Few details are known of the life of the Sant Mat Shabd mystic Tulsi Sahib (1763 – 1843 CE). One story is that he was of royal lineage, and when he was betrothed in marriage against his will, he ran away on the the eve of the wedding and adopted the life of a wandering ascetic. He was centered in the historic city of Hathras, in the region of Mathura and Agra.

Lightning flashed in my eye, O friend,
And brightly did shine the light of the moon.
I got a glimpse of the Invisible within,
And thirst and longing for the Lord were aroused.
My ears received the boon of Unstruck Music,
And Knowledge came like the explosion of light, O Friend.
Dark clouds began to scatter and the sight
Of the Divine Mansion was revealed unto me.
Beyond the sun, the moon and the tunnel,
Tulsi beheld the abode of the Lord Almighty.

Translation S. L. Sondhi