Sacred Tulasi
Vengrai Parthasarathy
“Patram Pushpam Phalam Toyam Yo Me Bhaktya Prayacchati;
Tadaham Bhaktyupahritamasanami Prayatatmanah”
( I accept, even a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water if offered with sincere devotion ” says Sri KrishNa in the Bhagavath Gita). The inner message : It is not necessary to offer gold, silver and costly items. What is important is that even leaf or just water or any other offering could be offered, if done with a pure and devout heart.
Hindus believe that there is a soul in every creation. Animals and birds are held sacred like Garuda (VishNu’s Vahana), Snake (His cosmic couch), peacock (Muruga Nandi (Siva) Mouse (Ganesha) Owl (Lakshmi) and humanoid Ape (Hanuman). The tree deity, it was reported has been found in the stamp seals of the Mohenjo Daro/ Indus Valley civilization
Tulasi Leaves
Vaishnava-s consider the leaf of the Tulasi as most sacred and as a divine plant form of and deem it as Sri Lakshmi’s revelation in the plant kingdom. In most Vaishnava courtyards a special Mantap is provided for the Tulasi plant and is cleaned and watered, circumambulated and worshipped. A mud lamp is lit and kept near it. A garland solely made of Tulasi leaves is the first offering to the Lord as part of the daily ritual.
According to scriptures the Pipala (Peepal) tree is believed to be the image of VishNu. In the Gita (tenth chapter) the Lord declares that the Pipala tree is the sovereign among all trees and that it is His own manifestation. This tree is also known as “Ashvattha” in Sanskrit,.. A seal discovered at Mohenjodaro of the Indus Valley Civilisation depicts the peepal being worshipped
Bilva leaves in Siva worship
Lord Shiva is worshipped by chanting sacred nama “Eka Bilvam Shivarpanam”. Bilva leaves are generally trifoliate ( with three leaves )
And are considered the most sacred of offerings in Shiva pooja.
Tulasi leaves are not used in the course of normal worship of Lord Siva. However there is a reported exception. Shiva-devotees usually offer three leaves together called Bilva dalam.In the Hindu vedic tradition during Karthika masa the practice is to worship Shiva with Tulasi dalam and Lord Venkateswara (VishNu’s archa form) with Bilva dalam to show that there is no differentiation between Hari (VishNu) and Hara (Shiva); Yatha Haristhatha Haraha—As VishNu-(Hari) is, so is Shiva (Hara)—both are one and the same. Hence this exchange of Holy leaves/dalams.
Tulasi worship among followers of Madhwacharya
Tulasi is held holy and is worshipped every morning by Madhwa families..It is their belief that Lord VishNu takes the form of a saligrama, found in most temples and the Tulasi leaf is always placed along with Saligrama.
Mother Status for Tulasi
Hindu religion has equated ‘Tulasi’ with the mother. The vedic sages believed that Tulasi is like Sanjeevani for mankind. .
Sri Andal Nachiyar. (the only woman among the 12 itinerant bards known as AlvArs), refers to Sri Narayana as “Natrathuzhai mudi Narayanan”” i.e. Narayana with tresses like scented and balmy Tulasi leaf. There are any number of pasurams in the Divya Prabhandahm where Lord Narayana is described as Tulasi-wreathed, to wit:
(See: “Adiyensiriya……..(2949) and “thOLinai ……(2993)
Single Tulasi Leaf Tilts Balance
An anecdote in which the Tulasi figures is often cited to bring home the great merits of true devotion and humility and the holiness of the Tulasi.. Satya Bhama, one of Lord KrishNa’s two wives, wished to flaunt her wealth and told the Lord that she wanted to weigh Him against her stock of gold of which she was proud.. At her instance KrishNa agreed to get weighed. Arrangements for weighing Sri KrishNa and large set of scales was brought . the Lord was seated on one of the scales and on the other Satyabhama began to place her gold and ornaments. But the scales would not budge. She kept on adding chains and bangles, even trinkets from her cache of gold but to no avail.. Finally, Satya Bhama ran out of gold but the scale remained as it was.
Rukmini the Lord’s other wife understood that it was all the the Lord’s Lila (pranks) to teach Satyabhama a lesson.. She took a single Tulasi leaf from his Tulasi garland and placed it reverently on the pile of gold . And lo,the scales began to move and KrishNa’s weight was measured. A single holy Tulasi leaf had tilted the balance showing the value of sincerity and humility for which Rukmini was a by-word. The Lord can be won over only with detachment and and devotion and not with wealth. A Tulasi plant is said to symbolize detachment (Vairagya)
Tulasi in Divya Prabhandham
Nammalvar in his Thiruvirutham brings out the holiness of the Tulasi plant and its use in curing love-sickness. Here it is from the Divya Prabhandham:
( Vārāyina (2530) …… .………… . veesuminē)
The sickness of this bosomy damsel is nothing but infatuation for the great Thirumāl, the God of gods of auspicious attributes. The only remedy to cure her is to take
— a leaf from the sacred Tulasi plant,
— or a twig from it, –
– -or its root –
– -or at least a fistful of the earth from which it had sprung
and waft it over her.
In Narayaneeyam , a devotional composition, Sri Bhattadri pleads to Bhagavan to always keep him associated with Tulasi as with other sacred symbols like Ganga, Gita, Gayatri to grant him Mukthi in this kaliyuga.
The Tulasi plant has a spicy fragrance.. Its seeds, it leaves, its stem, its roots- all are fragrant. Even the soil in which it is planted acquires the fragrant smell of the plant. The classic Hindu legend Samudramanthan, (“Churning of the Cosmic Ocean”) explains how the Goddess Herself came to reside on Earth as Tulasi
Dark or Shyama/KrishNa Tulasi and light or Rama Tulasi are the two main types of basil. The latter is said to be of greater medicinal value. Both are commonly used for worship.
A person who waters and cares for the Tulasi daily is believed to gain moksha (salvation) and the divine grace of VishNu. Traditionally, the daily worship and care of the plant is the responsibility of the women of the household. The plant is regarded as a “symbol of ideal wifehood and motherhood. Tuesdays and Fridays are considered especially sacred for Tulasi worship.
Watering the plant, cleaning the area near the plant with water and cow dung and making offerings of food, flowers, incense are all considered as ritual worship, Devotees pray to Tulasi Devi and circumambulate it, chanting mantras. Vaishnavas traditionally use japa malas (a string of prayer beads) made from Tulasi stems or roots called Tulasi malas. They are worn as a neck garland or held in the hand and used as a rosary
In temples the priests keep consecrated water with Tulasi leaves in a copper utensil and offer small spoonfuls as prasad to devotees, who drink part of it and dribble the remainder over their heads.Tulasi rosaries have such a strong association with Hanuman, whose adherents are referred to as “those who bear the Tulasi round the neck”
Multiple Uses of Tulasi
The Tulasi plant is widely used for making garlands for deities and in poojas. Every morning the devotees water the plant and go round it before plucking leaves and flowers. A man in the throes of death is given water with Tulasi which is called Thiruthuzha in Tamil. Dr George Birdwood, Professor of Anatomy, Grant Medical College, Mumbai had said in 1903 “When the Victoria Gardens were established in Bombay, the men employed on those works were bothered by swarms of mosquitoes. At the recommendation of the Hindu managers, the whole boundary of the gardens was planted with holy basil, The plague of mosquitoes altogether disappeared from among the resident gardeners.”
Legends and Religious experiences about Tulasi—
There are numerous mythological tales and legends with variances in details about Tulasi worshipped as a plant as also as a person imbued with divinity..
During the churning of the Ocean of milk (ksheera sagara manthan), Sri Hari came up in the form of Dhanvantari carrying the kalasa of amruta. Some drops of Hari’s tears of joy fell into the amrutha kalasa. Tulasi was born out of those tears of joy. She is said to have Lakshmi devi’s Amsa in herself. That is the reason for the celebration of marriage of Tulasi with Shri KrishNa on every Karthika shuddha dwadashi day.
* Another anecdote : Tulasi married the demon king Jalandhar, and had obtained from Lord VishNu the boon that her husband should never come to harm. However, because the demon king indulged in evil practices and could not be destroyed by the Gods,they approached Lord VishNu to save the world from the demon. Lord VishNu assumed the disguise of Jalandhar and stayed with the unsuspecting Tulasi, who was led to believe that he was her husband. When Tulasi realized that she had been tricked, she got very angry and cursed VishNu, transforming him into a black stone (Shaligram). She then collapsed and from her body emerged the Tulasi plant..
* Tulasi is ceremonially married to Lord VishNu annually on the 11th bright day of the month of Kartika in the lunar calendar. This festival continues for five days and concludes on the full moon day, which falls in mid October. This ritual, called the ‘Tulasi Vivaha’ inaugurates the annual marriage season in India.
* A destitute woman was unfairly accused of infidelity and was shunned by all. She sought refuge in VishNu’s abode and turned to him for help. But the doors of Vaikunta were shut because Lakshmi the principal wife would not have her. There in the courtyard Tulasi stood, humiliated and no where to go. Her feet turned to roots and her arms sprouted leaves spreading fragrance all round. By not abandoning her devotion and staying on she became a fixture in the court yard and thus became the Lord’s consort. While Lakshmi the prime Devi resided in the house Tulasi remained rooted in the courtyard which is why she is in the devotees’ courtyard too. And not in the inner household shrine
Tulasi is also referred to as Vrindha/Brindha.
Tulasi Gayatri Mantra
Aum Tulasi devyai cha Vidhmahe
Vishnu priyayai cha Dheemahe
Thanno Brindah Prachodayath.
Aum, I meditate on the Goddess Tulasi Devi
Beloved of Sri VishNu
Bless me with superior intellect,
May Brindha (Tulasi) illuminate my mind.