Bhushundi

A character in the Ramcharitmanas,
the version of the Ramayana written by
the poet-saint Tulsidas (1532–1623?).
Bhushundi is a crow who symbolizes the
power of devotion to God to redeem
even the lowest of creatures. One of the
most pronounced differences between
the original Valmiki Ramayana and the
Tulsidas Ramayana is that Tulsidas puts
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Bhushundi
far greater stress on devotion to Rama,
of which Bhushundi is a perfect example. In Indian culture, crows are considered unclean birds since they are
scavengers who will eat anything. Yet in
one of the narrative levels of the
Ramcharitmanas, it is the “unclean”
crow Bhushundi who narrates the story
to the “sacred” eagle Garuda—the vehicle of the god Vishnu. As part of his
account in the Ramayana, Bhushundi
relates the terrifying experience of being
given an unmediated vision of Rama in
all his majesty, and how he (as did the
sage Markandeya) went into Rama’s
mouth and perceived the entire universe inside.