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Tulsidas

Rambola Dubey (11 August 1511 – 30 July 1623 ), known as Tulsidas, was a Vaishnava (Ramanandi) Hindu saint and poet, renowned for his devotion to the deity Rama. He wrote several popular works in Sanskrit, Awadhi, and Braj Bhasha, but is best known as the author of the Hanuman Chalisa and of the epic Ramcharitmanas, a retelling of the Sanskrit Ramayana, based on Rama's life, in the vernacular Awadhi language.

Tulsidas spent most of his life in the cities of Banaras (modern Varanasi) and Ayodhya. The Tulsi Ghat on the Ganges in Varanasi is named after him. He founded the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple in Varanasi, believed to stand at the place where he had the sight of the deity. Tulsidas started the Ramlila plays, a folk-theatre adaptation of the Ramayana.

He has been acclaimed as one of the greatest poets in Hindi, Indian, and world literature. The impact of Tulsidas and his works on the art, culture and society in India is widespread and is seen today in the vernacular language, Ramlila plays, Hindustani classical music, popular music, and television series.

Transliteration and etymology
The Sanskrit name of Tulsidas can be transliterated in two ways. Using the original Sanskrit, the name is written as Tulasīdāsa. Using the Hunterian transliteration system, it is written as Tulsidas or Tulsīdās reflecting the vernacular pronunciation (since the written Indian languages maintain the vestigial letters that are no longer pronounced). The lost vowels are an aspect of the Schwa deletion in Indo-Aryan languages and can vary between regions. The name is a compound of two Sanskrit words: Tulasī, which is an Indian variety of the basil plant considered auspicious by Vaishnavas (devotees of god Vishnu and his avatars like Rama), and Dāsa, which means slave or servant and by extension, devotee.

Incarnation of Valmiki
He is believed by many to be a reincarnation of Valmiki. In the Hindu scripture Bhavishyottar Purana, the god Shiva tells his wife Parvati how Valmiki, who received a boon from Hanuman to sing the glory of Rama in vernacular language, will incarnate in future in the Kali Yuga (the present and last yuga or epoch within a cycle of four yugas). O Goddess [Parvati]! Valmiki will become Tulsidas in the Kali age, and will compose this narrative of Rama in the vernacular language. Bhavishyottar Purana, Pratisarga Parva, 4.20.

Nabhadas writes in his Bhaktamal (literally, the Garland of bhakt or devotee) that Tulsidas was the re-incarnation of Valmiki in the Kali Yuga. The Ramanandi sect believes that it was Valmiki himself who incarnated as Tulsidas in the Kali Yuga.

According to a traditional account, Hanuman went to Valmiki numerous times to hear him sing the Ramayana, but Valmiki turned down the request saying that Hanuman being a monkey was unworthy of hearing the epic. After the victory of Rama over Ravana, Hanuman went to the Himalayas to continue his worship of Rama. There he scripted a play version of the Ramayana called Mahanataka or Hanuman Nataka engraved on the Himalayan rocks using his nails. When Valmiki saw the play written by Hanuman, he anticipated that the beauty of the Mahanataka would eclipse his own Ramayana. Hanuman was saddened at Valmiki's state of mind and, being a true bhakta without any desire for glory, Hanuman cast all the rocks into the ocean, some parts of which are believed to be available today as Hanuman Nataka. After this, Valmiki was instructed by Hanuman to take birth as Tulsidas and compose the Ramayana in the vernacular.

Birth
Tulsidas was born on Saptami, the seventh day of Shukla Paksha, the bright half of the lunar Hindu calendar month Shraavana (July–August). This correlates with 11 August 1511 of the Gregorian calendar. Although as many as three places are mentioned as his birthplace, most scholars identify the place with Soron, Kasganj district in Uttar Pradesh, a city on the banks of the river Ganga. In 2012 Soron was declared officially by the government of Uttar Pradesh as the birthplace of Tulsi Das. His parents were Hulsi and Atmaram Dubey. Most sources identify him as a Sanadhya Brahmin of the Bharadwaj Gotra (lineage). Tulsidas and Sir George Grierson give the year of his birth as Vikram 1568 (1511 CE). These biographers include Ramkrishna Gopal Bhandarkar, Ramghulam Dwivedi, James Lochtefeld, Swami Sivananda and others. The year 1497 appears in many current-day biographies in India and in popular culture. Biographers who disagree with this year argue that it makes the life span of Tulsidas equal 126 years, which in their opinion is unlikely if not impossible. In contrast, Ramchandra Shukla says that an age of 126 is not impossible for a Mahatma (great soul) like Tulsidas. The Government of India and provincial governments celebrated the 500th birth anniversary of Tulsidas in the year 2011 CE, according to the year of Tulsidas' birth in popular culture.

Childhood
Legend goes that Tulsidas was born after staying in the womb for twelve months, he had all thirty-two teeth in his mouth at birth, his health and looks were like that of a five-year-old boy, and he did not cry at the time of his birth but uttered Rama instead. He was therefore named Rambola (literally, he who uttered Rama), as Tulsidas himself states in Vinaya Patrika. As per the Mula Gosain Charita, he was born under the Abhuktamūla constellation, which according to Hindu astrology causes immediate danger to the life of the father. Due to the inauspicious events at the time of his birth, he was abandoned by his parents on the fourth night, sent away with Chuniya (some sources call her Muniya), a female servant of Hulsi. In his works Kavitavali and Vinayapatrika, Tulsidas attests to his parents abandoning him after birth due to an inauspicious astrological configuration.

Chuniya took the child to her village of Haripur and looked after him for five and a half years, after which she died. Rambola was left to fend for himself as an impoverished orphan, and wandered from door to door begging for alms. It is believed that the goddess Parvati assumed the form of a Brahmin woman and fed Rambola every day. or alternately, the disciple of Anantacharya. Rambola was given the Virakta Diksha (Vairagi initiation) with the new name of Tulsidas. Tulsidas narrates the dialogue that took place during the first meeting with his guru in a passage in the Vinayapatrika. When he was seven years old, his Upanayana ("sacred thread ceremony") was performed by Narharidas on the fifth day of the bright half of the month of Magha (January–February) at Ayodhya, a pilgrimage site related to Rama. Tulsidas started his learning at Ayodhya. After some time, Narharidas took him to a particular Varaha Kshetra Soron (a holy place with temple dedicated to Varaha – the boar avatar of Vishnu), where he first narrated the Ramayana to Tulsidas. Tulsidas mentions this in the Ramcharitmanas. And then, I heard the same narrative from my Guru in a Sukarkhet (Varaha Kshetra) Soron. I did not understand it then, since I was totally without cognition in childhood. Ramcharitmanas 1.30 (ka). Most authors identify the Varaha Kshetra referred to by Tulsidas with the Sookarkshetra is the Soron Varaha Kshetra in modern-day Kasganj, Tulsidas further mentions in the Ramcharitmanas that his guru repeatedly narrated the Ramayana to him, which led him to understand it somewhat.

Tulsidas later came to the sacred city of Varanasi and studied Sanskrit grammar, four Vedas, six Vedangas, Jyotisha and the six schools of Hindu philosophy over a period of 15–16 years from the guru Shesha Sanatana who was based at the Pancaganga Ghat in Varanasi. Shesha Sanatana was a friend of Narharidas and a renowned scholar on literature and philosophy.

Marriage and renunciation
There are two contrasting views regarding the marital status of Tulsidas. According to the Tulsi Prakash and some other works, Tulsidas was married to Ratnavali on the eleventh day of the bright half of the Kartik month (October–November) in Vikram 1604 (1561 CE). Ratnavali was the daughter of Dinbandhu Pathak, a Brahmin of the Parashar gotra, who belonged to narayanpur village of Gonda district. They had a son named Tarak who died as a toddler. Once when Tulsidas had gone to a Hanuman temple, Ratnavali went to her father's home with her brother. When Tulsidas learned of this, he swam across the Sarju river in the night to meet his wife. Ratnavali chided Tulsidas for this, and remarked that if Tulsidas was even half as devoted to God as he was to her body of flesh and blood, he would have been redeemed. Tulsidas left her instantly and left for the holy city of Prayag. Here, he renounced the grihastha (householder's life) stage and became a sadhu (ascetic).

Some authors consider the marriage episode of Tulsidas to be a later interpolation and maintain among that he was celibate. These include Rambhadracharya, who cite two verses in the Vinayapatrika and Hanuman Bahuka that Tulsidas never married and was a sadhu from childhood.

Travels
After renunciation, Tulsidas spent most of his time at Varanasi, Prayag, Ayodhya, and Chitrakuta but visited many other nearby and far-off places. He travelled across India to many places, studying with different people, meeting saints and sadhus, and meditating. The Mula Gosain Charita gives an account of his travels to the four pilgrimages of Hindus (Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameshwaram) and the Himalayas. He visited Lake Manasarovar in current-day Tibet, where tradition holds he had Darshan (sight) of Kakabhushundi, the crow who is one of the four narrators in the Ramcharitmanas.

Darshan of Hanuman
Tulsidas hints at several places in his works, that he had met face to face with Hanuman and Rama. The detailed account of his meetings with Hanuman and Rama are given in the Bhaktirasbodhini of Priyadas. According to Priyadas' account, Tulsidas used to visit the woods outside Varanasi for his morning ablutions with a water pot. On his return to the city, he used to offer the remaining water to a certain tree. This quenched the thirst of a Preta (a type of ghost believed to be ever thirsty for water), who appeared to Tulsidas and offered him a boon. Tulsidas said he wished to see Rama with his eyes, to which the Preta responded that it was beyond him. However, the Preta said that he could guide Tulsidas to Hanuman, who could grant the boon Tulsidas asked for. The Preta told Tulsidas that Hanuman comes everyday disguised as a leper to listen to his Katha, he is the first to arrive and last to leave.

That evening Tulsidas noted that the first listener to arrive at his discourse was an old leper, who sat at the end of the gathering. After the Katha was over, Tulsidas quietly followed the leper to the woods. In the woods, at the spot where the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple stands today, Tulsidas firmly fell at the leper's feet, shouting "I know who you are" and "You cannot escape me". At first the leper feigned ignorance but Tulsidas did not relent. Then the leper revealed his original form of Hanuman and blessed Tulsidas. When granted a boon, Tulsidas told Hanuman he wanted to see Rama face to face. Hanuman told him to go to Chitrakuta where he would see Rama with his own eyes.

At the beginning of the Ramcharitmanas, Tulsidas bows down to a particular Preta and asks for his grace (Ramcharitmanas, Doha 1.7). According to Rambhadracharya, this is the same Preta which led Tulsidas to Hanuman.

Darshan of Rama
As per Priyadas' account, Tulsidas followed the instruction of Hanuman and started living in an Ashram at Ramghat in Chitrakoot Dham. One day Tulsidas went to perform the Parikrama (circumambulation) of the Kamadgiri mountain. He saw two princes, one dark and the other fair, dressed in green robes pass by mounted on horsebacks. Tulsidas was enraptured at the sight, however he could not recognise them and took his eyes off them. Later Hanuman asked Tulsidas if he saw Rama and his brother Lakshmana on horses. Tulsidas was disappointed and repentful. Hanuman assured Tulsidas that he would have the sight of Rama once again the next morning. Tulsidas recalls this incident in a song of the Gitavali and laments how "his eyes turned his own enemies" by staying fixed to the ground and how everything happened in a trice.

On the next morning, Wednesday, the new-moon day of Magha, Vikram 1607 (1551 CE) or 1621 (1565 CE) as per some sources, Rama again appeared to Tulsidas, this time as a child. Tulsidas was making sandalwood paste when a child came and asked for a sandalwood tilaka (a religious mark on the forehead). This time Hanuman gave a hint to Tulsidas and he had a full view of Rama. Tulsidas was so charmed that he forgot about the sandalwood. Rama took the sandalwood paste and put a tilaka himself on his forehead and Tulsidas' forehead before disappearing. This famous incidence is described in the verse "चित्रकूट के घाट पर हुई संतन की भीर तुलसीदास चन्दन घिसे तिलक देते रघुबीर".

In a verse in the Vinayapatrika, Tulsidas alludes to a certain "miracle at Chitrakuta", and thanks Rama for what he did for him at Chitrakuta. Some biographers conclude that the deed of Rama at Chitrakuta referred to by Tulsidas is the Darshan of Rama.

Darshan of Yajnavalkya and Bharadvaja
In Vikram 1628 (1572 CE), Tulsidas left Chitrakuta for Prayag where he stayed during the Magh Mela (the annual festival in January). Six days after the Mela ended, he had the Darshan of the sages Yajnavalkya and Bharadvaja under a banyan tree. In one of the four dialogues in the Ramcharitmanas, Yajnavalkya is the speaker and Bharadvaja the listener. Tulsidas describes the meeting between Yajnavalkya and Bharadvaja after a Magha Mela festival in the Ramcharitmanas, it is this meeting where Yajnavalkya narrates the Ramcharitmanas to Bharadvaja.

Attributed miracles
Most stories about Tulsidas tend to be apocryphal, and have been carried forward by word of mouth. None of them were related by Tulsi himself, thus making it difficult to separate fact from lore and fiction. In Priyadas' biography, Tulsidas is attributed with the power of working miracles. In one such miracle, he is believed to have brought a dead Brahmin back to life. While the Brahmin was being taken for cremation, his widow bowed down to Tulsidas who addressed her as Saubhagyavati (a woman whose husband is alive). The widow told Tulsidas her husband had just died, so his words could not be true. Tulsidas said that the word has passed his lips and so he would restore the dead man to life. He asked everyone present to close their eyes and utter the name of Rama. On doing so, the dead man was brought back to life. Also one who was with him for a certain period of their life received moksha (spiritual liberation) from Maya (illusory world).

Tulsidas was acclaimed in his lifetime to be a reincarnation of Valmiki, the composer of the original Ramayana in Sanskrit.

In another miracle described by Priyadas, the Mughal Emperor Akbar summoned Tulsidas on hearing of his bringing back a dead man to life. Tulsidas declined to go as he was too engrossed in creating his verses but he was later forcibly brought before Akbar and asked to perform a miracle, which Tulsidas declined by saying "It's a lie, all I know is Rama.". The emperor imprisoned Tulsidas at Fatehpur Sikri, saying "We will see this Rama.". Tulsidas refused to bow to Akbar and created a verse in praise of Hanuman, the Hanuman Chalisa, and chanted it for forty days. Suddenly an army of monkeys descended upon the town and wreaked havoc in all corners of Fatehpur Sikri, entering each home and the emperor's harem, scratching people, and throwing bricks from ramparts. An old Hafiz told the emperor that this was the miracle of the imprisoned Tulsidas. The emperor fell at Tulsidas' feet, released him, and apologised. Tulsidas stopped the menace of monkeys and asked the emperor to abandon the place. The emperor agreed and moved back to Delhi. Ever since Akbar became a close friend of Tulsidas and he also ordered a firman that followers of Rama, Hanuman, and other Hindus, were not to be harassed in his kingdom.

Priyadas narrates a miracle of Tulsidas at Vrindavan, when he visited a temple of Krishna. When he began bowing down to the idol of Krishna, the Mahant of the temple named Parshuram decided to test Tulsidas. He told Tulsidas that he who bows down to any deity except their Ishta Devata (cherished form of divinity) is a fool, as Tulsidas' Ishta Devata was Rama. In response, Tulsidas recited the following extemporaneously composed couplet: O Lord, how shall I describe today's splendour, for you appear auspicious. Tulsidas will bow down his head when you take the bow and the arrow in your hands. When Tulsidas recited this couplet, the idol of Krishna holding the flute and stick in hands changed to the idol of Rama holding the bow and arrow in hands. Some authors have expressed doubts on the couplet being composed by Tulsidas.

Literary life

Tulsidas started composing poetry in Sanskrit in Varanasi on the Prahlada Ghat. Tradition holds that all the verses that he composed during the day, would get lost in the night. This happened daily for eight days. On the eighth night, Shiva – whose famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple is located in Varanasi – is believed to have ordered Tulsidas in a dream to compose poetry in the vernacular instead of Sanskrit. Tulsidas woke up and saw both Shiva and Parvati who blessed him. Shiva ordered Tulsidas to go to Ayodhya and compose poetry in Awadhi. Shiva also predicted that Tulsidas' poetry would fructify like the Sama Veda. In the Ramcharitmanas, Tulsidas hints at having the Darshan of Shiva and Parvati in both dream and awakened state.

Tulsidas is also credited with having composed a number of wise sayings and dohas containing lessons for life. A popular maxim among them is: Don't go there, even if a mountain of gold is showered (आवत ही हरसय नहीं, नैनन नहीं सनोह । तुलसी वहाँ न जाइये, चाहे कञ्चन बरसे मेर ॥ सिया पति राम चन्द्र जी की जय, जय जय बजरंगबली ।।).

Composition of Ramcharitmanas
In the year Vikram 1650 (1593 CE), Tulsidas started composing the Ramcharitmanas in Ayodhya on Sunday, Ramnavami day (ninth day of the bright half of the Chaitra month, which is the birthday of Rama). Tulsidas himself attests this date in the Ramcharitmanas. He composed the epic over two years, seven months and twenty-six days, and completed the work in Vikram 1633 (1577 CE) on Vivaha Panchami, which commemorates the wedding day of Rama and Sita.

Tulsidas came to Varanasi and recited the Ramcharitmanas to Shiva (Vishwanath) and Parvati (Annapurna) at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. A popular legend goes that the Brahmins of Varanasi, who were critical of Tulsidas for having rendered the Sanskrit Ramayana in the Awadhi, decided to test the worth of the work. A manuscript of the Ramcharitmanas was kept at the bottom of pile of Sanskrit scriptures in the sanctum sanctorum of the Vishvanath temple in the night, and the doors of the sanctum sanctorum were locked. In the morning when the doors were opened, the Ramcharitmanas was found at the top of the pile. The words Satyam Shivam Sundaram (सत्यं शिवं सुन्दरम्) were inscribed on the manuscript with the signature of Shiva. The words were also heard by the people present.

Per traditional accounts, some Brahmins of Varanasi were still not satisfied, and sent two thieves to steal the manuscript. The thieves tried to break into the Ashram of Tulsidas, but were confronted by two guards with bows and arrows, of dark and fair complexion. The thieves had a change of heart and came to Tulsidas in the morning to ask who the two guards were. Believing that the two guards could be none other than Rama and Lakshmana, Tulsidas was aggrieved to discover that they were guarding his home at night. He sent the manuscript of Ramcharitmanas to his friend Todar Mal, the finance minister of Akbar, and donated all his money. The thieves were reformed and became devotees of Rama.

Last compositions
Around Vikram 1664 (1607 CE), Tulsidas was afflicted by acute pain all over his body, especially in his arms. He then composed the Hanuman Bahuk, where he describes his bodily pain and suffering in several stanzas. He was relieved of his pain after this composition. Later he was also afflicted by Bartod boils (बरतोड़, furuncles caused by pulling out of the hair), which may have been the cause of his death.

The Vinaypatrika is considered as the last compositions of Tulsidas, believed to be written when Kali Yuga started troubling him. In this work of 279 stanzas, he beseeches Rama to give him Bhakti ("devotion"), and to accept his petition. Tulsidas attests in the last stanza of Vinaypatrika that Rama himself signed the manuscript of the work. The 45th stanza of the Vinaypatrika is sung as the evening arti by many Hindus.

Death
Tulsidas died at the age of 111 on 30 July 1623 (Shravan month of the year Vikram 1680) in Assi Ghat on the bank of the river Ganga. Traditional accounts and biographers do not agree on the exact date of his death.

Works
Twelve works are widely considered by biographers to be written by Tulsidas, six major works and six minor works. Based on the language of the works, they have been classified into two groups as follows– Aside from the aforementioned works, Tulsidas is also known to have composed the Hanuman Chalisa, Hanuman Ashtak, Hanuman Bahuk and Tulsi Satsai.
 * Awadhi works – Ramcharitmanas, Ramlala Nahachhu, Barvai Ramayan, Parvati Mangal, Janaki Mangal and Ramagya Prashna.
 * Braja works – Krishna Gitavali, Gitavali, Sahitya Ratna, Dohavali, Vairagya Sandipani and Vinaya Patrika.

Ramcharitmanas
Ramacharitamanas (रामचरितमानस, 1574–1576), "The Mānasa lake brimming over with the exploits of Lord Rāma" is an Awadhi rendering of the Ramayana narrative. It is the longest and earliest work of Tulsidas, and draws from various sources including the Ramayana of Valmiki, the Adhyatma Ramayana, the Prasannaraghava and Hanuman Nataka. The work consists of around 12,800 lines divided into 1073 stanzas, which are groups of Chaupais separated by Dohas or Sorthas. It is divided into seven books (Kands) like the Ramayana of Valmiki, and is around one-third of the size of Valmiki's Ramayana. The work is composed in 18 metres which include ten Sanskrit metres (Anushtup, Shardulvikridit, Vasantatilaka, Vamshashta, Upajati, Pramanika, Malini, Sragdhara, Rathoddhata and Bhujangaprayata) and eight Prakrit metres (Soratha, Doha, Chaupai, Harigitika, Tribhangi, Chaupaiya, Trotaka and Tomara). It is popularly referred to as Tulsikrit Ramayana, literally The Ramayana composed by Tulsidas. The work has been acclaimed as "the living sum of Indian culture", "the tallest tree in the magic garden of medieval Indian poesy", "the greatest book of all devotional literature", "the Bible of Northern India", and "the best and most trustworthy guide to the popular living faith of its people." But, as he has said "The story of the lord is endless as are his glories" (हरि अनंत हरि कथा अनंता।).

