वर्णानामर्थसंघानां रसानां छन्दसामपि।

मंगलानां च कर्तारौ वन्दे वाणीविनायकौ॥

I greet Goddess Saraswati and Lord Ganesha, the originators of language and auspiciousness. Tulsidas begins this spiritual epic by acknowledging that without the grace of divine wisdom, the story of Shri Ram cannot be understood. He compares the Ramcharitmanas to a sacred lake (Manas) where the mind can bathe and become purified. The purpose of this granth is not just to tell a story, but to provide a path for the soul to reach the lotus feet of the Lord in the difficult age of Kali.