Ramcharitmanas, is an epic poem in the Awadhi language, based on the
Ramayana, and composed by the 16th-century Indian bhakti poet Tulsidas. This work is also called, in popular parlance,
Tulsi Ramayana,
Tulsikrit Ramayana,
Tulsidas Ramayana or simply
Manas. The word
Ramcharitmanas literally means "Lake of the deeds of Rama". It is considered one of the greatest works of Hindu literature. The work has variously been acclaimed as "the living sum of Indian culture", "the tallest tree in the magic garden of medieval Indian poetry", "the greatest book of all devotional literature" and "the best and most trustworthy guide to the popular living faith of the Indian people".