Several manuscripts of the Ramcharitmanas are claimed to have been written down by Tulsidas himself. Grierson noted that two copies of the epic were said to have existed in the poet's own handwriting. One manuscript was kept at Rajapur, of which only the Ayodhyakand is left now, which bears watermarks. According to legend, the manuscript was stolen and thrown into Yamuna river. When the thief was being pursued, only the second book of the epic could be rescued. Grierson wrote that the other copy was at Malihabad in Lucknow district, of which only one leaf was missing. Another manuscript of the Ayodhyakanda claimed to be in the poet's own hand exists at Soron in Kasganj district, one of the places claimed to be Tulsidas' birthplace. One manuscript of Balakanda is found in Ayodhya. It is dated back to Samvat 1661, and claimed to have been corrected by Tulsidas. Some other ancient manuscripts are found in Varanasi, including one in possession of the Maharaja of Benares that was written in Vikram 1704 (1647), twenty-four years after the death of Tulsidas.

Other major works
The five major works of Tulsidas apart from Ramcharitmanas include:
 * Dohavali (दोहावली, 1581), literally Collection of Dohas, is a work consisting of 573 miscellaneous Doha and Sortha verses mainly in Braja with some verses in Awadhi. The verses are aphorisms on topics related to tact, political wisdom, righteousness and the purpose of life. 85 Dohas from this work are also found in the Ramcharitmanas, 35 in Ramagya Prashna, two in Vairagya Sandipani and some in Rama Satsai, another work of 700 Dohas attributed to Tulsidas.
 * Sahitya ratna or ratna Ramayan (1608–1614), literally Collection of Kavittas, is a Braja rendering of the Ramayana, composed entirely in metres of the Kavitta family – Kavitta, Savaiya, Ghanakshari, and Chhappaya. It consists of 325 verses including 183 verses in the Uttarkand. Like the Ramcharitmanas, it is divided into seven Kands or books and many episodes in this work are different from the Ramcharitmanas.
 * Gitavali (गीतावली), literally Collection of Songs, is a Braja rendering of the Ramayana in songs. All the verses are set to Ragas of Hindustani classical music and are suitable for singing. It consists of 328 songs divided into seven Kands or books. Many episodes of the Ramayana are elaborated while many others are abridged.
 * Krishna Gitavali or Krishnavali (कृष्णगीतावली, 1607), literally Collection of Songs to Krishna, is a collection of 61 songs in honour of Krishna in Braja. There are 32 songs devoted to the childhood sports (Balalila) and Rasa Lila of Krishna, 27 songs form the dialogue between Krishna and Uddhava, and two songs describe the episode of disrobing of Draupadi.
 * Vinaya Patrika (विनयपत्रिका), literally Petition of Humility, is a Braja work consisting of 279 stanzas or hymns. The stanzas form a petition in the court of Rama asking for Bhakti. It is considered to be the second best work of Tulsidas after the Ramcharitmanas, and is regarded as important from the viewpoints of philosophy, erudition, and eulogistic and poetic style of Tulsidas. The first 43 hymns are addressed to various deities and Rama's courtiers and attendants, and remaining are addressed to Rama.

Minor works
Minor works of Tulsidas include:
 * Barvai Ramayana (बरवै रामायण, 1612), literally The Ramayana in Barvai metre, is an abridged rendering of the Ramayana in Awadhi. The works consists of 69 verses composed in the Barvai metre, and is divided into seven Kands or books. The work is based on a psychological framework.
 * Parvati Mangal (पार्वती मंगल), literally The marriage of Parvati, is an Awadhi work of 164 verses describing the penance of Parvati and the marriage of Parvati and Shiva. It consists of 148 verses in the Sohar metre and 16 verses in the Harigitika metre.
 * Janaki Mangal (जानकी मंगल), literally The marriage of Sita, is an Awadhi work of 216 verses describing the episode of marriage of Sita and Rama from the Ramayana. The work includes 192 verses in the Hamsagati metre and 24 verses in the Harigitika metres. The narrative differs from the Ramcharitmanas at several places.
 * Ramalala Nahachhu (रामलला नहछू), literally The Nahachhu ceremony of the child Rama, is an Awadhi work of 20 verses composed in the Sohar metre. The Nahachhu ceremony involves cutting the nails of the feet before the Hindu Samskaras (rituals) of Chudakarana, Upanayana, Vedarambha, Samavartana or Vivaha. In the work, events take place in the city of Ayodhya, so it is considered to describe the Nahachhu before Upanayana, Vedarambha and Samavartana.
 * Ramajna Prashna (रामाज्ञा प्रश्न), literally Querying the Will of Rama, is an Awadhi work related to both Ramayana and Jyotisha (astrology). It consists of seven Kands or books, each of which is divided into seven Saptakas or Septets of seven Dohas each. Thus it contains 343 Dohas in all. The work narrates the Ramayana non-sequentially, and gives a method to look up the Shakuna (omen or portent) for astrological predictions.
 * Vairagya Sandipini (वैराग्य संदीपनी, 1612), literally Kindling of Detachment, is a philosophical work of 60 verses in Braja which describe the state of Jnana (realisation) and Vairagya (dispassion), the nature and greatness of saints, and moral conduct. It consists of 46 Dohas, 2 Sorathas and 12 Chaupai metres.

Popularly attributed works
The following four works are popularly attributed to Tulsidas– Tulsidas mentioned about destruction of Ram Janmabhumi temple by Mir Baqi in his work Tulsi Doha Shatak (lit. Hundred couplets of Tulsi) and the same was quoted by Rambhadracharya during the proceedings of the Ayodhya dispute in the Allahabad High court that influenced its judgment in 2010.
 * Hanuman Chalisa (हनुमान चालीसा), literally, Forty Verses to Hanuman, is a text that sings the glory of Hanuman. It is written in the Awadhi vernacular and composed of 40 chaupais and two dohas. Popular belief holds the work to be authored by Tulsidas, and it contains his signature, though some authors do not think the work was written by him. It is one of the most popularl read short religious texts in India, and is recited by millions of Hindus on Tuesdays and Saturdays. It is believed to have been uttered by Tulsidas in a state of Samadhi at the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar.
 * Sankatmochan Hanumanashtak (संकटमोचन हनुमानाष्टक), literally Eight verses for Hanuman, the Remover of Afflictions, is an Awadhi work of eight verses in the Mattagajendra metre, devoted to Hanuman. It is believed to have been composed by Tulsidas on the occasion of the founding of the Sankatmochan Temple in Varanasi. The work is usually published along with Hanuman Chalisa.
 * Hanuman Bahuka (हनुमान बाहुक), literally The Arm of Hanuman, is a Braja work of 44 verses believed to have been composed by Tulsidas when he suffered acute pain in his arms at an advanced age. Tulsidas describes the pain in his arms and also prays to Hanuman for freedom from the suffering. The work has two, one, five and 36 verses respectively in the Chhappaya, Jhulna, Savaiya and Ghanakshari metre.
 * Tulsi Satsai (तुलसी सतसई), literally Seven Hundred Verses by Tulsidas, is a work in both Awadhi and Braja and contains 747 Dohas divided in seven Sargas or cantos. The verses are same as those in Dohavali and Ramagya Prashna but the order is different.

Doctrine
The philosophy and principles of Tulsidas are found across his works, and are especially outlined in the dialogue between Kakbhushundi and Garuda in the Uttar Kand of the Ramcharitmanas. Tulsidas' doctrine has been described as an assimilation and reconciliation of the diverse tenets and cultures of Hinduism. At the beginning of the Ramcharitmanas, Tulsidas says that his work is in accordance with various scriptures – the Puranas, Vedas, Upavedas, Tantra and Smriti. Ram Chandra Shukla in his critical work Hindi Sahitya Ka Itihaas elaborates on Tulsidas' Lokmangal as the doctrine for social upliftment which made this great poet immortal and comparable to any other world littérateur.

Nirguna and Saguna Brahman
As per Tulsidas, the Nirguna Brahman (quality-less impersonal absolute) and Saguna Brahman (personal God with qualities) are one and the same. Both, Saguna (qualified Brahman) and Aguna (or Nirguna - unqualified Brahman) are Akath (unspeakable), Agaadh (unfathomable), Anaadi (without beginning, in existence since eternity) and Anupa (without parallel) (अगुन सगुन दुइ ब्रह्म सरूपा। अकथ अगाध अनादि अनूपा॥). It is the devotion (Bhakti) of the devotee that forces the Nirguna Brahman which is quality-less, formless, invisible and unborn, to become Saguna Brahman with qualities. Tulsidas gives the example of water, snow and hail to explain this – the substance is the same in all three, but the same formless water solidifies to become hail or a mountain of snow – both of which have a form. Tulsidas also gives the simile of a lake – the Nirguna Brahman is like the lake with just water, while the Saguna Brahman is a lake resplendent with blooming lotuses. In the Uttar Kand of Ramcharitmanas, Tulsidas describes in detail a debate between Kakbhushundi and Lomasa about whether God is Nirguna (as argued by Lomasa adhering to monism) or Saguna (as argued by Kakbhushundi adhering to dualism). Kakbhushundi repeatedly refutes all the arguments of Lomasa, to the point when Lomasa becomes angry and curses Kakbhushundi to be a crow. Lomasa repents later when Kakbhushundi happily accepts the curse but refuses to give up the Bhakti of Rama, the Saguna Brahman. Though Tulsidas holds both aspects of God to be equal, he favours the qualified Saguna aspect and the devotees of the highest category in the Ramcharitmanas repeatedly ask for the qualified Saguna aspect of Rama to dwell in their mind. Some authors contend from a few couplets in Ramcharitmanas and Vinay Patrika that Tulsidas has vigorously contradicted the denial of Avatar by Kabir. In several of his works, Kabir had said that the actual Rama is not the son of Dasharatha. In the Balkand of Ramcharitmanas, Shiva tells Parvati – those who say that the Rama whom the Vedas sing of and whom the sages contemplate on is different from the Rama of Raghu's race are possessed by the devil of delusion and do not know the difference between truth and falsehood. However, such allusions are based on interpretations of the text and do not hold much water when considered in the context of Ramcharitmanas. Tulsidas, in none of his works, has ever mentioned Kabir.

The name of Rama
At the beginning of the Ramcharitmanas, there is a section devoted to the veneration of the name of Rama. As per Tulsidas, repeating the name of Rama is the only means to attain God in the Kali age where the means suited for other ages like meditation, Karma, and Puja are ineffective. He says in Kavitavali that his own redemption is because of the power, glory and majesty of the name of Rama. In a couplet in the Gitavali, Tulsidas says that wishing for liberation without refuge in the name of Rama is like wishing to climb to the sky by holding on to the falling rain. In his view, the name of Rama is greater than both Nirguna and Saguna aspects of God – it controls both of them and is illuminates both like a bilingual interpreter. In a verse in the Dohavali, Tulsidas says that the Nirguna Brahman resides in his heart, the Saguna Brahman resides in his eyes and the name of Rama resides on his tongue, as if a radiant gemstone is kept between the lower and upper halves of a golden casket. He holds that Rama is superior to all other names of God, and argues that ra and ma being are the only two consonants that are written above all other consonants in the conjunct form in Sanskrit because they are the two sounds in the word Rama.

Rama as Brahman
At several places in Tulsidas' works, Rama is seen to be the higher than Vishnu and not as an avatar of Vishnu, which is the general portrayal of Rama.

In the episode of the delusion of Sati in Ramcharitmanas, Sati sees many a Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu serving Rama and bowing at his feet. When Manu and Shatarupa perform penance, they crave to see that Supreme Lord "from a part of whose being emanate a number of Shivas, Brahmas and Vishnus." Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva come to them many times tempting them with a boon, but Manu and Shatarupa do not stop their penance. They are finally satisfied only by the appearance of Rama, on whose left side is Sita, from a part of whom are born "countless Lakshmis, Umas (Parvatis) and Brahmanis (Sarasvatis)." In the episode of marriage of Sita and Rama in Balkand, the trio of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva is present – Brahma is astounded as he finds nowhere anything that is his own handiwork, while Vishnu is enchanted with Lakhmi on seeing Rama. In the Sundarkand, Hanuman tells Ravana that Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva can create, preserve and destroy by the might of Rama. In the Lankakand, Tulsidas presents the universe as the cosmic form of Rama, in which Shiva is the consciousness, Brahma is the reason and Vishnu is his intelligence. As per Tulsidas, Rama is not only an avatar, but also the source of avatars – Krishna is also an Avatar of Rama. Thus, Tulsidas clearly considers Rama as supreme brahman and not an avatar of Vishnu.

In the opinion of Urvashi Soorati, the Rama of Tulsidas is an amalgamation of Vishnu who takes avatars, Vishnu in the abode of Ksheera Sagara, Brahman and the Para manifestation of the Pancharatra. Macfie concludes that Tulsidas makes a "double claim", i.e. Rama is an incarnation of both Vishnu and Brahman. In the words of Lutgendorf, Tulsidas' Rama is at once "Valmiki's exemplary prince, the cosmic Vishnu of Puranas, and the transcendent brahman of the Advaitins."

Vedanta, World and Maya
In the Sundarkand of Ramcharitmanas, Tulsidas says that Rama is knowable by Vedanta.

As per Tulsidas, Rama is the efficient and material cause (Nimitta and Upadana) of the world, which is real since Rama is real. In several verses of the Ramcharitmanas, Tulsidas says that the animate and inanimate world is a manifestation of Rama, and the universe is the cosmic form of Rama. Authors interpret these verses to mean that the world is real according to Tulsidas, in keeping with the Vishishtadvaita philosophy of Ramanuja. However, at some places in the Ramcharitmanas and Kavitavali, Tulsidas compares the world to a night or a dream and says it is Mithya (false or unreal). Some commentators interpret these verses to mean that in Tulsidas' opinion the world is unreal as per the Vivartavada doctrine of Adi Shankara, while some others interpret them to mean that the world is transient yet real as per the Satkhyativada doctrine of Ramananda. Uday Bhanu Singh concludes that in Tulsidas' view, the world is essentially the form of Rama and appears to be different from Rama due to Maya. Its visible form is transient, which is what Tulsidas means by Mithya.

In the Vinayapatrika, Tulsidas says that the world in itself is neither true (Satya), nor false (Asatya), nor both true and false together (Satyasatya) – one who casts aside all these three illusions, knows oneself. This has been interpreted to mean that as per Tulsidas, the entire world is a Lila of Rama. At the beginning of the Ramcharitmanas, Tulsidas performs Samasti Vandana (obeisance to all beings) in which he bows down to the world also, saying it is "pervaded by" or "born out of" Sita and Rama. As per some verses in Ramcharitmanas and Vinaypatrika, when a Jiva (living being) knows the self, Maya, and Rama, it sees the world as being pervaded by Rama.

In the Balkand episode of the marriage of the princes of Ayodhya with the princesses of Mithila, Tulsidas presents a metaphor in which the four brides are compared with the four states of consciousness – the waking state (Jagrat), sleep with dreams (Swapna), dreamless sleep (Sushupti) and the fourth self-conscious state (Turiya). The four grooms are compared with the presiding divinity (Vibhu) of the four states – Vishva, Taijasa, Prajna and Brahman. Tulsidas says as the four states of consciousness with their presiding divinities reside in the mind of a Jiva, so the four brides with their grooms are resplendent in the same pavilion.

Tulsidas identifies Maya with Sita, the inseparable energy of Rama which takes avatar along with Rama. In his view, Maya is of two types – Vidya and Avidya. Vidya Maya is the cause of creation and the liberation of Jiva. Avidya Maya is the cause of illusion and bondage of the Jiva. The entire world is under the control of Maya. Maya is essentially the same but the two divisions are made for cognitive purposes, this view of Tulsidas is in accordance with Vaishnava teachers of Vedanta.

Views on other Hindu deities
As per Tulsidas, there is no incompatibility between devotion to Rama and attachment to Shiva. Tulsidas equates the Guru as an incarnation of Shiva, and a considerable part of the Balkand of Ramcharitmanas is devoted to the narrative of Shiva including the abandonment of Sati, the penance of Parvati, the burning of Kamadeva and the marriage of Parvati and Shiva. In addition, Tulsidas venerates the whole Hindu pantheon. The Ramcharitmanas begins with reverence of Ganesh, Sarasvati, Parvati, Shiva, the Guru, Valmiki and Hanuman. At the beginning of the Vinayapatrika, he bows to Ganesh, Surya, Shiva, Devi, Ganga, Yamuna, Varanasi and Chitrakoot, asking them for devotion towards Rama.

Bhakti
The practical end of all his writings is to inculcate bhakti addressed to Rama as the greatest means of salvation and emancipation from the chain of births and deaths, a salvation which is as free and open to men of the lowest caste.

Critical reception
From his time, Tulsidas has been acclaimed by Indian and Western scholars alike for his poetry and his impact on the Hindu society. Tulsidas mentions in his work Kavitavali that he was considered a great sage in the world. Madhusūdana Sarasvatī, one of the most acclaimed philosophers of the Advaita Vedanta tradition based in Varanasi and the composer of Advaitasiddhi, was a contemporary of Tulsidas. On reading the Ramcharitmanas, he was astonished and composed the following Sanskrit verse in praise of the epic and the composer.

आनन्दकानने कश्चिज्जङ्गमस्तुल्सीतरुः ।

कविता मञ्जरी यस्य रामभ्रमरभूषिता ॥

ānandakānane kaścijjaṅgamastulsītaruḥ ।

kavitā mañjarī yasya rāmabhramarabhūṣitā ॥

In this place of Varanasi (Ānandakānana), there is a moving Tulsi plant (i.e., Tulsidas), whose branch of flowers in the form of [this] poem (i.e., Ramcharitmanas) is ever adorned by the bumblebee in the form of Rama. Sur, a devotee of Krishna and a contemporary of Tulsidas, called Tulsidas as Sant Shiromani (the highest jewel among holy men) in an eight-line verse extolling Ramcharitmanas and Tulsidas. Abdur Rahim Khankhana, famous Muslim poet who was one of the Navaratnas (nine-gems) in the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar, was a personal friend of Tulsidas. Rahim composed the following couplet describing the Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas –

रामचरितमानस बिमल संतनजीवन प्रान ।

हिन्दुवान को बेद सम जवनहिं प्रगट कुरान ॥

rāmacaritamānasa bimala santanajīvana prāna ।

hinduvāna ko beda sama javanahi̐ pragaṭa kurāna ॥

The immaculate Ramcharitmanas is the breath of the life of saints. It is similar to the Vedas for the Hindus, and it is the Quran manifest for the Muslims. The historian Vincent Smith, the author of a biography of Tulsidas' contemporary Akbar, called Tulsidas "the greatest man of his age in India and greater than even Akbar himself". The Indologist and linguist Sir George Grierson called Tulsidas "the greatest leader of the people after the Buddha" and "the greatest of Indian authors of modern times"; and the epic Ramcharitmanas "worthy of the greatest poet of any age." The work Ramcharitmanas has been called "the Bible of North India" by both nineteenth century Indologists including Ralph Griffith, who translated the four Vedas and Valmiki's Ramayana into English, and modern writers. Mahatma Gandhi held Tulsidas in high esteem and regarded the Ramcharitmanas as the "greatest book in all devotional literature". The Hindi poet Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala' called Tulsidas "the most fragrant branch of flowers in the garden of the world's poetry, blossoming in the creeper of Hindi". Nirala considered Tulsidas to be a greater poet than Rabindranath Tagore, and in the same league as Kalidasa, Vyasa, Valmiki, Homer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and William Shakespeare. Hindi litterateur Hazari Prasad Dwivedi wrote that Tulsidas established a "sovereign rule on the kingdom of Dharma in northern India", which was comparable to the impact of Buddha. Edmour J. Babineau, author of the book Love and God and Social Duty in Ramacaritmanasa, says that if Tulsidas was born in Europe or the Americas, he would be considered a greater personality than William Shakespeare. In the words of the archaeologist F. R. Allchin, who translated Vinaypatrika and Kavitavali into English, "for people of a large part of North India Tulsidas claims reverence comparable to that accorded to Luther as translator of the Bible into the native German". Allchin also mentions that the work Ramcharitmanas has been compared to not only the Ramayana of Valmiki, but the Vedas themselves, the Bhagavad Gita, the Quran and the Bible. Ernest Wood in his work An Englishman Defends Mother India considered the Ramcharitmanas to be "superior to the best books of the Latin and Greek languages." Tulsidas is also referred to as Bhaktaśiromaṇi, meaning the highest jewel among devotees.

