Date uploaded in London – – 12 March 2024
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Tulsi Plant in Hinduism (Post No.13,087)
Hindu saints made Hindu worship the cheapest in the world. If you put one Tulsi leaf to Vishnu he feels very happy; if you place one leaf on Shiva’s picture he is very happy. Both the plants are available in plenty in nature. No one need to spend a fortune for this. At the same time both have medicinal value as well.
Tulsi leaf is greater than Lod Krisna according to a popular story. A story is told how even Rukmini, the chief wife of Krishna, and an incarnation of Lakshmi, gave pride of place to Tulsi.
Narada, one day, visited Satyabhama, one of the wives of Krishna, and this lady confided to the sage that she wished to obtain Krishna as her husband in all her future births, and asked him how this could be done.
Narada said that the best way of ensuring this was to give her husband to Narada himself, as anyting given to a Brahmin could be depended upon to return to the giver in future births in manifold forms. Carried away by Narada’s eloquence Satyabhama gave her husband to Narada and the latter asked Krishna to work as his page, gave him his Vina to carry and proceeded towards the celestial regions.
The other wives of Krishna, on coming to know of this rushed to the sage and implored him to return their husband. They reviled Satyalhara for her presumption, and this lady repented on her rash act and requested Narada to return Krishna to her.
Narada now disclosed to them that it was a sin to receive anything in charity from a Brahmin and told them they could buy their husband from him if they cared to. He was asked to name his price and he demanded Krishna’s weight in gold. The ladies piled up their ornaments in one pan of the scales, but when Krishna sat in the other this one came in a thud. Now they sent for Rukmini who was not in the crowd. She came with a leaf of the Tulsi plant, asked the ladies to remove the ornaments from the pan and, when this was done, placed the leaf in the pan when Krishna was lifted upwards in the other. Rukmini now told all the ladies that Tulsi was more beloved to Krishna than any of them.
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Tulsi Vivah (Tulsi Plant Marriage)
On the eleventh day of Kartik (october-November) a ceremony is performed in honour of Tulsi and her marriage with Vishnu. “This ceremony opens the marriage season among high caste Hindus. It is said that he who performs this marriage ceremony assuming that Tulsi is his daughter, gets all the benefits of Kanyadan, (giving away a daughter in marriage),a very meritorious act.
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Shalagrama – Tulsi Plant Wedding
There is a very interesting account of a marriage of Shalagrama (fossil stones found in rivers) with Tulsi (Holy Basil) plant in a 100 year old book:
“The king of Orrcha (Orccha is in Madhya Pradesh) in Central India, used to spend three lakhs of rupees (100 years ago) on this marriage. The officiating priests get good fees. A procession of 8 elephants, 1200 camels and 6000 horses, all mounted and elephants caparisoned. On the leading elephant of this cortege was carried the Pebble God (shalagrama/ fossil). He was carried to pay his bridal visit to the little shrub goddess/Tulsi.
All the ceremonies of a regular marriage were gone through, and when completed the bride and bridegroom were left to repose together in the temple of Ludhaura till the next year. Over one lakh people were present, and they were feasted at the king’s expenses”.
In addition to the black fossil ammonites (shalagrama), white agates, typifying Shiva in his linga form and red stones, as symbolising Ganesa with certain forms of coral, are also worshipped.
Source: The Gods of India by Rev Osborne Martin, 1914
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Tulasi in Ayurveda Books
Tulasī (तुलसी) is a Sanskrit word referring to Ocimum tenuiflorum (holy basil) or Ocimum sanctum, from the Lamiaceae family. It is classified as a medicinal plant in the system of Āyurveda (science of Indian medicine) and is used throughout literature such as the Suśrutasaṃhita and the Carakasaṃhitā.
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Other Names of Tulsi
According to the Rājanighaṇṭu (verse 10.148-149), Holy basil (tulasī) has the following synonyms: Surasā, Surabhi, Subhagā, Sugandhā, Suradundubhi, Surejyā, Viṣṇuvallabhā, Vaiṣṇavī, Haripriyā, Pretarākṣasī, Apetarākṣasī, Amṛtā, Devadundhubhi, Puṇyā, Pavitrā, Pāvanī, Pūtapattrī, Bahupattrī, Bhūtakeśī, Tīvrā, Bhūtaghnī, Garaghna, Kaṭhillaka, Kaṭhiñjara, Kāyasthā, Bhāravi, Tridaśamañjarī, Mañjarī and Gaurī.
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Tulsi in Siva Purana
1) Tulasī (तुलसी) leaves (patra) are used in the worship of Śiva, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.1.13:—
2) . Lotuses, rose, Śaṅkha, and Kuśa flowers, Dhattūras, Mandāras grown in a wooden vessel, holy basil leaves (tulasī-patra) or Bilva leaves shall be offered to each of the five faces .If other flowers are not available, Bilva leaves shall be used exclusively in the worship of Śiva”.
3) Tulasī (तुलसी) refers to one of the sixteen celestial ladies (Divyanārī), according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.50 (“Description of fun and frolic”).—Accordingly, as Brahmā narrated to Nārada: “[…] Then the sixteen celestial ladies arrived there and saw the couple [i.e., Śiva and Pārvatī] with great respect. They were Sarasvatī, Lakṣmī, Sāvitrī, Jāhnavī, Aditi, Śacī, Lopāmudrā, Arundhatī, Ahalyā, Tulasī, Svāhā, Rohiṇī, Vasundharā, Śatarūpā, Saṃjñā and Rati.
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Mahalakshmi is Tulsi
Tulasī (तुलसी).—(Holy Basil plant. General information. Tulasī is a plant held most sacred by the Hindus. There is a Purāṇic background for Tulasī attaining this spiritualistic importance. In fact it is Mahālakṣmī, wife of Viṣṇu, who had herself taken the form of Tulasī. There is a story about it in Devi Bhāgavata. (See full article at Story of Tulasī from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)
Above information is used from WISDOM LIBRARY
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Tulsi in Vishnu Temples
In most of the Vishnu Temples Tulsi leaves are give to devotees as Prasad. All get Tulsi Theerth (water) as well. They should drink it from right hand without sipping. The wet hand should be placed on both eyes as a mark of respect and the little water should be sprinkled on head as well.
Tulsi is used for naming girls ( my paternal grandma’ s name was Tulasi).
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In Saints Samadhis
Whenever a Vaishnavite saint dies and buried, Tulsi plants are raised over the Samadhi. They call it Brundhavanam.
Tulsi grown at the backyard of houses in raised places or squre pots are considered holy places. Women wont even approach it during monthly menses time. Everyday in the morning they water it after bath and go round it to fulfill their wishes. They draw Kolam/Rangoli around the pot.
—subham—
Tags–Tulsi Plant,Hinduism, Tulasi, Ocimum, Vishnu, Siva, Story, Krishna
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