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OCTOBER, 1893.)
NOTES ON TUL'SI DAS.
265
have been 42 years of age when he commenced writing the Rúmdyana, and this conclusion is borne out by the nature of the work, which is that of a mature intellect, - of a man who had lived.
In former days, before the British rule, children born at the end of the asterism Jyêshthâ, and at the beginning of that of Mûla, were said to be born in Abhukta-múla. Such a child was considered to be of the worst possible nature, and destined to destroy his father. On this account he would usually be abandoned by his parents, or, at the best, if from natural affection they could not be so inhuman, they would not look upon its face for eight years. Thus, in the Muhártta-chintámani (composed about Tul'sî Das's time), it is written, játar sidurit tatra parityajéd vá mukhan pita 'sya 'shțasamá na pasyét.' In the puránas, Narantaka is mentioned as having been born to Ravana in Abluuleta-múla, and to have been abandoned in this way. He did not die, but grew ap and had many children and grandchildren. At Nârada's instigation, Råvaņa sent for them, and they were all killed in the conflict with Rama.
Tulip Das was one of these children born in Abhukta-mala, and, when bis parents abandoned him he must have been picked up by some wandering sádhru, for no respectable householder would have had aught to do with such a child. He tells us himself in Binay Pattritel, 227, 2, janani janaka tajó janami, karama binu bidhi-hún sirajyó abadéré,' My father and mother brought me into being and then abandoned me, and God himself created me without good fortune, and forsook me.' Compare, also, the whole passage above quoted from the Kabit. tábali, Ut., 73. He must, as a boy, have lived and wandered over India with this sádhá, and learnt from him and his companions the story of Râma, as he himself tells us.16
He was probably named Tulasi Dasa by the sadhu, according to a custom which these men have. When they desire to purify any person, they cause him to eat a tulasi lenf which has been dedicated to an image of Vishịu. This was probably done in the unfortunate lad's case, and hence his name.
He is popularly supposed to have been a profound pandit, but this is an evident error, as is shewn by his works. His Sansk sit is full of mistakes, e. g., in the introductory blokas to Rám. Ut., he writes kékikanthábhanilan for kéket, and chintakasya manabhringasanginau for mand. bhringa', or in the Rudráshtaka, 16 Rudráshtakanı idari proktasi vipréna hara-lôshayé, for "tósháya.
According to tradition, his father's name was Atma Ram Sukla Dabe, and his mother's Hulasi. His real name was, as he tells us in K. Rám. Ut., 94, Râm Bólâ. His spiritual preceptor was named Nara hari. His father-in-law's name was Dinabandhu Pathak, his wife's Ratnivali, and his son's Târak.17 Various places claim the honour of his birth, viz. Tari in the Doâb, Hastinâpur, Hajipur near Chitrakut, and Rajapur, in the district of Banda, on the banks of the Yamuna. Of these, Tari appears to have the best claim. In his youth, he studied at Sakarakshếtra, the modern Sôrôn (Rám. Ba., dô. 30). He married in bis father's lifetime, and after the latter's death, he lived contentedly as a householder, and begat a son. As explained elsewhere, Tul'si Dâs was a follower of the visish advaita Vedantic teaching of Ramanuja, as modified by Ramananda. It would be incorrect, however, to call him 'strict adherent of that sect. I have previously pointed out that, in Ayodhyâ he was a Smärta, not
1 Rám. BA., dd. 30, 1 (Main puni nija gura, &c.) and the following charpáls. This pasage also tells us that he learned the Ráms-story from this addhu, or guru, as he called him, in Sanskrit, and why he determined to tell it in the vernacular (bhakhd-baddha, &e.)
16 See remarks above on the Kabittabali. 11 The following dohós give the above particulars :Dübe Atamarama hai
pitanima joga jo na Mata Hulasi kahata saba
Tulasi kai nina kuna II (Praha)lada-udharana rama-kari
guru ki rungt sidhu Prugata nama nahi kahata jaga kahe hota aparddhu #1 Dinabandhu Pathaka kahata
sasura nima soba ki 1 Ratsudvali tiya noma hai
suta Taraka gata mi! The Guru's name cannot be plainly given without sin, but it is that form of Vishnu which saved Prahlada, i... Narahari. From the last lino, it appears that the poet's son died at an early age.
The poet also mentions his Guru's namo in a similarly disguised fashion in Rim. Bå., s. I, 5 'bandaui guru. pada-kanja k,ipd. sindhu NARA-ripa HARI' With regard to his mother's Dame, vide, post.