Specifically about his poetry, Tulsidas has been called the "emperor of the metaphor" and one who excels in similes by several critics. The Hindi poet Ayodhyasingh Upadhyay 'Hariaudh' said of Tulsidas –

कविता करके तुलसी न लसे

कविता लसी पा तुलसी की कला ।

kavitā karake tulasī na lase

kavitā lasī pā tulasī kī kalā ।

Tulsidas did not shine by composing poetry, rather it was Poetry herself that shone by getting the art of Tulsidas. The Hindi poet Mahadevi Varma said commenting on Tulsidas that in the turbulent Middle Ages, India received enlightenment from Tulsidas. She further went on to say that the Indian society as it exists today is an edifice built by Tulsidas, and the Rama as we know today is the Rama of Tulsidas.

title: Tulsidas


text:
Index of Puerto Rico–related articles

The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

0–9

 * 1975 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
 * .pr – Internet country code top-level domain for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games
 * 65th Infantry Regiment (United States)

A

 * Aerovías Nacionales de Puerto Rico
 * African immigration to Puerto Rico
 * Air Culebra
 * Airports in Puerto Rico
 * Alfredo Miguel Aguayo Sánchez
 * Ángel Ramos
 * Antiguo Casino de Ponce
 * Antiguo Cuartel Militar Español de Ponce
 * Antiguo Hospital Militar Español de Ponce
 * Antilles
 * Antonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol Airport
 * Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport
 * Architecture of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Buildings in Puerto Rico
 * Area code 787 & 939
 * Art in Puerto Rico
 * Atlas of Puerto Rico
 * Auditorio Juan Pachín Vicéns
 * Autopistas de Puerto Rico

B

 * Bairoa Gym
 * Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño
 * Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño (building)
 * Banco de Ponce
 * Banco de Ponce (building)
 * Baños de Coamo
 * Barrios of Ponce:
 * Anón
 * Bucaná
 * Canas
 * Canas Urbano
 * Capitanejo
 * Cerrillos
 * Coto Laurel
 * Cuarto
 * Guaraguao
 * Machuelo Abajo
 * Machuelo Arriba
 * Magueyes
 * Magueyes Urbano
 * Maragüez
 * Marueño
 * Montes Llanos
 * Playa
 * Portugués
 * Portugués Urbano
 * Primero
 * Quebrada Limón
 * Quinto
 * Real
 * Sabanetas
 * San Antón
 * San Patricio
 * Segundo
 * Sexto
 * Tercero
 * Tibes
 * Vayas
 * Bayamón City Hall
 * Birds of Puerto Rico
 * Black history in Puerto Rico
 * Bolera Caribe
 * Boricua
 * Buildings and structures in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Buildings and structures in Puerto Rico

C

 * Caballería
 * Cadets of the Republic
 * Café Rico
 * Caja de Muertos Light
 * Camp Las Casas
 * Campo Atlético Charles H. Terry
 * Cannabis in Puerto Rico
 * Capital of Puerto Rico: San Juan
 * Caribbean
 * Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
 * Caribbean Sea
 * Cardona Island Light
 * Carnaval de Ponce
 * Casa Font-Ubides
 * Caribe Hilton Hotel
 * Casa Paoli
 * Casa Fernando Luis Toro
 * Casa Oppenheimer
 * Casa Salazar-Candal
 * Casa Wiechers-Villaronga
 * Casals Festival
 * Categories:
 * Category:Puerto Rico
 * Category:Buildings and structures in Puerto Rico
 * Category:Communications in Puerto Rico
 * Category:Culture of Puerto Rico
 * Category:Economy of Puerto Rico
 * Category:Education in Puerto Rico
 * Category:Environment of Puerto Rico
 * Category:Geography of Puerto Rico
 * Category:Government of Puerto Rico
 * Category:Health in Puerto Rico
 * Category:History of Puerto Rico
 * Category:Imprisoned Puerto Rican independence activists
 * Category:Puerto Rican Jews
 * Category:Law of Puerto Rico
 * Category:Puerto Rican LGBT people
 * Category:Members of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
 * Category:Military in Puerto Rico
 * Category:Politics of Puerto Rico
 * Category:Puerto Rican United States Air Force personnel
 * Category:Puerto Rican Army personnel
 * Category:Puerto Rican military officers
 * Category:Puerto Rican military personnel
 * Category:Puerto Rican United States Marines
 * Category:Puerto Rican nationalists
 * Category:Puerto Rican Nationalist Party politicians
 * Category:Puerto Rican United States Navy personnel
 * Category:Puerto Rican people
 * Category:Puerto Rican people by occupation
 * Category:Puerto Rican women in the military
 * Category:Puerto Rico portal
 * Category:Puerto Rico stubs
 * Category:Puerto Rico-related lists
 * Category:Puerto Rican Spanish Navy personnel
 * Category:Society of Puerto Rico
 * Category:Transportation in Puerto Rico
 * Category:WikiProject Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Puerto Rico
 * Cementerio Católico San Vicente de Paul
 * Census statistical areas of Puerto Rico
 * Centro Cultural de Ponce Carmen Solá de Pereira
 * Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferre
 * Centro de Convenciones de Ponce
 * Centro Español de Ponce
 * Chinese immigration to Puerto Rico
 * Cinema of Puerto Rico
 * Cities of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Cities in Puerto Rico
 * Ciudad Deportiva Millito Navarro
 * Climate of Puerto Rico
 * Clásico del Caribe
 * Club Náutico de Ponce
 * Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * Colleges and universities in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Universities and colleges in Puerto Rico
 * Cristoforo Colombo - Cristóbal Colón - Christopher Columbus
 * Colegio Ponceño
 * Colegio San Conrado
 * Common coquí
 * Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico) website
 * Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * Category:Government of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Government of Puerto Rico
 * Executive branch of the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * Legislative branch of the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * Legislative Assembly of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * Senate of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * Judicial branch of the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * Communications in Puerto Rico
 * Category:Communications in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Communications in Puerto Rico
 * Companies of Puerto Rico
 * Concha Acústica de Ponce
 * Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * Coquí
 * Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico
 * COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico
 * Crime in Puerto Rico
 * Cruce a Nado Internacional
 * Cuerda
 * Cuisine of Puerto Rico
 * Culture of Puerto Rico
 * Cultural diversity in Puerto Rico

D

 * Demographics of Puerto Rico
 * Department of Agriculture of Puerto Rico
 * Destilería Serrallés
 * Día Mundial de Ponce
 * Dominican immigration to Puerto Rico
 * Dorado Airport
 * Dupont Plaza Hotel arson

E

 * Economy of Puerto Rico
 * Category:Economy of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Economy of Puerto Rico
 * Education in Puerto Rico
 * Category:Education in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Education in Puerto Rico
 * El Cañuelo
 * El Nuevo Dia
 * El Vocero
 * Elections in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * Endemic fauna of Puerto Rico
 * Endemic flora of Puerto Rico
 * Environment of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Environment of Puerto Rico
 * Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico (Commonwealth of Puerto Rico)
 * Estadio Francisco Montaner
 * Eugenio María de Hostos Airport

F

 * Farmacias El Amal
 * Fauna of Puerto Rico
 * FC Leones
 * Fernando Ribas Dominicci Airport
 * Festivals in Puerto Rico
 * Festival Nacional de la Quenepa
 * commons:Category:Festivals in Puerto Rico
 * Films set in Puerto Rico
 * Flag of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * Flags of Puerto Rico
 * Flora of Puerto Rico
 * Forts in Puerto Rico
 * Camp Las Casas
 * Campamento Santiago
 * Fort Allen
 * Fort Buchanan
 * Fort San Cristóbal
 * Fort San Felipe del Morro
 * Fortín de San Gerónimo
 * Losey Field
 * Category:Forts in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Forts in Puerto Rico
 * Francisco "Paquito" Montaner
 * Fraternities and sororities in Puerto Rico
 * French immigration to Puerto Rico

G

 * Gag Law (Puerto Rico)
 * Gardens in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Gardens in Puerto Rico
 * Geography of Puerto Rico
 * Category:Geography of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Geography of Puerto Rico
 * Geology of Puerto Rico
 * German immigration to Puerto Rico
 * Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico website
 * Category:Government of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Government of Puerto Rico
 * Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * List of governors of Puerto Rico
 * Grand Prix de Ponce
 * Grito de Lares

H

 * Hacienda Buena Vista
 * Hacienda Mercedita
 * High schools of Puerto Rico
 * Higher education in Puerto Rico
 * Highway routes in Puerto Rico
 * Hinduism in Puerto Rico
 * Hiram Bithorn Stadium
 * History of Puerto Rico
 * Historical outline of Puerto Rico
 * Category:History of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:History of Puerto Rico
 * Holidays in Puerto Rico
 * Hotel Ponce Intercontinental
 * Hotel Melia
 * Ponce Ramada Hotel
 * Hospital Tricoche
 * Hospital de Damas
 * Hospital Episcopal San Lucas
 * Hospital Metropolitano Dr. Pila
 * House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

