The story of Ramachandra, as narrated in the Valmiki Ramayan and the Adhyatma Ramayan, after reinforcing and revitalizing it with the essence of whatever the Puranas, the Vedas, and other scriptures could give, I, Tulsidas, am writing for the delight of my own soul.

In the invocation of his epic poetry of Ramacharitamanas. Quoted in "A Garden of Deeds: Ramacharitmanas, a Message of Human Ethics", p. 91