Tulasidas, was so much infatuated with his wife, that he could not stand even a moment’s separation from her. Once she was visiting her parents. Unable to be without her, Tulasidas set out for her house, despite torrential downpour of rain and heavy floods, holding on to what seemed like a log. Seeing that none opened the door when he knocked, he climbed to the terrace using a rope and woke up his wife. The next morning when his wife asked him how he had reached despite the floods, he pointed out to the log, only to realize that it was actually a corpse! The rope he had used for climbing up the terrace to his wife’s room was actually a dead serpent.

His wife told him, ‘This body is destructible and starts emitting a foul smell if we do not take care of it. And you put yourself in danger for this decaying body of mine. If you focus such tremendous efforts with such drive and intense devotion for God, you will attain enlightenment!’

And that is how Tulasidas, who was infatuated with his wife, transformed into an ardent devotee of Rama. He obtained darshan of the Lord by propitiating Anjaneya and was later revered by Akbar for his spiritual prowess. He scaled up to rendering a Hindi version of Ramayana, titling it ‘Ram Charita Manas’.

An evidence that Rama was waiting; For whom? For Tulasidas. Why was HE waiting? Tulasidas had not yet mellowed enough to merge himself into Rama. What was the obstacle? His lust for his wife. The moment he went beyond it, it took just a split second for Rama to make Tulasidas his instrument, enabling his emergence as Saint Tulasidas. Rama is waiting for all of you who are now entangled in worldly relationships; waiting for you to grow beyond all illusions so that He can fashion saints out of you.

Kabirdas had not done enough charity in one of his earlier births. And so, the desire to do charity persisted in his mind. Once, when he was away from home, some fakirs passing through that village sought alms at his residence. Kabirdas’s wife requested them to rest for sometime till she cooked food for them. The kotwal of that village was infatuated with Kabirdas’s wife. She requested him for money to buy groceries for the pilgrim guests and promised she would be his companion that night, after obtaining her husband’s permission.

When Kabir came home, she related everything that had transpired. Kabir was elated that they were able to feed the pilgrims. Kabir escorted his wife to the kotwal’s house, braving a swamp midway by hoisting his wife on his shoulders. Kabir, by stating that his wife had come with his concurrence only, put to rest the kotwal’s fears. As the kotwal was approaching Kabir’s wife, Lord Rama, in the guise of a patrol chief, knocked the door, and thus Kabir’s wife escaped unscathed.

Kabir and his son Kamaal attempted to burgle a house, stealing money for charity. While returning, Kamaal’s hand was trapped on the other side of the wall, and before they could pull it off, the residents awoke. To escape capture, Kabir cut off Kamaal’s hand, and, hoisting his son on his shoulders, made a quick getaway. These stories may seem crazy but that was the extent to which Kabir took efforts to do charity. What was the obstacle for Kabir? The continuing vasanas to do charity. The moment that longing was fulfilled, Rama took him on as His instrument. Kamaal’s hand was restored and Kabir became a revered spiritual leader.

Surrender everything that happens to you, to the Lord within. This is the state of self-realization. When you attain this state, there is nothing you have to do. Arunagirinathar sings, ‘Grant me that I may understand that You and I are one’ (‘Nee veru enaadhirukkum naan veru enaadhirukkum bhavatheetham arulvaaye’). Then you will be in constant bliss. And to reach this state, you must overcome the barriers of worldly attachments. When you try to cross this hurdle, God Himself will guide you. Till you attempt to free yourself from worldly fetters, God will be a silent spectator.