I

 * Iglesia de la Santísima Trinidad
 * Iglesia Metodista Unida de La Playa de Ponce
 * Iglesia Metodista Unida de Ponce
 * Industrias Vassallo
 * Intentona de Yauco
 * Interamerican University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
 * International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
 * ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code for Puerto Rico: PR
 * ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 country code for Puerto Rico: PRI
 * Internet in Puerto Rico
 * Interstate Highways in Puerto Rico
 * Irish immigration to Puerto Rico
 * Isla Nena Air
 * Islam in Puerto Rico
 * Islands of Puerto Rico:
 * Isla de Puerto Rico
 * Alcarraza (Puerto Rico)
 * Bajo Evelyn
 * Cabeza de Perro
 * Cayo Ahogado
 * Cayo Alfenique
 * Cayo Algodones
 * Cayo Arenas
 * Cayo Ballena
 * Cayo Batata
 * Cayo Bayo
 * Cayo Berberia
 * Cayo Botella
 * Cayo Cabritas
 * Cayo Caracoles
 * Cayo Caribe
 * Cayo Chiva
 * Cayo Collado
 * Cayo Corral
 * Cayo de Tierra
 * Cayo del Agua
 * Cayo Diablo
 * Cayo Don Luis
 * Cayo Enrique
 * Cayo Fanduca
 * Cayo Icacos
 * Cayo Jalova
 * Cayo Jalovita
 * Cayo Largo del Sur (Puerto Rico)
 * Cayo Lobito
 * Cayo Lobo
 * Cayo Lobos
 * Cayo Luis Peña
 * Cayo Maria Langa
 * Cayo Mata Seca
 * Cayo Mata - Guayanilla municipality
 * Cayo Mata - Salinas municipality
 * Cayo Matojo
 * Cayo Morrillo
 * Cayo Norte
 * Cayo Palomas
 * Cayo Parguera
 * Cayo Pinerito
 * Cayo Pirata
 * Cayo Puerca
 * Cayo Raton
 * Cayo Ratones - Cabo Rojo municipality
 * Cayo Ratones - Fajardo municipality
 * Cayo Real
 * Cayo Rio
 * Cayo Santiago
 * Cayo Sombrerito
 * Cayo Terremoto
 * Cayo Tiburon
 * Cayo Verde
 * Cayo Vieques
 * Cayo Yerba
 * Cayos Cabezazos
 * Cayos Caribes
 * Cayos de Barca
 * Cayos de Caña Gorda
 * Cayos de Caracoles
 * Cayos de Pajaros
 * Cayos de Ratones
 * Cayos Geniqui
 * El Ancon
 * El Mono
 * Isla Cabras
 * Isla Caja de Muertos
 * Isla Chiva
 * Isla Cueva
 * Isla Culebra
 * Isla Culebrita
 * Isla de Cabras
 * Isla de Cardona
 * Isla de Cerro Gordo
 * Isla de Gatas
 * Isla de Jueyes
 * Isla de las Palomas
 * Isla de Mona (Puerto Rico)
 * Isla de Ramos
 * Isla de Ratones (Ponce)
 * Isla de Vieques
 * Isla del Frío
 * Isla Desecheo (Puerto Rico)
 * Isla Guachinanga
 * Isla Guayacan
 * Isla La Cancora
 * Isla Magueyes
 * Isla Matei
 * Isla Monito (Puerto Rico)
 * Morrillito
 * Isla Palominitos
 * Isla Palominos
 * Isla Piedra
 * Isla Pineros
 * Isla Puerca
 * Isla San Juan
 * Isla Yallis
 * Isletas de Garzas
 * Islote de Juan Perez
 * Islote Numero dos
 * La Blanquilla
 * La Cordillera
 * Las Cabritas
 * Las Cucarachas
 * Las Hermanas
 * Las Lavanderas del Este
 * Las Lavanderas del Oeste
 * Los Farallones
 * Los Gemelos
 * Los Negritos
 * Mata Redonda
 * Pela (Puerto Rico)
 * Pelaita
 * Penon Brusi
 * Penon de Afuera
 * Penon de San Jorge
 * Piedra del Norte
 * Piedra Stevens
 * Piragua de Adentro
 * Piragua de Afuera
 * Punta Larga (Puerto Rico)
 * Punta Mosquitos
 * Roca Alcatraz
 * Roca Cocinera
 * Roca Cucaracha
 * Roca Culumna
 * Roca Ola
 * Roca Resuello
 * Roca Speck
 * Roca Velasquez
 * Tres Hermanas
 * Tres Hermanos
 * Islands of the Caribbean

J

 * Jayuya Uprising
 * Jewish immigration to Puerto Rico
 * Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum
 * Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium

L

 * "La Borinqueña"
 * La Fortaleza
 * La Guancha
 * Lakes in Puerto Rico
 * Category:Lakes of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Lakes of Puerto Rico
 * Landmarks in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Landmarks in Puerto Rico
 * Las Justas
 * Latin America
 * Law enforcement in Puerto Rico
 * Legislative Assembly of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * Leonas de Ponce
 * Leones de Ponce (basketball)
 * Leones de Ponce (baseball)
 * LGBT rights in Puerto Rico
 * Category:Puerto Rican LGBT people
 * Lists related to Puerto Rico:
 * Grasses of Puerto Rico
 * Historical outline of Puerto Rico
 * List of airports in Puerto Rico
 * List of amphibians and reptiles of Puerto Rico
 * List of barrios of Ponce, Puerto Rico
 * List of birds of Puerto Rico
 * List of buildings and structures in Puerto Rico
 * List of census statistical areas in Puerto Rico
 * List of cities in Puerto Rico
 * List of colleges and universities in Puerto Rico
 * List of companies of Puerto Rico
 * List of countries by GDP (nominal)
 * List of companies in Puerto Rico
 * List of endemic fauna of Puerto Rico
 * List of endemic flora of Puerto Rico
 * List of events in Ponce, Puerto Rico
 * List of films set in Puerto Rico
 * List of forts in Puerto Rico
 * List of fraternities and sororities in Puerto Rico
 * List of governors of Puerto Rico
 * List of high schools in Puerto Rico
 * List of highway routes in Puerto Rico
 * List of islands of Puerto Rico
 * List of lakes in Puerto Rico
 * List of lighthouses in Puerto Rico
 * List of Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico
 * List of mayors of Ponce, Puerto Rico
 * List of mountains in Ponce, Puerto Rico
 * List of mountains of Puerto Rico
 * List of municipalities of Puerto Rico
 * List of museums in Puerto Rico
 * List of newspapers in Puerto Rico
 * List of people from Ponce, Puerto Rico
 * List of players from Puerto Rico in Major League Baseball
 * List of political parties in Puerto Rico
 * List of Puerto Rican Academy Award winners and nominees
 * List of Puerto Rican comedians
 * List of Puerto Rican military personnel
 * List of Puerto Rican recipients of the Medal of Honor
 * List of Puerto Rican rums
 * List of Puerto Rican slang words and phrases
 * List of Puerto Rican writers
 * List of Puerto Ricans
 * List of Puerto Ricans of African descent
 * List of Puerto Rico Highways
 * List of Puerto Rican Presidential Citizens Medal recipients
 * List of Puerto Rican Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients
 * List of Puerto Rico state forests
 * List of Puerto Rico-related topics
 * List of radio stations in Puerto Rico
 * List of Registered Historic Places in Puerto Rico
 * List of residents of San Juan, Puerto Rico
 * List of rivers of Ponce
 * List of rivers of Puerto Rico
 * List of Tainos
 * List of theaters in Ponce, Puerto Rico
 * List of television stations in Puerto Rico
 * List of universities and colleges in Puerto Rico
 * List of World Heritage Sites in Puerto Rico
 * Municipalities of Puerto Rico
 * National Register of Historic Places listings in Puerto Rico
 * Puerto Rican recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross
 * Puerto Rican recipients of the Navy Cross
 * Literature of Puerto Rico
 * Lizzie Graham
 * Los Chinos de Ponce
 * Los Garcia
 * Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
 * Luis A. Ferré
 * Luis A. Ferré United States Courthouse and Post Office Building

M

 * Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Maps of Puerto Rico
 * Mar Caribe
 * Mass media in Puerto Rico
 * Media of Puerto Rico
 * Menudo
 * Mercado de las Carnes
 * Mercedita Airport
 * Military history of Puerto Rico
 * Military of Puerto Rico
 * Military personnel of Puerto Rico
 * Miss Puerto Rico
 * Mona ground iguana
 * Monumento a la abolición de la exclavitud
 * Monumento a los heroes de El Polvorín (obelisk)
 * Monumento a los heroes de El Polvorín (tomb)
 * Monumento al Jíbaro Puertorriqueño
 * Mountains of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Mountains of Puerto Rico
 * Municipalities of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Municipalities in Puerto Rico
 * Museums in Puerto Rico
 * Category:Museums in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Museums in Puerto Rico
 * Museo de Arte de Ponce
 * Museo de la Masacre de Ponce
 * Museo Francisco "Pancho" Coimbre
 * Music of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Music of Puerto Rico
 * Category:Puerto Rican musical groups
 * Category:Puerto Rican musicians

N

 * National anthem of Puerto Rico
 * National Forests of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:National Forests of Puerto Rico
 * Natural history of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Natural history of Puerto Rico
 * Navy-Culebra protests
 * Navy-Vieques protests
 * New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
 * Newspapers of Puerto Rico
 * Nightlife in Ponce, Puerto Rico
 * Normandie Hotel
 * North Atlantic Ocean
 * Northern Hemisphere
 * Nuyorican Movement
 * Nuyorican Poets Cafe

O

 * Outline of Puerto Rico

P

 * Palmas Del Mar Beach Resort
 * Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro
 * Parque de Bombas
 * Parque de la Abolición
 * Parque de la Ceiba
 * Parque del Retiro
 * Parque del Tricentenario (Ponce, Puerto Rico)
 * Parque Ecológico Urbano
 * Parque Familiar Julio Enrique Monagas
 * Parque Lineal Veredas del Labrador
 * Parque Luis A. Wito Morales
 * Parque Pedro Albizu Campos
 * Parque Urbano Dora Colón Clavell
 * Paseo Atocha
 * Plaza Degetau
 * Plaza del Caribe
 * Plaza Las Delicias
 * Plaza Muñoz Rivera
 * Pedro Albizu Campos
 * People of Puerto Rico
 * List of Puerto Ricans
 * Category:Puerto Rican people by city
 * Piragua
 * Plaza del Mercado de Ponce
 * Political parties in Puerto Rico
 * Political status of Puerto Rico
 * Politics of Puerto Rico
 * Category:Politics of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Politics of Puerto Rico
 * Ponce
 * Ponce Cathedral
 * Ponce Cement, Inc.
 * Ponce City Hall
 * Ponce Creole
 * Ponce Grand Prix
 * Ponce High School
 * Ponce Jazz Festival
 * Ponce massacre
 * Ponce Municipal Police
 * Ponce School of Medicine
 * Ponce Servicios
 * Ponce YMCA Building
 * Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
 * Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture
 * Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law
 * Popular Democratic Party
 * Porta Caribe
 * Porta Coeli
 * PR – United States Postal Service postal code for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * PR-9
 * PR-12
 * PR-123
 * PR-132
 * PR-133
 * PR-139
 * PR-143
 * PR-163
 * PR-500
 * PR-501
 * PR-502
 * PR-503
 * PR-504
 * PR-505
 * PR-506
 * PR-511
 * PR-577
 * PR-578
 * PR-585
 * PR-591
 * President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status
 * Prinair Flight 191
 * Prominent Puerto Ricans
 * Proposed political status for Puerto Rico
 * Protestants in Puerto Rico
 * Public holidays in Puerto Rico
 * Puerto Rico (proposed state)
 * Puerto Rican people
 * Puerto Rican accents
 * Puerto Rican Academy Award winners and nominees
 * Puerto Ricans
 * Puerto Rican amazon parrot
 * Puerto Rican Athenaeum
 * Puerto Rican dry forests
 * Puerto Rican emerald hummingbird
 * Puerto Rican immigration to Hawaii
 * Puerto Rican Independence Movement
 * Puerto Rican Independence Party
 * Puerto Rican migration to New York
 * Puerto Rican military personnel
 * Puerto Rican Nationalist Party Revolts of the 1950s
 * Puerto Rican Operating Area
 * Puerto Rican phrases, words and slangs
 * Puerto Rican recipients of the Presidential Citizens Medal
 * Puerto Rican recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
 * Puerto Rican recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross
 * Puerto Rican recipients of the Medal of Honor
 * Puerto Rican recipients of the Navy Cross
 * Puerto Rican scientists and inventors
 * Puerto Rican Spanish
 * Puerto Rican status referendum, 2012
 * Puerto Rican status referendum, 2017
 * Puerto Rican tody
 * Puerto Rican women in the military
 * Puerto Ricans
 * Puerto Rican people by city
 * commons:Category:People of Puerto Rico
 * Puerto Ricans in NASA
 * Puerto Ricans in the United States (Stateside Puerto Ricans)
 * Puerto Ricans Missing in Action - Korean War
 * Puerto Ricans Missing in Action - Vietnam War
 * Puerto Ricans in World War I
 * Puerto Ricans in World War II
 * Puerto Ricans in the Vietnam War
 * Puerto Rico website
 * Category:Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Maps of Puerto Rico
 * Puerto Rico at the Olympics
 * Puerto Rico Convention Center
 * Puerto Rico Media
 * Puerto Rico Tax and Customs Laws
 * Puerto Rico Statehood Students Association
 * Puerto Rico Trench
 * Puerto Rico Iron Works

