A CHALLENGE


Tulasidas thought that Kashi was the best place for the publication of his work. So he went again to Kashi. In the same cottage, the old activities of the day and the evening discourses were resumed. But now he recited passages from his own 'Ramacharitamanasa' and explained them.

The scholarship and genius of Goswami Tulasidas won the admiration of the people of Kashi.

They regarded him as the incarnation of Valmiki. Several scholars became his disciples. Thousands of people realized the greatness of Bhakti and became devotees of Sri Rama.

Has there been an age without the wicked and the jealous? There is a story about how the attempts of such people to discredit the 'Ramacharitamanasa' ended only in confirming its greatness.
The detractors joined hands. They planned to insult the 'Ramacharitamanasa' and destroy its popularity. One day a conference of scholars was held in the temple of Lord Vishwanatha. All reputed works of literature, religion and philosophy were read out. The 'Ramacharitamanasa' also was recited. Then all the works were arranged in a pile. The crooked fellows put the copy of the 'Ramacharitamanasa' at the bottom, as a deliberate insult. But the next morning when the doors of the temple were opened the 'Ramacharita manasa' was found on top of all the books. Then everybody realised the merit of the 'Ramacharitamanasa' and the greatness of Tulasidas.

Another such incident happened. The opponents of Tulasidas joined together. They took a copy of the 'Ramacharitamanasa' to Madhusudan Saraswathi, a great master and exponent of Advaita philosophy and said, "Please tell us what you think of this book, sir."

Madhusudan Saraswathi was an advaiti, Tulasidas did not belong to this school of philosophy. So the crooked fellows thought that Madhusudan Saraswathi would surely condemn that book. Then they could easily carry on their propaganda against the work. But what happened was entirely different.

Pandit Madhusudan Saraswathi read the entire work, then he said: "There is a plant called Tulasi in the garden of poetry. Sri Rama is the bee buzzing about the flowers of poetic beauty that have blossomed on its branches."