that Srila Prabhupada wanted to translate Valmiki Ramayana he didn’t’ want to translate ram-carit-manas. The reason behind this is that there was already translation of ram-carit-manas. This confirms from Prabhupada. he says---

 

“They are very much appreciating and we are selling to the extent to 30-40 hundred thousand of rupees per month. Out of this we spend 50% for the maintenance of our different temples all over the world and 50% we spend for reprinting my books. I do not take any royalty or any profit out of it. Similarly, if you agree not to take any profit or royalty then our Bhaktivedanta Book Trust will publish your book on Lord Ramacandra. I have a great desire to translate the Valmiki Ramayana because that is authorized. Tulasi dasas Caritamanas is already translated into English by some clergyman, but I do not exactly know his name. Therefore, I wish to translate Valmiki Ramayana exactly in the way I have done Srimad-Bhagavatam. I am sending herewith a copy of our monthly paper Back to Godhead in which you will find the mode of translating of Srimad-Bhagavatam. It begins after page fourteen. It will give you an idea in which way we want to translate. Or you are welcome to come to our temple along with your son at 3, Albert Road, Calcutta. There you can see in my books the mode of translation by giving the purport of the verse in English."

(SPL to Dinanatha, 26th July, 1975)

 

Now we come across to some quotes where Prabhupada is strongly rejecting Tulasi dasa and ram-carit-manas.

 

(Letter to: Raktaka, Hamburg, 6 September, 1969)

Srila Prabhupada says, Sri Ramacharitamanasa by Goswami Tulasi das is not very authorized, and Ramayana is authorized…………The author of Ramacharitamanasa, Goswami Tulasi das, has a tinge of Mayavadi philosophy. He belongs to the Ramananda Sampradaya. They are mixed up combination of personalist and impersonalist. Therefore, the author is not considered as pure Vaisnava. Pure Vaisnava is free from all material contamination of fruitive activities and mental speculation. The pure Vaisnava is simply, purely disposed to transcendental loving service to Krishna. The pure Vaisnava rejects anything which has no pure idea of serving the Personality of Godhead."

Notes: in this latter we can find Srila Prabhupada a’s respect towards Tulasi dasaa as Goswami.

 

Here it is to be observed that Prabhupada says--not very authorized. The word very itself shows that he is not conformed about as Ramayana. Therefore, he is joining Tulasi dasaa with ramananda sampraday. Here Srila Prabhupada a’s mood is that because he is coming in mayavadi sampraday, it is contaminated. This is confrmed because Prabhupada says the word very.

 

 

Furthermore, regarding Ramanandis Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj says (810921SM.B tape 9-22-81 side) The Ramanandi also they have got naga, half-soldier. They are also very eager to fight with Sankara school. The dignity of Ramacandra, Sita-Rama. But Tulasi Dasa is considered to be a member of Ramanandi sampradaya who are especially a devotee of Rama-Sita, they are called Ramanandi. They are also Vedanta tika. From _ _ _ Ramananda or someone is their generation, composed from _ _ _ and vedanta. But I did not read it direct but I saw in Bhaktivinode Thakura Jaiva Dharma that the posture within their heart mukti, mumuka. Whenever through worship anyone attains mukti, mukti is superior that bhakti. So that bhakti has come. It’s not suddha bhakti. But ordinary people may not keep like that. But still some of the acarya of that sampradaya has connected the sampradaya with that. Mumuk, mukti. At least they want mukti for the service of Ramacandra. That also may be. A devotee, a vaisnava doesn't care for mukti, even. Whatever you like. Whatever you would like to post to me doesn't matter. I want your service, bhakti. And service of you and your devotee. Wherever you place me, it matters little. That is Gaudiya sampradaya. _ _ _ You may put in hell; I won't care for that. But your correction through devotion, that is my only demand, not for any local posting. There are some who want after liberation, I want your service. Condition, that is also to be found somewhere. The gopis, there is no room for any condition. Unconditional dedication to the Lord. That are ready to go to hell for your service if it is necessary. Service, the spirit to that degree is to be found only in Vraja. In Gaudiya sampradaya, not any condition.

