TULASI Mahatyam

** Hari Om **

Either in the front, back or central courtyard of most Indian homesthere is a 'tulsi-matham' an altar bearing a tulsi plant. In thepresent day apartments too, many maintain a potted tulsi plant. Thelady of the house lights a lamp, waters the plant, worships andcirumbulates it. The stem, leaves, seeds, and even the soil, whichprovides it a base are considered holy. A tulsi leaf is alwaysplacedin the food offered to the Lord. It is also offered to the Lordduring poojas especially to Lord Vishnu and His incarnations.In Sanskrit, 'tulanaa naasti athaiva tulsi' - meaning that which isincomparable (in its qualities) is the tulsi.

For Hindus, it is oneof the most sacred plants. In fact it is known to be the only thingused in worship which, once used, can be washed and reused in pooja -as it is regarded so self-purifying.As the story goes...Tulsai in her previous birth was a great devotee of Lord Mahavishnu.She prayed to him, and asked him to take her as his wife. But godsaid that cannot happen. Then she asked that she should become thewife of a great Vishnu Baktha. Vishnu granted that boon and in hernext janma, she married ShankaChuda.

ShankaChuda was by birth an asura. But he had immense love and devotion towards Maha Vishnu andprayed him sincerely. Tulasi(in her present birth) married him andthey lived happily.As is the inborn nature of Asuras, due to some bad friends of his,ShankaChuda became an enemy of Vishnu and hated him to the core.This was because Vishnu had killed another Asura(HiranyaKasipu,Prahalada's Father). THis made ShankaChuda get angry and to avengehis friend's death he vowed to fight with Vishnu. He made tapasya toBrahma and got a lot of boons and soom started harassing innocentpeople. But still Tulasi was a devotee of Vishnu and used to pray tohim.It was her sincere pathi-bakthi and chasteness that was saving herHusband's(Shankachuda's) life.

Now as usual Indra and other devas seek refuge in Lord Vishnu to protect them.Then they make a plan, as per their plan the devas engageshankachuda in a fight with them, while Vishnu comes to Tulasi'shouse in the guise of ShankaChuda. Tulasi serves Vishnu thinking itwas her real husband. The moment she loses her chastity, ShankaChudagets killed in the battle, and Vishnu reveals his form to her.She gets immensely angry and is about to curse Vishnu. Just then allthe gods appear and make her understand of her desire to marryVishnu in the previous birth and also the necessity of killing herhusband.

Vishnu then offers her a boon saying that, she will be respectedeverywhere as a sacred woman. People will pray to her in the form ofa tulasi plant. Also Vishnu will say,Tulasi will be his favoritepatram. Anyone who prays to Tulasi plant will be blessed by Vishnu.Also if any married woman prays to Tulasi daily, then she will neverbecome a widow. She will die as a sumangali and will reach the abodeof Vishnu. Even men can pray to Tulasi plant. They will be blessedby Vishnu.Even people celebrate this union of Vishnu and Tulasi as CHILAKA DWADASI.

Married Ladies decorate the tulasi matam. Place a UsiliKaya tree's small branch next to tulasi matam, do pooja, study sri-suktham Tulasi ashtothram and various mantrams and finally tiemangala-sutram on the tulasi tree. It symbolises the marriage /union of tulasi and vishnu. This is done after sunset on the dwadasiafter the full moon day in the month of kartheeka. It is said thatVishnu will reside in the Usili Kaya tree during that time and whoever prays to Tulasi like this will be blessed with all good things.If married women pray, then they will be blessed with a long happymarried life and they will never become widows. If widows pray theywill never become widows in their next janma.

Tulasi is thus considered very sacred and very dear to lord Vishnu. To prove this i will narrate the following two incidents.The first one is from the life of Sri-Krishna. This is a famousincident from the holy text Srimad Bhagavatham. Sri Krishna was considered to be a poorna avathar of Lord Vishnu. The ultimate Parabrahman, whowalked on this universe just like we human beings for two mainreasons - Dushta Sikshana and Sishta Rakshana. That is to uphold therighteousness and Dharma while punishing the wrong and evil doers. During his life time he married a lot of women, prominent amongstthem were Rukmini (Avatar of Sri Maha Lakshmi, also called asSriDevi) and SathyaBhama (Avatar of Bhoodevi, the Mother Earth)Why SathyaBhama and Laskhmi were to be born in this universe duringKrishna Avatara, this is a different story and I will discuss thislater.But now, if you see Mother Lakshmi, was Samudra Raja Kumari,Ksheerabhi Kanya, She is the goddess of Wealth and she was always ina commanding position and that was her inborn nature, because she is Jaganmatha and the one who resides in the heart of the universalfather-Sri Maha Vishnu. But then Bhoodevi as humbleness and Modestypersonified. She was calm and always sober.But during their avatars as Rukmini and SathyaBhama, they wereexactly the opposites. Rukmini (Lakshmi) was Calm and Sober whileSathyaBhama(Bhoodevi) was commanding.First krishna married Rukmini (Rukmini Kalyanama is a famous andholy part of Srimad Bhagavatham. In many homes where they haveunmarried girls, it is believed that if they read this part fromBhagavatham, their girls will get good grooms)Then krishna married Sathyabhama. Sathya used to think Krishna wasonly hers and never used to allow krishna to meet the rest of hiswifes like Rukmini, Jambavathi and others. But Krishna being thesupreme lord himself will manifest himself and be present with allhis wifes at the same time.One day Sage Narada comes to meet Sathyabhama and pulls her leg andpulls her into a trap there by she bets on Lord Krishna and losesKrishna to Narada. There by Krishna becomes a slave to Narada.

Narada says he can free Krishna only if she gives the same amount ofgold as the weight of Krishna. She tries to weigh him, puts all hergold etc..but nothing happens.She finally understands her folly and goes and begs Rukmini to cometo her rescue. Rukmini comes to that place, removes all the gold,praying sincerely places a tulasi leaf on the balance. Immediatelythe scales are adjusted and everyone is pleased.That is when krishna says for him only devotion is important. Evenif you offer a small tulasi leaf with devotion that is sufficientfor me. I will come to your rescue.

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The second such incident is in the life story of Lord Venkateswara.As you all know, Vakula matha was the mother of Lord Srinnivasa, shewas Yashoda in her previous birth. When Srinivasa becomes a stonedue to Lakshmi's curse, Vakula Matha comes to that place and criesbitterly. Then the lord says, she will attain moksha and also saysshe will ever remain around his neck in the form of his favoritetulasi mala. He also says who ever worships him with Tulasi willattain Kaivalyam. That is why tulasi is used in large quantities inthe sacred tirumala hills also.

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Apart from this, Tulasi herb has a lot of medicinal properties anduses also. It is said that, if you have two tulasi leaves daily, youwill never get cancer in your life. If you have cold, you can boiltulasi leaves with pepper and drink that juice, it will have animmediate effect.

** Jai Sriman Narayana **

** Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavanthu **

** Sarvam Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu **