Beyond any doubt it can be said that the Manas of Tulsidas is one of the most popular and influential literary works in Indian literature. Millions have been and are enchanted by the beauty of its poetry and are influenced by the depth of its religious message. But Tulsidas lived five centuries ago and although for a Hindi speaker it may be not too difficult to understand the Avadhi language in which the Manas is written, the text becomes more and more inaccessible to many readers and listeners. Scholars too are at a loss because no adequate word index is available.

It is the purpose of this publication to give easy access to parallel passages in this enormous poem of Tulsidas. Both devotees and scholars may use this index for a study of the contents, while linguists may find it useful for a study of the grammatical and lexicographical forms.