Q

 * Quebrada Limón

R

 * Radio stations in Puerto Rico
 * Rafael Carmoega
 * Rafael Hernández Airport
 * Rafael Hernández Colón
 * Rafael Cordero Santiago Port of the Americas
 * Rail transport in Puerto Rico
 * Ramon Power y Giralt
 * Registered historic places in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Registered Historic Places in Puerto Rico
 * Religion in Puerto Rico
 * Category:Religion in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Religion in Puerto Rico
 * Residencia Armstrong-Poventud
 * Residencia Ermelindo Salazar
 * Residencia Subirá
 * Residencial Las Casas
 * Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico
 * Resorts in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Resorts in Puerto Rico
 * Rivers of Ponce
 * Rio Anón
 * Río Bayagán
 * Río Blanco
 * Río Bucaná
 * Río Cañas
 * Río Cerrillos
 * Río Chiquito
 * Río Inabón
 * Río Jacaguas
 * Río Matilde
 * Río Pastillo
 * Río Portugués
 * Río Prieto
 * Río San Patricio
 * Rivers of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Rivers of Puerto Rico
 * Roberto Clemente Coliseum
 * Roosevelt Roads Naval Station
 * Rosaly-Batiz House
 * Royal Decree of Graces of 1815
 * Ruben Berrios

S

 * San Juan Bay
 * San Juan – Capital of Puerto Rico since 1521
 * San Juan National Historic Site
 * San Juan ship dock
 * San Juan Uprising
 * School of Tropical Medicine
 * Scouting in Puerto Rico
 * Senate of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * SITRAS
 * Sovereigntism (Puerto Rico)
 * Spanish colonization of the Americas
 * Spanish language
 * Spanish immigration to Puerto Rico
 * Sports in Puerto Rico
 * Category:Sports in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Sports in Puerto Rico
 * Category:Sports venues in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Sports venues in Puerto Rico
 * Structures in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Buildings and structures in Puerto Rico
 * Statehood movement in Puerto Rico
 * Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
 * Symbols of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

T

 * Taínos
 * Teatro Fox Delicias
 * Teatro Puerto Rico
 * Teatro Yagüez
 * Telecommunications in Puerto Rico
 * Category:Communications in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Communications in Puerto Rico
 * Telemundo
 * Television shows set in Puerto Rico
 * Television stations in Puerto Rico
 * Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center
 * Theatres in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Theatres in Puerto Rico
 * Tourism in Puerto Rico website
 * Category:Tourism in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Tourism in Puerto Rico
 * Transportation in Puerto Rico
 * Category:Transportation in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Transport in Puerto Rico
 * Tren Urbano
 * T.U.S.C.A.

U

 * United States Customs House (Ponce, Puerto Rico)
 * University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
 * Utuado Uprising

V

 * Vieques Air Link
 * Villa sin Miedo
 * Villa Pesquera
 * Voting rights in Puerto Rico

W

 * WAPA (AM)
 * Water parks in Puerto Rico
 * Western Hemisphere
 * Wikimedia
 * Atlas of Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:Maps of Puerto Rico
 * Wikinews:Category:Puerto Rico
 * Wikinews:Portal:Puerto Rico
 * Wikipedia Category:Puerto Rico
 * Wikipedia Portal:Puerto Rico
 * History of women in Puerto Rico
 * Wilfred Benítez
 * Wilfredo Gómez
 * Wilfredo Vazquez
 * World Heritage Sites in Puerto Rico
 * commons:Category:World Heritage Sites in Puerto Rico
 * WLEO
 * WPAB
 * WPRP
 * WPUC-FM

X

 * Xander Zayas

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Index of Puerto Rico–related articles


text:
Talk:HMAS Perth (D-38)

Was this ship ever really known as "USS" HMAS Perth? Rlandmann 05:52, 11 Mar 2004 (UTC)

No. There is a bot around here somewhere that keeps making up these ridiculous ship names. That's the third one I've had to delete today. Tannin 11:50, 11 Mar 2004 (UTC)

title: Talk:HMAS Perth (D-38)


text:
Surdas

Surdas (सूरदास) was a 16th-century blind Hindu devotional poet and singer, who was known for his works written in praise of Krishna. His compositions captured his devotion towards Krishna. Most of his poems were written in the Braj language, while some were also written in other dialects of medieval Hindi, like Awadhi.

Sūrdās's biography is most often told through the lens of the Vallabha Sampradāya aka the Puṣṭimārga. The Puṣṭimārga regards Sūrdās as an initiated disciple of Vallabha, and his hagiography is told in the Caurāsī Vaiṣṇavan kī Vārtā by Gokulnāth and Harirāy. Sūrdās' poems, along with those of other Aṣṭachāp poets, form a central part of Puṣṭimārga liturgical singing-worship. However modern scholars consider the connection between Sūrdās and Vallabha and his sect to be ahistorical.

The book Sur Sagar (Sur's Ocean) is traditionally attributed to Surdas. However, many of the poems in the book seem to be written by later poets in Sur's name. The Sur Sagar in its present form focuses on descriptions of Krishna as the lovely child of Gokul and Vraj, written from the gopis' perspective.

Life and work
The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature suggests a birth year of 1258 into a Brahmin family of Uttar Pradesh.  Sources state he was either a Sārasvata Brāhmaṇa, a Jāṭa, or a Ḍhāṛhī.

Surdas, whose name translates to "servant of the sun", is celebrated as the pinnacle of poetic artistry in Braj bhasha. This language is linked to the Braj region, where Krishna is said to have spent his childhood. The hagiographer Nabha Dass, in his Bhaktamal, praised Surdas for his poetic skill, especially in depicting "Hari's playful acts", a reference to Krishna's divine activities. Surdas also composed poems about Ram and Sita but primarily focused on Krishna's life and deeds.

Poetry
Surdas's poetry was written in a dialect of Hindi called Braj Bhasha, until then considered to be a very plebeian language, as the prevalent literary languages were either Persian or Sanskrit. His work raised the status of the Braj Bhasha from a crude language to that of a literary one.

Surdas's poems are collectively known as the Sursagar or "Ocean of Sur" due to a large volume of poems attributed to his name. The traditional format of the Sursagar is divided into twelve parts, similar to the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavata Purana. Just as the Bhagavata Purana describes the life and actions of Krishna, the Sursagar also takes on a similar feat with a majority of its poems dedicated to Krishna. Many of the poems found in Sursagar are pads, containing six to ten rhymed verses. Other subject matter covered include Rama and Sita, Vishnu, Shiva, heroes within Hinduism like Gajendra and King Bali, and the poet's spiritual struggles.

Philosophy
Eight disciples of Vallabha Acharya are called the Aṣṭachāp, (Eight seals in Hindi), named after the oral signature chap written at the conclusion of literary works. Sur is considered to be the foremost among them.

Coverage
Several films have been made about the poet's life. These include: Surdas (1939) by Krishna Dev Mehra, Bhakta Surdas (1942) by Chaturbhuj Doshi, Sant Surdas (1975) by Ravindra Dave, Chintamani Surdas (1988) by Ram Pahwa.

The legend of the blind poet Bilwamangala (identified with Surdas) and Chintamani has also been adapted several times in Indian cinema. These films include: Bilwamangal or Bhagat Soordas (1919) by Rustomji Dhotiwala, Bilwamangal (1932), Chintamani (1933) by Kallakuri Sadasiva Rao, Chintamani (1937) by Y. V. Rao, Bhakta Bilwamangal (1948) by Shanti Kumar, Bilwamangal (1954) by D. N. Madhok, Bhakta Bilwamangal (1954) by Pinaki Bhushan Mukherji, Chintamani (1956) by P. S. Ramakrishna Rao, Chintamani (1957) by M.N. Basavarajaiah, Chilamboli (1963) by G. K. Ramu, Bilwamangal (1976) by Gobinda Roy, Vilvamangal Ki Pratigya (1996) by Sanjay Virmani.

title: Surdas


text:
USS Wabash

Four ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Wabash, after the Wabash River of Indiana.

 * The first USS Wabash (1855) was a screw frigate in commission from 1856 to 1874, then in use as a receiving ship until 1912.
 * The second USS Wabash (ID-1824) was a civilian freighter acquired for Navy use during 1918 and 1919.
 * The third USS Wabash (AOG-4) was an oiler in service from 1943 to 1957.
 * The fourth USS Wabash (AOR-5) was also an oiler, in service from 1971 to 1994.

title: USS Wabash


text:
Adiantum capillus-veneris

Adiantum capillus-veneris, the Southern maidenhair fern, black maidenhair fern, maidenhair fern, and venus hair fern, is a species of ferns in the genus Adiantum and the family Pteridaceae with a subcosmopolitan worldwide distribution. It is cultivated as a popular garden fern and houseplant.

Distribution
Adiantum capillus-veneris is native to the southern half of the United States from California to the Atlantic coast, through Mexico and Central America, to South America. It is also native to Eurasia, the Levant in Western Asia, and Australasia. There are two disjunct occurrences in the northern part of North America: at Cascade Springs in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Fairmont Hot Springs, British Columbia. In both instances, the warm microclimate created by hot mineral springs permits the growth of the plant far north of its normal range. It is similar in Zvonce spa resort (Звоначка Бања, Zvonačka Banja), near Pirot in Serbia, where hot mineral springs provide adequate heat and humidity for the survival of this species.

It is found in temperate climates from warm-temperate to tropical, where the moisture content is high but not saturating, in the moist, well-drained sand, loam or limestone of many habitats, including rainforests, shrub and woodlands, broadleaf and coniferous forests, and desert cliff seeps, and springs. It often may be seen growing on moist, sheltered and shaded sandstone or limestone formations, generally south-facing in the southern hemisphere, north-facing in the north, or in gorges. It occurs throughout Africa in moist places by streams. On moist sandstone cliffs it grows in full or partial shade, even when unprotected.

