Thread by @Hiranyareta

"Did the former's monism clash with the latter's deep Vaishnava Bhakti?"

Tulsidas ko theek se padhana chahiye. I don't understand why there can be any clash between him and Madhusudan Saraswati.
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https://twitter.com/shrikanth_krish/status/1122638611587973120

I have no issues with a Vaishnava or Vaishnavism. But I have big issue with colonial stereotyping of our Sages and Saints disregarding all the facts.

Here I start.
2/

Look at the Manglacharan by Tulsidas to any of his texts. He starts with Ganesha and Sarawati followed by PanchaDevas ie Vishnu, Shiva, Surya and Devi.
This is स्मार्त tradition not Vaishnava tradition.
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Take for example.
RamcharitManas
वर्णानामर्थसंघानां रसानां छन्दसामपि।
मङ्गलानां च कर्त्तारौ वन्दे वाणीविनायकौ॥
Vinay Patrika
गाइये गनपति जगबंदन ।
संकर-सुवन भवानी नंदन ॥
4/

Now some lines on द्वैत-अद्वैत from Vinaya Patrika where Tulsidas shares his spiritual experiences and states his position.

"सपनेहुँ नहीं सुख द्वैत दरसन, बात कोटिक को कहै"
(To cut to the core of the matter as long as there is Dvaita, one can't be happy even in dreams)
5/

"सेवत साधु द्वैत-भय भागै. श्रीरघुबीर-चरन लय लागै
देह-जनित विकार सब त्यागै. तब फिरि निज स्वरूप अनुरागै"
Doing service to the one who has realized ब्रह्मात्मऐक्यबोध , one gets freedom from the fears (and the doubts) arising from "Dwaita".
6/

"सकल दृश्य निज उदर मेलि, सोवे निद्रा तजि जोगी ।
सोइ हरिपद अनुभवै परम सुख, अतिसय द्वैत-बियोगी ॥"
Yogi free from Dwaita enjoys that unique हरिपद.
7/

"जनक-जननि,गुरुबंधु,सुहृदकल-पति, सब प्रकार हितकारी ।
द्वैतरूप तम-कूप परौं नहिं, अस कछु जतन बिचारी ॥ "
O Rama, do something (asa kachu jatana bicārī) so that I do not fall in the dark and blind well of ‘Dwaita’.
8/

द्वैत मूल, भय-सूल, सोक-फल, भवतरु टरै न टार यौ ।
रामभजन-तीछन कुठार लै सो नहिं काटि निवार यो ॥
This gross world is like a huge ‘Tree’ (bhavataru)—its root consists of Dwaita.
9/

दुइज द्वेत-मति छाड़ि चरहि महि-मंडल धीर ।
बिगत मोह-माया-मद हृदय बसत रघुबीर ॥
Like the day of ‘Dwitiya’, the second way or path is to stablise the mind and the heart by abandoning or discarding or overcoming Dwaita-Buddhi.
10/

जौ निज मन परिहरै बिकारा ।
तौ कत द्वैत-जनित संसृति-दुख,संसय,सोक अपारा ॥
If one's Mana (mind and heart complex) abandons its numerous faults and shortcomings then then why would one be subjected to numerous द्वैत-जनित sorrows.
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Now some descriptions of Sri Rama by Tulsidas

दुष्ट विबुधारि-संघात,अपहरण महि-भार,अवतार कारण अनूपं । अमल,अनवद्य,"अद्वैत",निर्गुण,सर्गुण,ब्रह्म सुमिरामि नरभूप-रूपं ॥
Sri Rama here is a manifestation of the supreme transcendental Brahm in the human form.
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अनघ,"अद्वैत",अनवद्य,अव्यक्त,अज, अमित अविकार,आनंदसिंधो । अचल,अनिकेत,अविरल,अनामय, अनारंभ,अंभोदनादहन-बंधो ॥
The one without a second ie अद्वितीय
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प्रबल भव-जनित त्रैव्याधि-भैषज भगति, भक्त "भैषज्यमद्वैतदरसी" ।
संत-भगवंत अंतर निरंतर नहीं, किमपि मति मलिन कह दासतुलसी ॥
Bhakti is the medicine to त्रैव्याधि and it's received from a Bhakta who is अद्वैतदर्शी ie the one who has realized ब्रह्मात्मऐक्यबोध.
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Now coming to Ramcharitmanas look at this line describing Sri Rama

झूठेउ सत्य जाहि बिनु जानें। जिमि भुजंग बिनु रजु पहिचानें॥
जेहि जानें जग जाइ हेराई। जागें जथा सपन भ्रम जाई॥

Post Ramanuja no Vaishnava Acharya uses analogy of rope and snake on his own.
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If he is writing commentary on some Vedic text and if this rope-snake analogy comes than he has to write about but no Vaishnava Acharya uses it from his side. Same is true for world as dream analogy.
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रजत सीप महुँ मास जिमि जथा भानु कर बारि।
जदपि मृषा तिहुँ काल सोइ भ्रम न सकइ कोउ टारि॥११७॥

एहि बिधि जग हरि आश्रित रहई। जदपि असत्य देत दुख अहई

No Vaishnva Acharya calls world मृषा, असत्य caused by भ्रम like silver in sea-shell or water of mirage.
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Now these lines of Lakshman Gita where Lakshman does Upadesha to Nishadraj.

काहु न कोउ सुख दुख कर दाता। निज कृत करम भोग सबु भ्राता॥
जोग बियोग भोग भल मंदा। हित अनहित मध्यम भ्रम फंदा॥
जनमु मरनु जहँ लगि जग जालू। संपती बिपति करमु अरु कालू॥
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धरनि धामु धनु पुर परिवारू। सरगु नरकु जहँ लगि ब्यवहारू॥
देखिअ सुनिअ गुनिअ मन माहीं। मोह मूल परमारथु नाहीं॥

दोहा- सपनें होइ भिखारि नृप रंकु नाकपति होइ।
जागें लाभु न हानि कछु तिमि प्रपंच जियँ जोइ॥९२॥
19/

If one looks at the meaning of abv it says that "Vyavhar Satta" is only a "Pratibhaash" in "Parmartha" Satta (ie Chetan/Brahm).
This approach of "Tri-Satta" to Prapancha is unique feature of Adi Sankara's Advait Sampradaya.
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"ग्यान अखंड एक सीताबर।"
Sri Rama, husband of Sita, is अखंड ग्यान ie ग्यान devoid of the troika of Knower, known, and knowledge.
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अगुन अखंड अनंत अनादी। जेहि चिंतहिं परमारथबादी॥
नेति नेति जेहि बेद निरूपा। निजानंद निरुपाधि अनूपा॥
संभु बिरंचि बिष्नु भगवाना। उपजहिं जासु अंस तें नाना

from a अंश of whom emanate myriads of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
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In summary, Sri Rama of Tulsidas is Brahm of Upanishad and Tulsidas (going by his writings) is a proponent of Kevladwait (केवलाद्वैत). Tulsidas is certainly not a Vaishnava.
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Even Ravan of Tulsidas' Ramayana isn't afraid of Sri Vishnu and this what he thought when he saw Jatayu and confused him for Garuna.

आवत देखि कृतांत समाना। फिरि दसकंधर कर अनुमाना॥
की मैनाक कि खगपति होई। मम बल जान सहित पति सोई॥
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Many Acharyas of Kashi say that when Tulsidas writes
वन्दे बोधमयं नित्यं गुरुं शङ्कररूपिणम्।
in the Mangalacharan of RCM, it's subtly meant for Adi Sankara.
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