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In the year Vikram 1631 (1575 CE), Tulsidas started composing the Ramcharitmanas in Ayodhya on Tuesday, Ramnavami day (ninth day of the bright half of the Chaitra month, which is the birthday of Rama). Tulsidas himself attests this date in the Ramcharitmanas. He composed the epic over two years, seven months and twenty-six days, and completed the work in Vikram 1633 (1577 CE) on the Vivaha Panchami day (fifth day of the bright half of the Margashirsha month, which commenrates the wedding of Rama and his wife Sita).

Tulsidas came to Varanasi and recited the Ramcharitmanas to Shiva (Vishwanath) and Parvati (Annapurna) at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. A popular legend goes that the Brahmins of Varanasi, who were critical of Tulsidas for having rendered the Sanskrit Ramayana in the vernacular, decided to test the worth of the work. A manuscript of the Ramcharitmanas was kept at the bottom of pile of Sanskrit scriptures in the sanctum sanctorum of the Vishvanath temple in the night, and the doors of the sanctum sanctorum were locked. In the morning when the doors were opened, the Ramcharitmanas was found at the top of the pile. The words Satyam Shivam Sundaram  literally truth, auspiciousness, beauty were inscribed on the manuscript with the signature of Shiva. The words were also heard by the people present.

Per traditional accounts, some Brahmins of Varanasi were still not satisfied, and sent two thieves to steal the manuscript. The thieves tried to break into the Ashram of Tulsidas, but were confronted by two guards with bows and arrows, of dark and fair complexion. The thieves had a change of heart and came to Tulsidas in the morning to ask who the two guards were. Believing that the two guards could be none other than Rama and Lakshmana, Tulsidas was aggrieved to know that they were guarding his home at night. He sent the manuscript of Ramcahritmanas to his friend Rai Todar Mal, the finance minister of Akbar, and donated all his money. The thieves were reformed and became devotees of Rama.

Around Vikram 1664 (1607 CE), Tulsidas was afflicted by acute pain all over his body, especially in his arms. He then composed the Hanuman Bahuk, where he describes his bodily pain and suffering in several stanzas. He was relieved of his pain after this composition.

The Vinaypatrika is considered as the last compositions of Tulsidas, believed to be written when Kali Yuga started troubling him. In this work of 279 stanzas, he beseeches Rama to give him Bhakti (devotion), and to accept his petition. Tulsidas attests in the last stanza of Vinaypatrika that Rama himself signed the manuscript of the work. The 45th stanza of the Vinaypatrika is sung as the evening Aarti by many Hindus.

Tulsidas claims to have received the story through his guru, Narharidas.Tulsidas was a naive (Acheta) child and the story was stored in his mind (Mānasa) for long before he wrote it down as Ramcharitmanas. Some understand this passage of the Ramcharitmanas to mean that Tulsidas at first could not grasp the story fully as he was a naïve young boy. His guru graciously repeated it again and again so that he could understand and remember it. Then he narrated the story and named it Ramcharitmanas as Shiva himself called it.

Ramcharitmanas consists of seven Kand (literally “books” or “episodes”, cognate with cantos). Tulsidas compared the seven Kāndas of the epic to seven steps leading into the holy waters of Lake Manasarovar “which purifies the body and the soul at once”.

1. Bal Kand – Childhood Episode

Shlokas: 7
Dohas: 341
Sortas: 25
Chhand: 39
Chaupai: 358

2. Ayodhya Kand – Ayodhya Episode

Shlokas: 1
Dohas: 314
Sortas: 13
Chhand: 13
Chaupai: 326

3. Aranya Kand – Forest Episode

Shlokas: 1
Dohas: 41
Sortas: 6
Chhand: 9
Chaupai: 44

4. Kiskindha Kand – Kishkindha Episode

Shlokas: 1
Dohas: 30
Sortas: 1
Chhand: 2
Chaupai: 30

5. Sundar Kand – Pleasant Episode

Shlokas: 1
Dohas: 59
Sortas: 1
Chhand: 3
Chaupai: 60

6. Lanka Kand – Lanka Episode

Shlokas: 1
Dohas: 118
Sortas: 4
Chhand: 38
Chaupai: 117

7. Uttar Kand – Later Episode

Shlokas: 4
Dohas: 126
Sortas: 5
Chhand: 14
Chaupai: 125

Every chapter of the Ramcharitmanas begins with an invocation or Mangalcharan. It is customary of the Indian tradition of writing that the author begins a new book with invocation to the Gods to ensure that the sankalpa is finished unhindered.

Chopai and Prasang in Shri Ramcharitmanas

Ramcharitmanas is structured around three separate conversations. The conversations happen between Shiva and Parvati, Sages Bharadwaj and Yajnavalkya and finally Kakbhushundi and the king of birds, Garuda. Although Lord Shiva then told it to Mata Parvati, but it was Kakbhushundi ji who received it through the proper Guru-Shishya (teacher-disciple) parampara. Kakbhushundi ji then passed it on to sage Yagyavalkya ji, who in turn sang it to sage Bhardwaj ji. Sage Sanakadi ji, after recieving it from Bhardwaj ji, incarnated as Swami Narharidas ji in this Kaliyuga and taught it to Goswami Tulsidas ji. Thus, the parampara (tradition) of Manas is as follows:

There are a total of 10,902 verses in Manas. The number of metres (वृत्त) used is 18, namely- Chaupai (चौपाई), Anushtoop Shloka (अनुष्टुप्), Shaardoolvikreedita Shloka (शार्दूलविक्रीडित), Vasantatilikaa Shloka (वसन्ततिलका), Vanshastha Shloka (वंशस्थ), Upajaati Shloka (उपजाति), Pramaanikaa Shloka (प्रमाणिका), Maalini Shloka (मालिनी), Srgdharaa Shloka (स्रग्धरा), Rathoddhataa Shloka (रथोद्धता), Bhujangaprayaata Shloka (भुजङ्गप्रयात), Totaka Shloka (तोटक), Harigeetika Chhand (हरिगीतिका) , Chaupaiyya Chhand (चौपैया), Tribhangi Chhand (त्रिभङ्गी), Tomar Chhand (तोमर) , Soratha (सोरठा), Doha (दोहा).

There are total of 84 “Prasang” in Ramcharitmanas. The narrative of Manas involves 84 “Prasang” (प्रसंग) or Topics. The following table shows the topics covered in each Kand or Chapter: Balkanda (बालकाण्ड) – 8, Ayodhyakand (अयोध्याकाण्ड) – 18, Aranyakanda (अरण्यकाण्ड) – 20, Kishkindhakand (किष्किन्धाकाण्ड) – 12, Sundarkand (सुन्दरकाण्ड) – 11, Yuddhakand (युद्धकाण्ड) – 12, Uttarkand (उत्तरकाण्ड) – 3.