Description
Adiantum capillus-veneris grows from 6 to 12 in in height; its fronds arising in clusters from creeping rhizomes 8 to 27.5 in tall, with very delicate, light green fronds much subdivided into pinnae 0.2 to 0.4 in long and broad; the frond rachis is black and wiry.

Cultivation
Adiantum capillus-veneris is cultivated and widely available around the world for planting in natural landscape native plants and traditional shade gardens, for outdoor container gardens, and commonly as an indoor houseplant.

Adiantum × mairisii is a winter hardy hybrid of Adiantum capillus-veneris with another species, which is likely to be one of Adiantum raddianum, Adiantum aethiopicum, or Adiantum cuneatum.

As a houseplant, Adiantum capillus-veneris requires filtered light and very humid conditions. It should be grown in soil rich in organic matter and should be watered frequently but lightly, to keep the roots damp but not drenched. The temperature should not fall below 12 C. It is propagated by dividing, making sure each clump has a section of rhizome.

Conservation
The fern is listed as an endangered species in North Carolina (as southern maidenhair-fern) and threatened species in Kentucky (as venus hair fern), due to loss of Appalachian habitat.

Traditional uses
This plant is used medicinally by Native Americans. The Mahuna people use the plant internally for rheumatism, and the Navajo people of Kayenta, AZ use an infusion of the plant as a lotion for bumblebee and centipede stings. The Navajo people also smoke it or take it internally to treat mental illness.

In the traditional medicine of Iran, frond infusion of Adiantum capillus-veneris is used for jaundice therapy. Along with this, they have a wide range of medicinal uses and have been used to treat coughs, cold, and to aid in kidney function.

title: Adiantum capillus-veneris


text:
KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops

Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen Mae Hashutsujo (こちら葛飾区亀有公園前派出所), often shortened to KochiKame (こち亀), and known in English as KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops, is a Japanese comedy manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Akimoto. It takes place in the present day, in and around a neighborhood police station (kōban) in the downtown part of Tokyo, and revolves around the misadventures of middle-aged cop Kankichi Ryotsu.

It was continuously serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump for 40 years, from September 1976 to September 2016. Its 1,960 chapters were collected into 201 tankōbon volumes, making it the manga with the second-highest number of volumes for a single series. The manga has been adapted into an anime television series, produced by Studio Gallop and broadcast in Japan by Fuji TV, three theatrical animated films (by Tatsunoko and Gallop, respectively), two live-action movies, several stage adaptations, and a live-action television series. In addition, a short anime featuring characters from the series was produced to popularize the Paralympic sport of goalball, ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics of 2020 (held in 2021).

By 2016, the manga had over 156.5 million copies in circulation, making it the eighth best-selling manga series in history. In 2005, Kochikame won the Special Judges Award at the 50th Shogakukan Manga Award, as well as the 48th Seiun Award for Best Comic in 2017.

Plot
The KochiKame plot involves Kankichi "Ryo-san" Ryotsu coming up with a money-making scheme by inventing a new gadget or capitalizing on a fad, achieving great success, calling on Keiichi Nakagawa's help as things turn sour, and finally losing it all as the fad runs out of steam or out of control. While the plots are gag-driven, much of the humor comes from the combination of mundane characters with those that are bizarrely out of place; such as Nakagawa who has wealth and Ai Asato who is transgender. What they have in common is everyone's lack of actual police work, most of which is never explained or rationalized in the slightest. (It is explained in Jump that Ryo-san is one of the best officers at catching criminals.) Nakagawa and Reiko Akimoto have special licenses (such as for wearing personal clothes instead of uniforms to work) from police headquarters because of their skills in linguistics.

The plot consistently evolved with the times and most of the main characters do not really age, despite the fact that the series started in the 1970s and is later clearly set in the 2010s. However, some characters do age, like the grandchild of Buchao, who was a baby in the early volumes, but is now close to junior high, which the author has self-mocked in a few "look back" chapters/episodes. KochiKame has a broad audience, ranging from adolescent boys to middle-aged salarymen. Ryo-san's antics appeal to children who can laugh at an old buffoon, and to men fearing that they are becoming old buffoons themselves—and also because it often subtly mocks the latest fads and trends. The stories are generally innocent in content, and what little violence appears is comical, while the occasional risqué subjects are included strictly for laughs rather than to titillate. KochiKame's immense popularity has led to guest appearances in the strip by real-life Japanese celebrities such as Tetsuya Komuro.

For creator Osamu Akimoto, KochiKame is an homage to the working-class people and districts of old Tokyo, and most chapters open with an elaborate full-page illustration of a Shitamachi (downtown) street scene, typically with old wooden buildings and boys playing in the streets.

Manga
Written and illustrated by Osamu Akimoto, Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen Mae Hashutsujo started in Shueisha's shōnen manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump on September 21, 1976. Akimoto debuted the series under the pen name of "Tatsuhiko Yamadome", but changed to using his real name in 1978, when it reached its 100th chapter. Periodically the chapters were collected into tankōbon volumes by Shueisha, the first released on July 9, 1977. The series ended on September 17, 2016, in the 42nd issue of the year, in commemoration of KochiKame's 40th anniversary. Its 200th tankōbon volume was published on the same day. Shueisha reprinted the issue that included the final chapter on December 31, 2016, marking the first time a Weekly Shōnen Jump issue has ever been reprinted. Akimoto created a new chapter of Kochikame for the 42nd issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump on September 16, 2017. On July 18, 2021, it was announced the manga would receive a 201st volume, which was released on October 4, 2021. A 46-page one-shot chapter will be published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on July 10, 2023.

From March 2017 to June 2019, Akimoto serialized a sequel in the seinen magazine Ultra Jump. Titled Ii Yu da ne! (いいゆだね!), it is set in a sentō next to a police station in Shitamachi, Tokyo.

Anime
Since KochiKame's inception in Jump in 1976, the series was not adapted into anime often, most likely because it would have been more suited for a live-action adaptation. The closest it could get when being adapted into anime was either in the form of commercials for certain products sold in Japan such as toys and snack foods as early as 1980, and a 30-minute animated film produced by Tatsunoko Production which was shown alongside an animated adaptation of Izumi Matsumoto's Kimagure Orange Road (another popular Jump manga from 1984) produced by Studio Pierrot at a Shonen Jump Anime Festival hosted by Shueisha in 1985. It was directed by Hiroshi Sasagawa, who, at the time, was renowned for his directorial work on Tatsunoko's other works such as Speed Racer and the Time Bokan franchise. It was issued on home video by Shueisha under the Jump Video imprint as a prize for winners of a contest that took place in several issues of Weekly Shonen Jump for the magazine's 20th anniversary in 1988. However, to this day only small images of footage from the film can be seen on the internet since the film was not released broadly.

An anime television adaptation of KochiKame finally began airing on Fuji Television on June 16, 1996. Produced by Studio Gallop, it ran for eight years and 382 episodes before ending on December 19, 2004. Two animated theatrical films were also produced; Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo the Movie (こちら葛飾区亀有公園前派出所 THE MOVIE) on December 23, 1999, and Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo the Movie 2: UFO Shūrai! Tornado Daisakusen!! (こちら葛飾区亀有公園前派出所 THE MOVIE2 UFO襲来! トルネード大作戦!!) on December 20, 2003.

On September 18, 2016, an hour-long special by Studio Gallop aired on Fuji TV for the manga's 40th anniversary. Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo The Final: Kankichi Ryotsu's Last Day (こちら葛飾区亀有公園前派出所 THE FINAL 両津勘吉 最後の日) features several voice actors reprising their roles from the previous series, as well as director Akira Shigeno.

In summer of 2006, a dubbed Hindi version of KochiKame began airing on Hungama TV in India, and later on Disney XD India from 2011 to 2013.

Live-action
KochiKame has also had live-action film, a TV drama and stage adaptations. The movie was directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, starred Mitsuo Senda as Ryo-san and was released in 1977. A live-action TV series starring Katori Shingo as Ryo-san began airing on TBS on August 1, 2009. A second live-action movie, based on this TV series and titled KochiKame - The Movie: Save The Kachidiki Bridge!, opened in Japan on August 6, 2011. Another play adaptation opened in September 2016 for the series' 40th anniversary and, like the others, it was directed, written by and stars Lasar Ishii as Ryo-san, who is also the voice actor for the character in anime adaptations.

Other media
As part of its 40th anniversary celebration, the series received a 6-part crossover anthology novel with various characters from other series on September 17, 2016. Titled, the other series are Girls und Panzer, Osomatsu-san, Haruchika, Cheer Boys!!, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen and Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de.

Ryotsu appears playable in the Weekly Shōnen Jump crossover fighting video games Jump Super Stars, Jump Ultimate Stars and J-Stars Victory VS. Other characters from the series appear in a non-playable capacity. J-Stars Victory VS.'s North American and European release (as J-Stars Victory VS.+) marks the first official release of Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo material in English-speaking territories. In addition, various toys and collectibles have been created, including some items that first appeared in the manga as creations of Ryo-san.

Real-life KochiKame
Kameari Koen is an actual park in Tokyo's Katsushika ward. The police station is fictional, but it is modeled after a real one located on the north side of Kameari railway station. The manga has brought considerable fame to the neighborhood, and it draws sightseers from all over Japan. There is only a vacant lot where the police station is actually supposed to be located.

In February 2006, two life-size bronze statues of Ryo-san were erected at the north and south gates of Kameari Station. There is currently a trail of 14 statues in the area.

30th anniversary
In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen Mae Hashutsujo's serialization, several special events were held. Separate one-shots of the series were published in thirteen different Shueisha magazines between August and October 2006.

Reception
By 2016, Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo had sold over 156.5million tankōbon copies; making it one of the best-selling manga series in history. With 200 volumes, the series held the Guinness World Record for "Most volumes published for a single manga series" from September 2016 to July 2021.

In November 2014, readers of Da Vinci magazine voted Kochikame as the seventh Weekly Shōnen Jump's greatest manga series of all time. Kochikame won the Special Judges Award at the 50th Shogakukan Manga Awards in 2005. Akimoto received the Special Prize at the 21st Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize for the manga in 2017. Kochikame was awarded the 48th Seiun Award for the Best Comic in 2017. On TV Asahi's Manga Sōsenkyo 2021 poll, in which 150,000 people voted for their top 100 manga series, KochiKame ranked 35th.

In 2005, the anime ranked 36th on its list of the Top 100 Anime conducted by TV Asahi. Mike Toole of Anime News Network included Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo the Movie at number 56 on The Other 100 Best Anime Movies of All Time, a list of "lesser-known, lesser-loved classics." He called it "Kochikame at its best, a zippy combination of daffy comedy and solid action set pieces," with one of the funniest false endings ever.

title: KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops