Ramcharitmanas (Tulsidas)
The Ramcharitmanas is the devotional retelling of the Ramayana composed by Goswami Tulsidas in the 16th century CE in Awadhi language. It consists of 7 Kandas with ~10,902 chaupais and dohas, and is one of the most beloved scriptures in North India.
Devotional Epic (Kavya)·Bhakti Literature / Smriti·Author: Goswami Tulsidas·10,902 verses·Language: Awadhi (medieval Hindi)·Composed: 1574–1577 CE
- Ramcharitmanas is Goswami Tulsidas's retelling of the Ramayana in Awadhi (medieval Hindi), composed in 1574 CE.
- Contains 10,902 verses in a mix of dohas, chaupais, soratha, and other meters across 7 Sopanas (steps/sections).
- Written in Awadhi — the vernacular language of the common people of North India — making Rama accessible to all.
- The text begins with the sacred syllable 'श्रीरामचरितमानस' and describes Rama's story as a lake (Manas = mind/lake).
- Tulsidas composed it over 2 years 7 months in Varanasi and Ayodhya, completing it in 1577 CE.
- It is the most widely read and recited religious text in Hindi-speaking North India.
- The Hanuman Chalisa, composed by Tulsidas, is also part of this devotional tradition.
- Tulsidas presents Rama as the Supreme Being (Parabrahma) — a blend of bhakti and advaita philosophy.
Structural Organization
SopanaStep / Book (7 total)→Doha / ChaupaiVerse type→ShlokaSanskrit verses interspersed
Example: Ramcharitmanas, Bala Kanda (1st Sopana), Doha 1
Key Topics
Bala Kanda
Shiva-Parvati conversation, Rama's birth, and early life
Ayodhya Kanda
Exile of Rama, death of Dasharatha
Aranya Kanda
Forest life, Sita's abduction
Kishkindha Kanda
Alliance with Sugriva and Hanuman
Sundara Kanda
Hanuman's mission to Lanka
Lanka Kanda
War and Ravana's defeat
Uttara Kanda
Return, coronation, and Ram Rajya
Key Figures
Tulsidas
Poet-saint, 16th century, composed in Awadhi for common people
Rama
Supreme Being (Parabrahma) in human form
Hanuman
Ideal devotee — Tulsidas identifies himself with Hanuman's bhakti
Sita
Shakti — divine mother and Rama's eternal consort
Key Texts & Works
Sundara Kanda
Most recited section — Hanuman's devotion is the heart of the text
Hanuman Chalisa
40 verses in praise of Hanuman — composed by Tulsidas separately
Vinaya Patrika
Tulsidas's devotional petition to Rama — another major work