Tulsi says in the first kanda, Balakanda,
“साधु चरित सुभ चरित कपासू। निरस बिसद गुनमय फल जासू॥ जो सहि दुख परछिद्र दुरावा। बंदनीय जेहिं जग जस पावा॥” i.e.
“The nature of saintly people is akin to that of a pure cotton plant, whose fruit may lack taste but yields immense and selfless benefits. Saints are like cotton, their actions untainted and full of goodness. Just as cotton endures the hardships of spinning and weaving to ultimately provide clothing and comfort, saintly individuals bear difficulties for the welfare and upliftment of others.”
The Manas is based on Valmiki’s Ramayana but is much shorter in length (12000 lines). It is also in seven kandas, seven steps that lead to the holy lake of Rama katha. It begins by extolling the quality of holy people. Manas constantly mentions that the blessings of elders & saints are a must in life.

Tulsi says,
“पर अकाजु लगि तनु परिहरहीं। जिमि हिम उपल कृषी दलि गरहीं॥
बंदउँ खल जस सेष सरोषा। सहस बदन बरनइ पर दोषा॥” i.e.
“They sacrifice their own lives to harm others, akin to hailstones that dissolve after ravaging crops. I offer reverence to such wicked souls, likening them to the thousand-faced Serpent God Shesha, for they ceaselessly recount the faults of others and spew spite as though endowed with a thousand mouths.”
Kabir also says,
“निंदक नियेरे राखिये, आंगन कुटी छावायें बिन पानी साबुन बिना, निर्मल करे सुहाए” i.e
“keep your critics close, they cleanse you without soap & water.”
It is said that Tulsi was criticized for writing his epic in the popular language Awadhi and not in Sanskrit. He had to leave Ayodhya for Kashi. At the Kashi Vishwanath temple, the Manas was once kept at the bottom of a pile of Sanskrit books to spite him. In the morning when the temple opened, the Manas was found on the top with Shiva’s signature. The story is perhaps a metaphor for how Tulsi’s Awadhi epic was not accepted easily by his critics.

The Manas beautifully harmonises the contradiction between the Nirguna (beyond attribues) and Saguna (God with forms & quality) worship of Hindu tradition. It does not use complex metaphysical arguments. It simply says that Nirguna Brahman becomes the personal God (Saguna) to fulfil love of devotees. The Shiva Parvati dialogue in Balakaand says,
“सगुनहि अगुनहि नहिं कछु भेदा। गावहिं मुनि पुरान बुध बेदा॥ अगुन अरूप अलख अज जोई। भगत प्रेम बस सगुन सो होई॥ i.e.
“There is no distinction between the manifested (with form) and the unmanifested (beyond attributes) God. The sages, Puranas, esteemed scholars, and the Vedas all proclaim this truth. The Almighty (Brahm) is beyond material attributes, formless, beyond the grasp of the mind and senses, and unborn. Yet, moved by the boundless love of His devotees, He manifests in a human form.” Please note that the word “Nirguna” does not have a perfect equivalent in English.

The Vedanta Philosophy is taught through practical illustrations of daily life. Its abstract truths cannot be understood easily otherwise. The main purport of Vedanta is that Brahman alone is real and that the Jiva is nothing but Brahman Itself. There are countless waves rolling in the vast ocean. Each wave is distinguished from the other and each wave can be perceived separately, one by one. But all are water only and are not separate from the great ocean. All are one only in reality. Tulsi writes in Balakaand,
“गिरा अरथ जल बीचि सम कहिअत भिन्न न भिन्न। बंदउँ सीता राम पद जिन्हहि परम प्रिय खिन्न॥“ i.e.
“Just as words and their meanings, or water and its waves, appear distinct but are inherently the same, so too are Ram and Sita. Though they seem separate, they are one in essence. I bow to their lotus feet, to whom the humble and pitiful are most dear.”

Tulsi claims that his work is inspired by Shiva and humbly requests his audience to refine it further. There are numerous shlokas where Rama & Shiva sing each other’s praises. Subtly, he was presenting the idea that God is one. He was bridging the differences between Shaivites & Vaishnavites. Tulsi was also aware that in influential philosophies like Kashmiri Saivism, Shiva is the manifestation of the Nirguna (formless God) spirit. Shiva was also a favorite of Shankara, the greatest advocate of Nirguna consciousness. Tulsi writes, “संभु प्रसाद सुमति हियँ हुलसी। रामचरितमानस कबि तुलसी॥ करइ मनोहर मति अनुहारी। सुजन सुचित सुनि लेहु सुधारी॥ i.e.
By the grace of Lord Shambhu, a beautiful and divine intellect overflowed in Tulsidas ji’s heart, inspiring him to compose Shri Ramcharitmanas. While Tulsidas ji, as a poet, endeavours to make it pleasing to everyone’s heart according to his own understanding, he humbly requests noble persons to listen to it with their pure and discerning minds and refine it further if needed.”

In Puranas, Daksha is the father of Sati. He is prosperous. Therefore he objects to Sati marrying an ascetic like Shiva. To insult them, Daksha organizes a big yajna but doesn’t invite his son in law. Sati decides to go to the Yajna even though Shiva advises her not to. When Sati arrives at the yajna, Daksha again disrespects Shiva. Unable to bear the humiliation, Sati commits suicide by entering into the Yajna. This angers Shiva. He dances around the universe with her half burnt body. Tulsi was aware of the Hindu lore before him and skillfully integrated them in his work. With this story, he warns that anyone can become arrogant with power. He writes, “बड़ अधिकार दच्छ जब पावा। अति अभिमानु हृदयँ तब आवा॥ नहिं कोउ अस जनमा जग माहीं। प्रभुता पाइ जाहि मद नाहीं॥ i.e.
When Daksh attained this high position and authority, his heart became filled with false pride. In this world, there is hardly anyone who does not become intoxicated with arrogance after gaining power.”

Tulsi writes, “जिन्ह कें रही भावना जैसी। प्रभु मूरति तिन्ह देखी तैसी॥ i.e.
And each person beheld Lord Ram in the very form they cherished most in their heart.”
This is written when Rama enters Janaka’s palace for Sita swayamwar. But with this, Tulsi teases out the spiritual pluralism that has defined Hinduism. One can imagine God as per one’s emotions & needs. Hinduism is sometimes called polytheism – the worship of many gods. Actually it advocates the worship of God in different forms, as per the requirements of devotees.

In the Ayodhya kand, Nishadraja laments that Rama had been exiled and facing great suffering. Lakshmana calmly replies, “सपनें होइ भिखारि नृपु रंकु नाकपति होइ। जागें लाभु न हानि कछु तिमि प्रपंच जियँ जोइ॥ i.e.
Just as a King may become a beggar, and a pauper may rule the heavens in a dream, yet upon waking, neither loss nor gain remains, in the same way, one should regard this material world as unreal, a mere illusion held in the heart.”
The Upanishads also use the idea of the states of waking, dream & deep sleep to demonstrate that the material world is maya (ephemeral).

Our life is a consequence of our own actions in this & previous lives – This is an important part of Hindu ethics. In the Ayodhya kaand, King Dashrath is consoled by his advisor Sumantra, after the king laments about Sri Rama’s exile, “जनम मरन सब दुख सुख भोगा। हानि लाभु प्रिय मिलन बियोगा॥
काल करम बस होहिं गोसाईं। बरबस राति दिवस की नाईं॥ i.e.
Birth and death, joy and sorrow, loss and gain, union and separation from loved ones, all these, O Lord, are governed solely by time and karma. They shift unfailingly, just like day turns into night and night into day”.

The line ‘मैं अरु मोर तोर तैं माया i.e. “I” and “Mine,” “You” and “Yours” is all Maya’ stands out for its brilliant brevity. It reminds us of the mahavakyas of the Upanishads.
In the Aranya-kaand, during exile, deep in the forest, a relaxed Rama explains some of the foundational concepts of Hindu tradition to Lakshmana – Maya, Jnana, Jiva, Ishwara, Bhakti. He says, “थोरेहि महँ सब कहउँ बुझाई। सुनहु तात मति मन चित लाई॥ मैं अरु मोर तोर तैं माया। जेहिं बस कीन्हे जीव निकाया॥ i.e.
I will explain everything to you briefly. Listen attentively dear brother, by focusing your heart and mind. The sense of “I” and “Mine,” “You” and “Yours” is all Maya (the illusionary energy) that holds sway over all living beings.”

In the Uttara-kaand, Tulsi waxes eloquent about the qualities of Ram Rajya where there is no fear of disease, no threat of violence and complete harmony. Tulsi says that in Ram Rajya, people are not focused on conquering anyone but their own minds. Virtue prevails & nature’s bounty is plenty. Gandhiji based his ideas of good governance on this description. It is said that he saw only one film in his life, ‘Ram Rajya’ directed by Vijay Bhatt.
In Indian tradition, conquering oneself was always considered the highest achievement. The Jains honoured their most famous tirthankara (teacher) with the title of ‘Mahavira’ (‘great warrior’), for being the epitome of how to conquer one–self.
Tulsi writes, “दंड जतिन्ह कर भेद जहँ नर्तक नृत्य समाज। जीतहु मनहि सुनिअ अस रामचंद्र कें राज॥ i.e.
In Lord Ram’s Kingdom, no one wielded a staff, symbolic of punishment, except ascetics, who carried it as a religious emblem. The people lived in harmony, with differences only apparent in the musical and dance variations, reflected in the diverse notes and rhythms of their performances. In the domain of Lord Ram, the phrase “win over others” was used only in the context of conquering one’s own senses.”

In a surprising comparison, Tulsi compares wicked people to the beautiful peacock. He writes in the Uttara-Kaand,
“झूठइ लेना झूठइ देना। झूठइ भोजन झूठ चबेना। बोलहिं मधुर बचन जिमि मोरा। खाइ महा अहि हृदय कठोरा॥ i.e.
They are wrongful in all their dealings; whether at home, in business, or during meals. Their words are sweet as honey, much like the peacock, which, despite its beauty, has a ruthless heart and consumes even the most venomous snake.”
The peacock is normally associated with beauty & royalty, it is Karthikeya’s mount and Krishna uses its feather as an adornment. But it is also remarkable in being able to subdue a snake. Tulsi uses this fact to make an earthy comparison. Tulsi uses homespun analogies, most are endearing. But a few about women and some communities, can be double edged and scholars have commented on the same. But the great poet has humbly submitted, “सुजन सुचित सुनि लेहु सुधारी” – noble people can refine (reinterpret) his work, if required.