Vinaya Patrika: Introduction

The Vinaya Patrika

Goswami Tulsidas ji was instrumental in spreading religious devotion for Lord Rama. By the grace of Hanuman, the great Rama-Bhakta, Tulsidas ji was blessed with several visions of Rama who was none other than the Supreme Spirit and dwelt in his heart. Eager to share the Divine's blessings on him, Tulsidas ji composed the Vinaya Patrika which reveals his immense love for mankind.

Goswami Tulsidas ji

Vinaya Patrika, a humble petition to Lord Rama in the Vraja Dialect, is a devotional poem composed by Goswami Tulsidas ji (1532-1623). It contains hymns addressed in vinaya or extreme humility to different Hindu deities and Lord Rama in particular.

An important composition of medieval Hindi literature and the bhakti movement, the Vinaya Patrika has an interesting story which led to its origin.

Once a murderer came on a pilgrimage to Varanasi and begged: "For the love of Rama, give alms to me, a murderer." Hearing the name of his adorable Rama, Tulsidas called the man to his house and giving him consecrated food,declared that he was purified. The region's orthodox brahmins asked him how the murderer's sin was absolved.

Tulsidas ji responded, "Read your own scriptures and learn about the power of the Divine Name." Not satisfied; the brahmins asked for further proof.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi

All of them said that if the sacred bull of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple would eat from the hands of the murderer, they would accept Tulsidas's words. The man was taken to the temple and the bull did eat from his hands. Tulsidas ji proved that the devotee's sincere repentance was accepted by the Lord.

However a new calamity surfaced as Kali, the embodiment of evil, threatened to devour Tulsidas ji.

Lord Rama & Hanumana

Soon after Goswami Tulsidas prayed to Lord Hanuman who appeared to him in a dream, advising him to file a petition to Sri Rama,the Lord of the Universe, to remedy the evil. And that led to origin of the Vinaya-Patrika.

Kalki Avatara in the Kali Yuga

Vinaya Patrika has been written as a humble petition against the six passions of lust, wrath, greed, inebriation, attachments and ego, and the nine vices of violence, falsehood, pride, envy, strife, suspicion, jealousy, rivalry and covetousness (the defendants) which abound in the Kali Yuga or age of spiritual darkness. Hanuman, the messenger of Lord Rama, is the plaintiff's counsel and Kali Yuga, the age of spiritual darkness, is the counsel of the defendants.

Lord Rama

The plaintiff is Tulsidas ji himself, though he represents the whole of mankind. The judges addressed are Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharat and Shatrughan.

It also comprises of stutis or devotional hymns of praise to various Hindu Gods, like Ganesha, Surya, Devi, Ganga, Hanuman, Sita, Rama and the city of Kashi.

Usha Bahenji or Bobo(left) With Sushila Bahenji

Amazingly the copy of Vinaya Patrika was received from Gita Press, Gorakhpur, on 28^th December which is the appearance day of Sushila Bahenji, a great saint of Vrindavan. Vinaya Patrika is most dear to Bahenji and she considers it to be a jewel like the 'Ram Charit Manas' and 'Hanuman Chalisa' composed by Goswami Tulsidas ji.