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Tularam had attained scholarship in all branches of learning; the teacher Naraharidas himself arranged for his marriage.
Tularam married Ratnavali, a very beautiful and accomplished daughter of a Brahmin by name Deenabandhu Pathak.
Parting from his master who loved him more than a father was very painful to Tularam. Yet bound by the master’s wish and his own duty he became a householder.
Tularam had everything-good looks, youth, education, honour and a good income too. Rich people used to invite him now and then to their houses, honour him and offer him money.
His wife Ratnavali was a beautiful and a virtuous girl. Tulararn loved her very much. They led a happy life. No wonder that, in his state of joy and contentment, he thought less and less about God.
He loved his wife so much that for years he did not send her to her parents’ house at all.
One day Pandit Tularam went to neighboring village to give a discourse.
The some day Ratnavali's brother came to see her. Ratnavali had not as much as glanced at her parents' house ever since her marriage; when she saw her brother she remembered her parent and began to weep.
The brother in fact had come only to take her home. He comforted his sister. He said, "Come, let us go home sister you can stay with us for a few days and come back. Mother is longing to see you". Ratnavali loved her parents’ home so much that for a moment she decided to go. But she hesitated. She said, "My husband is not at home. How can I come without his consent? Besides he cannot bear to be without me event for a short time. Let him come home; you can talk to him about this. I too will request him. Then we can go."
But the brother argued with her and persuaded her. She locked up the house and left the key with the neighbor and said: "Please give this key to my husband when he comes home, and tell him that I am returning the day after tomorrow." She then went with her brother.
It was dark when Pandit Tularam came home. When the neighbor gave him the key and his wife’s message, he became very angry. Without his wife the house looked bleak as a cave. Every hour his boredom grew. He lay down but could not sleep. It was past midnight. He' decided to go to his father-in-law's house. And he started at once.
It was the month of Shravana. The sky was heavily overcast with clouds. It was dark all around. He had just stepped out of his house when there was a heavy downpour of rain accompanied by thunder and lightning.
But Tularam did not change his mind. He walked on getting wet in the rain, and came to the banks of the river Ganga. The river was in full floods. He asked the ferryman to take him across the river.
"What? You wish to cross the flood, in this rain and wind? Impossible," said! the ferryman.
At the sight of the racing walkers of the Ganga in floods, Tularam's heart sank. But the infatuation for his wife drove him on. He gathered courage, tucked up his dhoti firmly and jumped into the river. He swam against the current and reached the other bank.
He did not stop even to wring –his clothes.
He raced to his wife's house and shouted, 'Ratnavali, Ratnavali'.
Ratnavali wondered who could have come in such heavy rain. She opened the door and there stood Tularam! His clothes were all wet and water was dripping. He was shivering with cold.
Ratnavali was amazed. She was also happy to think of his intense love for her. At the same time she pitied his condition. Could he not stay alone for one day? How foolhardy it was to swim across the river in high floods! The thought made her angry.
She said, "What can I say, my lord? Aren't you ashamed of yourself? You have come running after me! If you had the same intense love for Sri Rama, He Himself would have appeared to you. Then you would have been saved from the cycle of births."
These words of his wife struck Tularam like a thunderbolt. Drenched in the rain he was shivering, but now he began to perspire. His mind reeled and his heart was in turmoil. The veil of attachment that had covered his devotion was torn asunder.
He went away without looking back even once.
What happened to Ratnavali after, Tulasidas left her? We do not know. Tulasidas has not mentioned her name anywhere in his books.

‘ Is there another fool like me? Entangled in the love of my wife, I forgot Lord Rama and I have just wasted all my time! Never again shall I forget Sri Rama and never shall I think of woman. Sri Rama is everything to me. ‘ So resolving, Tularam became ‘Tulasidas" from that day.
What his mater had been saying in his discourses came back to his mind: ‘Sri Rama is all merciful and all-powerful. He is so magnanimous that he will never forsake his devotees.’
-Well, then swill Sri Rama forsakes me?
Tulasidas’s, mind was made up. He now traveled to Chitrakoota.
On his way he visited many holy places. He was in the company of devotees and saints.
What worry could an ascetic have? Where he halts is his town, where he rests is his home. The devotees of Rama are his relations. The earth is his bed and the sky is the roof.
Tulasidas formed a brotherhood of the devotees of Rama. He sand and composed songs. He wrote books and preached to people.
Though he was learned in Sanskrit, he composed poetry in the languages the people spoke. They were only different dialects of Hindi used in North India. He wrote for the common man and not for the learned, it was in the languages actually used by the people that he gave talks and discourses glorifying Bhakti

‘Sri Rama is the Parabrahma. He is all-powerful. He is Purushothama (The Man Supreme). His deeds, word manners and conduct alone are the models of an ideal life. Singing hymns in His honour as his servants is the on way to attain His grace and a salvation. Knowing Him to be their master, The duty of human beings is to offer their services to Him.' This is the sum and substance of the Bhakti cult of Tulasidas.
After some time Tulasidas began to think of leaving Chitrakoota. This was because he had a feeling that he would not be able to see Sri Rama there. So he went to Ayodhya, the birth place of Rama. For a long time he did 'tapas' (leading a very strict life, giving up all pleasures and devoting all the time to the contemplation of God) there. But even there he did not get the vision of Sri Rama. His mind was not at ease. Day by day his desire to see Sri Rama grew more and more intense.
One day it suddenly flashed to his mind that God Anjaneya's grace 'was essential for him to see Sri Rama. Yes. Anjaneya was the greatest devotee of Sri Rama. Only he could help Tulasidas see Sri Rama. So the first thing was, to see Anjaneya.

People say that Tulasidas got the opportunity of seeing Anjaneya because of the help of a Brahmarakshasa (a spirit under curse).
Kashi (Banares) is a holy place on the banks of the sacred river Ganga. The famous temple of Lord Vishweshwara is in Kashi. And it is also the home of Hindu culture. In one part of Kashi there was a temple of Anjaneya. Tulasidas made it his home. He used to bathe in the Ganga every day and then go to theVishweshwara temple to offer prayers; thereafter for hours he would be immerse in meditation. In the evening he gave discourses. In this way a few years passed.
One day as usual Tulasidas poured water out of his vessel at the foot of a tree.
As Tulasidas was returning with his head bowed, suddenly a brahmarakshasa appeared before him, and saluted him.
The water was sanctified by the touch of Tulasidas; it fell on the rakshasa and he was freed from a curse. Full of gratitude the liberated spirit said to Tulasidas, "Please tell me, sir, what I can do for you."
There was but one wish that haunted Tulasidas day and night and that was to see Sri Rama by winning the grace of Anjaneya.
So he said to the brahmarakshasa "Please help me to meet God Anianeya."

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