As the deadly disease of Coronavirus continues to spread across the world, a lot of theories are coming up regarding its origin and whether it was predicted much earlier. Over the last two months, numerous conspiracy theories have been coming up on social media, be it the 'end of the world' books or some astrological predictions. Now adding on to them are claims that Ramcharitmanas, an epic poem by Tulsidas, predicted an outbreak of a coronavirus-like disease. Some of the paras from this Hindi literature, a retelling of Ramayan, are now being related to the current situation in the world.

Ramacharitmanas was written by Indian Bhakti poet Tulsidas in the 16th century, to get the story of Lord Rama to every commoner and not just the Sanskrit-speaking elite. Written in Awadhi language it is said to be a great retelling of Valmiki's Ramayana. Doha 120 of this epic literature reads, "सब कै निंदा जे जड़ करहीं। ते चमगादुर होइ अवतरहीं॥ सुनहु तात अब मानस रोगा। जिन्ह ते दु:ख पावहिं सब लोगा॥14॥" It means those people who constantly criticise and are jealous of others, we will reborn as bats. The diseases of the mind, from which everyone suffers. Did Dean Koontz's 'The Eyes of Darkness' and Sylvia Browne's 'End of Days' Predict The COVID-19 Outbreak? What's The Truth About This Pandemic? Know All About Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories.

The next Doha 121  reads, "मोह सकल ब्याधिन्ह कर मूला। तिन्ह ते पुनि उपजहिं बहु सूला॥

काम बात कफ लोभ अपारा। क्रोध पित्त नित छाती जारा॥15॥" It talks about the congestion of lungs and cough because of this disease. Lust is a counterpart of wind and inordinate greed corresponds to an abundance of phlegm; while anger represents bile, which constantly burns the breast. The next lines are, "प्रीति करहिं जौं तीनिउ भाई। उपजइ सन्यपात दुखदाई।। बिषय मनोरथ दुर्गम नाना। ते सब सूल नाम को जाना।।16||" They mean when all the three combine, there is a fever of a dangerous type.

Those who have read the literature or know or these references have linked it to the warning about Coronavirus. The dohas mean that when the sins of the earthlings will rise, there will be a disease. And the reference of bats has also been linked to the origin of Coronavirus, which is said to have evolved from the bats in China. So a lot of people are relating that Ramacharitamanas did predict an outbreak like Coronavirus.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 21, 2020 01:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).