Here Prabhupada says räma carit manas to be unauthorized and Ramayana to be authorized and he also says that Tulasi dasa has tint of mayavad. If we observe than all the vedas also contain impersonalism. If we see in conection to bhagavatam than all other puranas and vedas are not very authorized because there is tinge of mayavad. Therefore, here not very authorized refer to one point is that it is authorized but not so much because it can be easily interpreted in mayavadi way. in sanskrit we have dictionaries so we can on the basis of such books can prove that the bhakti is supreme but in the case of ram carit manas it is written in avadhi therefore anyone can interpret it in different way.

 

A tint of mayavad philosophy itself proves that people can misinterpreted. if Prabhupada wanted to say that there is mayavad then he would have said that Tulasi das was affected by mayavad.

 

Here Prabhupada is telling “not very authorized” because it has no pure bhakti means ahaituki. But this is the higher stage. We want to serve krsna only for love. But there are the devotees who pray to go back to godhead. Even our own Srila Prabhupada used to say that by chanting the holynames of krsna we can attain krsna’s abode. But that is the salokya mukti we know that pure bhakti is higher than salokya mukti.

 

Prabhupada has told ramayan to be authorized but in ramayan mahatmya also we find mayavad. So why Srila Prabhupada is telling ramayan to be aurhorized? The reason is that because at that time ramayan was commented by acaryas but ram carit manas was not commented. therefore, Prabhupada was doubtfull and at that time devotees were new and if they read such book without commentary than they may be diverted to the gaudiya philosophy—prema bhakti. Therefore, to handle situation Prabhupada made it not very authorized.

 

For Prabhupada  he respected both. he says--Anyway this is song of a devotee for his Lord Rama. In thatsense, you can call it Ramayana, but this book is actually Rama- caritamanasa.

 

Amazingly Prabhupada declares ram carit manas to be as like as veda he says--Tulasi dasa is big poet in Hindi language.He has written the Rama-carita-manasa. His opinion... Not only his opinion,that is the Vedic opinion, (Lecture SB 5.6.4 Nov 26, 1976 Vrindavana, India)

 

Further Prabhupada says (recorded in hari sori pr. Diary)--

When Jayapatäka Mahäräja suggested that it could be translated by a Gauòéya Vaishnava and its philosophical errors corrected, Prabhupäda dismissed it. "Why? Gauòéya Vaishnava has immense literature. Why they should bother with Tulasi dasaa? By reading Tulasi dasaa's Räma-carita-mänasa, in my experience, I've not seen a single man has come to the spiritual platform. I have not seen a single man."

 

Here one point is amazing that Prabhupada is not mentioning about Ramayana. Here he is indicating to translate gaudiya books. From gaudiya it is understood that Prabhupada through the word “spiritual platform” indicates the love of madhurya. Therefore, he is not even indicating Ramayana.

 

In another quote regarding unauthorized Srila Prabhupada says

Guest: But if he goes after demigods...

Prabhupäda: If he wants some material profit. [Hindi conversation] So kämais tais tair håta-jïänäù prapadyante anya-devatäù [Bg. 7.20]. [Hindi]

Guest: [Hindi]

Prabhupäda: Tulasi dasa is different; therefore, we don't take Tulasi dasa as authority. Room Conversation -- New Delhi, November 11, 1971

 

Here guest is informing about the worship of demigods by quoting Goswami and because of this Prabhupada is telling that we don’t accept authority. It means that if it is real then we don’t accept Goswami but this was in 1971. afterwords in 1976 Prabhupada is mentioning the position of ram-carit-manas to be vedic as he says--- Tulasi dasa is big poet in Hindi language.He has written the Rama-carita-manasa. His opinion... Not only his opinion,that is the Vedic opinion,

(Lecture SB 5.6.4 Nov 26, 1976 Vrindavana, India)

 

If Tulasi dasa’s Ramayana is not pure like gaudiyas than why do you read?

If somebody is asking such questions than first of all he should not read any puranas even Bhagavatam because Bhagavatam also have some mayavad concepts, which are found in 12^th & 4rth cantos. Therefore, it is concluded that if one sees ram-carit-manas in pure way or without any own idea of mayavad   then all can read this. This is the popular book which can elevate us.

 

Hare krsna.

Vaishnava-dasanu-dasa,

Yasoda-jivana-dasa

 

A humble servant of my siksha-guru H.H. RADHA GOVINDA GOSWAMI MAHARAJA and my diksha-guru H.H. BHAKTI VIKASA SVAMI MAHARAJA