Tulasī

Tulasī

Introduction

Tulasī also known as Holy Basil, is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Tulasī is used on a daily basis in the offerings of food to Kṛṣṇa, and also during the regular chanting of the Holy Name in a rosary called japa mala.

Tulasī is glorified in countless verses in the vedic scriptures, here’s a few:

mahā prasāda jananī
sarva saubhagya vardhinī
ādhi vyādhi harī nityaṁ
Tulasi tvam namo stu te

“O Goddess Tulasī, you enhance the good fortune of everyone. You are the mother of mahā-prasāda. You always remove the dangers and diseases of your worshipers. My obeisances unto you.”

sarvvoṣadhi rasanaiva
purā hi amṛtamanthane
sarvvasattvopa kārāya
viṣṇunā tulasī kṛtā

Long ago, at the time of churning the ocean of milk, for the benefit of all living entities, Lord Viṣṇu created tulasī, which contains the essences of all medicinal herbs. [Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 7.267]

tulasyā ropaṇaṁ kāryaṁ
śravaṇena viśeṣataḥ
aparādha-sahasrani
kṣamate purusottamaḥ

It is best to plant Tulasī when the sun travels near the star Śravana. Lord Hari forgives one thousand offenses of a person who plants Tulasī at this time. [Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 9.120]

dṛṣṭā spṛṣṭā tathā dhyātā
kīrtitā namitā śrutā
ropitā sevitā nityaṁ
pūjitā tulasī śubha

Seeing, touching, meditating on, glorifying, offering obeisances to, hearing about, planting, serving, or worshiping Tulasī awards incalculable benefit. [Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 9.126]

navadhā tulasīṁ nityaṁ
ye bhajanti dine dine
yuga-koṭi-sahasrāni
te vasanti harer gṛhe
ropitā tulasī yāvat
kurute mūla-vistāram
tāvat koṭi-sahasraṁ tu
tanoti sukṛtaṁ kalau

Those who render service to the Tulasī plant every day in these nine way will reside in the abode of Lord Hari for thousands of millions of yugas. In the age of Kali, a person who plants Tulasī achieves thousands and millions of pious credits for each branch of the Tulasī plant. [Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 9.127-128]

śarīraṁ dahyate yeṣaṁ
tulasī-kāṣtha-vahninā
na teṣāṁ lunar āvṛttir
viṣṇulokāt kathañcana

“Those souls whose dead bodies were burnt in a fire of tulasī wood will never return to this world from the abode of Lord Viṣṇu.” [Hari-Bhakti-Vilāsa verse 9.194]

tīrthaṁ yadi na samprāptaṁ
smṛtir vā kīrtanaṁ hareḥ
tulasī-kāṣṭha-dagdhasya
mṛtasya na punar bhavaḥ

“If the dead body of a person who had never visited a holy place of pilgrimage or chanted the holy names of Lord Hari is burnt in a tulasī wood fire, he will not have to experience birth again in this material world.”
[Hari-Bhakti-Vilāsa verse 9.196]

yady ekaṁ tulasī-kāṣṭhaṁ
madhye kāṣṭha.cayasya hi
daha-kāle bhaven muktiḥ
pāpa-koṭi-yutasya ca

“Even though one may have committed millions of sinful acts, if his dead body is burnt by a fire ignited by a single piece of tulasī wood thrown in with heaps of other wood, he is liberated from all sinful reactions.”
[Hari-Bhakti-Vilāsa verse 9.197]

janma-koṭi-sahasrais tu
toṣito yair janārdanaḥ
dahyante te janā loke
tulasī-kāṣṭha-vahninā

Only the dead bodies of those who have, by good fortune, pleased Lord Janārdana, in the course of one hundred million lives, are burnt in a Tulasī wood fire. [Hari-Bhakti-Vilāsa verse 9.198]

Videos

How to collect Tulasi seeds

How to make Tulasī necklace

How to make a Tulasī japa mala

Can you send me seeds?

Yes, you can contact us, we have plenty of seeds usually all year round. Email: ulises.guerrero@gmail.com

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