Darshan of Sri Ram

Another legend tells us that Tulsi would pour some water at the base of a banyan tree when he passed that way after his morning ablutions. A spirit that was suffering the effects of past evil deeds lived on that same tree.

Tulsi?s offering relieved the spirit of its agony. Wanting to express gratitude to Tulsi, the spirit asked him what he wished. What else would Tulsi want but the holy darshan of Sri Ram? The spirit replied: ?An old man attends your discourses; he arrives first and is the last to leave. He will help you.? The next day, Tulsidas identified the man who answered to the description and fell at his feet.

The old man told Tulsi to go to Chitrakut, where he would have the darshan of Sri Ram. Who could the old man be but Hanuman himself ? It is well known that Hanuman is always present wherever the name ?Ram? is being uttered.
Tulsi remained in Chitrakut, making sandal paste and giving it to the devotees who came there. One day, while he was making the paste, Sri Ram appeared in front of him and said: ?Baba, give me some sandal paste.? Tulsi was overwhelmed and went into samadhi. Sri Ram applied sandal paste to Tulsi?s forehead with his own hand.

Tulsi remained in samadhi for three days. This was the first time he experienced samadhi and that through the darshan of Sri Ram himself.Once during his visit to a temple of Sri Krishna in Vrindavana, Tulsidas addressed the deity: How can I describe your heavenly beauty, O Krishna! However, this Tulsi will not bow to you unless you take a bow and arrow in your hands! ? In a moment, Tulsi had a vision of Sri Ram instead of Sri Krishna on the altar.
It is believed that the Mughal Emperor Jahangir knew about Tulsidas and that they met at least once. Jahangir pressed Tulsidas to perform a miracle. Tulsi refused saying: ?I know no miracles, I know only the name of Ram.? Annoyed at the answer, Jahangir imprisoned him. The legend narrates that a band of monkeys wreaked havoc in the prison and the emperor, realizing his mistake, had to release Tulsi.The famous pandit Madhusudana Saraswati of Varanasi was a contemporary of Tulsidas.

The two devotees discussed bhakti when they met. In an answer to someone?s enquiry, Madhusudana Saraswati praised Tulsidas thus: