1

Tulsi Vivah
The tulsi plant is held sacred by the Hindus as it is regarded as an incarnation of
Mahalaxmi who was born as Vrinda. The festival of Tulsi Vivah is celebrated in
each and every household of Goa. The one special feature of the festival is that of
preparing various delicious sweet dishes at home. The women folk engage
themselves in preparations well in advance. A typical Goan ojhe (load of sweets) is
sent to the daughter from her parental home along with jodi (cotton threads used to
light lamp while performing aarti).
Tulsi was married to demon king Jalandhar. But she prayed to Lord Vishnu that her
demon husband would be protected, with the result that no god was able to harm
him. However on the request of the other gods, Lord Vishnu took the form of
Jalandhar and stayed with the unsuspecting Tulsi.
When the truth emerged after Jalandhar's death,
Vrinda crused Vishnu and turned him to stone (Shaligram) and collapsed. From her
body emerged the tulsi plant. That is why Vishnu pooja is considered incomplete
without tulsi leaves. Tulsi vivah is celebrated on the next day of Kartiki Akadashi.
On this day tulsi is married to Shaligram.
On this day tulsivrindavan is coloured and decorated as a bride. Sugarcane and
branches of tamarind and amla trees are planted along with the tulsi plant. Only
vegetarian food is cooked on this day. At midday, a full meal consisting of rice,
moongachi gathi, puri , sweet potato kheer , red pumpkin vegetable cooked with
pieces of sugarcane, amla and tamarind is offered to Tulsi Vrindavan. Tulsi vivah
ceremony takes place in the late evening. Various poha dishes are offered to Lord
Vishnu. Then prasad is distributed among family members and friends.
Tulsi is a consecrated plant that holds lot of importance for the traditional Hindus.
In most of the Hindu homes, people worship Tulsi plant on a daily basis. Many
people keep a plant of Tulsi in front of their house, since Tulsi has a lot of
reverence for them. On the festive occasion of 'Kartik Shukla Dwadashi' that
usually falls two weeks after the celebration of Diwali, tulsi plants are adorned
with varied artistic things made from sugarcane, flowers and mango leaves. After
decorating Tulsi Vrindavana, people offer prayers to Tulsi. Clay lamps are lit all
around the tulsi plant. The event is usually celebrated as tulsi vivah, in which tulsi
is married to Lord Vishnu.
Tulsi symbolizes devotion, love, responsibility, virtues and miseries of women.
This Indian basil is worshipped by females of all age groups. To perform tulsi puja,
one needs to take bath and get rid of all sorts of dirt, then be it physical or mental.

People decorate the vessel or pot, in which tulsi is planted. Water is then offered to
the holy basil. Kumkum is applied to one of the leaves. Some people tie a small
piece of red cloth on its branch. Red flower is offered to the herbal plant Tulsi.
Clay lamps are lighted all around the plant and then aarti is performed to complete
the pooja. On the completion of puja, people usually eat a leaf of tulsi, with the
belief that this act would enable them to take the Holy Spirit inside them.
The spiritual significance of Tulasi Vivah
1. Introduction2. The spiritual significance of the marriage of Tulasi with
Shr Krushna *3. Divine knowledge received related to 'Tulasi's marriage'*
1. Introduction
This is a ritual of the marriage of Shr Vishnu (idol of Balkrushna) with the holy
basil (Tulasi) plant. This ritual is performed on any of the days between the
eleventh day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month Kartik to the full
moon day (Paurnim) of Kartik. A day prior to the marriage,
the tulasi vrindavan (a special structure in which the holy basil plant is grown) is
painted and decorated. Sugarcane and marigold flowers are offered on
the vrindavan; tamarind and Indian gooseberry (amla) are kept at its base.
The marriage ritual (vivh) is performed in the evening. The vowed religious
observances (vrat) which are observed during the consecutive Hindu lunar months
of Ashadh, Shravan, Bhadrapad, Ashwin and Kartik (Chaturmas), are fulfilled on
twelfth day of bright fortnight of Kartikwhen the Tulasi marriage is done. Then the
food items which were restricted during the previous months, are first donated to
a Brahminand then eaten.
2. The spiritual significance of the marriage of Tulasi with
Shr Krushna *
Holy basil (Tulasi) is the symbol of spiritual purity (sttvikt). The marriage
of Tulasi with Shr Krushna means that 'God likes purity as a quality.' The symbol
of this is Shr Krushna wearing the necklace of Vaijayanti beads.
The meaning of the word marriage is the merging and oneness of the embodied
soul (jva) and God (Shiva).

Importance: From this day the auspicious days begin. It is said that, this marriage
is the symbol of the perfect marriage in Indian culture.
Method of celebration: All around the courtyard of the house, cow dung water is
sprinkled. If the Tulasi plant is in a pot then the pot should be painted white. White
colour attracts the Divine frequencies coming from God. Draw
a sttvik rangol around the Tulasi plant and then do its ritualistic worship (pja)
with spiritual emotion (bhvpurna). While worshipping, one should sit
facing westward.
Prayer to be made: 'Hey Shr Krushna, Hey Tulasi Devi, the energy that I imbibe
from you today, let it be used for the protection of Dharma and nation. Let my
warrior attitude (kshatravrutti) be activated all the time. Let me not be depressed
during bad times and let my faith and devotion unto God be consistent.'
Chanting: On this day Shr Krushna's principle is activated on Earth to a greater
extent. The principle is also more active around theTulasi plant. On this day one
should chant Shr Krushna's name. After the pja (ritualistic worship), the
surrounding becomes very sttvik(spiritually pure). One should also do
Shr Krushna's chant at that time.
Uses of Tulasi: Tulasi being more spiritually pure (sttvik) God's energy is
attracted to it to a greater extent. Putting Tulasi leaves in drinking water makes it
spiritually pure (sttvik) and Energy (Shakti) is released into it. Through this water
God's Energy becomes active in every part of the jva (embodied soul).
3. Divine knowledge received related to 'Tulasi's marriage'*
On the eve of Tulasi marriage the subtle frequencies of Shr Vishnu and Goddess
Lakshm arrive in the Universe from the universal vacuum. Due to this, the central
channel (sushumnndi) of the entire Universe gets activated. This meeting is
termed as the 'marriage ofTulasi' or 'Tulasi Vivh.'
On this day Goddess Lakshm in the form of Tulasi and Vishnu in the form of
Shr Krushna are worshipped. To welcome them and to imbibe the maximum
benefit from their frequencies, a marriage ritual is performed in the evening. Since
Shr Krushna is the actual energy of action of Shr Vishnu, the frequencies of

Shr Krushna get activated on these days. These frequencies are related to the
absolute water (aap) and absolute fire (tj) principles so on these days one sees the
spread of the light of hope in the evenings, feels enthusiastic and experiences a
coolness on the skin.
On the day of Tulasi Vivh, the auspicious time (muhrt) of the marriage is given.
During this given time only, the force of activation of Shr Vishnu and Goddess
Lakshm principle increase and they merge with each other. So to get the maximum
benefit from the spiritually pure (Sattva) component in the atmosphere it is
recommended to perform the marriage during this given time. The Vishnu-Lakshm
frequencies coming from the Universal vacuum sprinkle the colours of the rainbow
in the atmosphere and for a second, appear in the form of a striped crescent. That is
the reason a rangol in the form of a half moon is drawn on that day.
* Based on Divine knowledge received by some seekers
doing sdhan per Gurukrupyoga.
Namaskar! We heartily welcome you all for this Satsang (spiritual meet)! Before
we commence this Satsang let us pay obeisance at the Holy feet
of Sadguru (spiritual master) so that by His grace the very objective of
this Satsang is fulfilled. Please pay mental obeisance to your personal icon of
faith and recite as follows:

:

:
Path of devotion describes nine types or modes of devotion unto God. The
ritualistic worship of a deity is one of them. Just as the flowers have an important
place in the ritualistic worship of deities, various leaves also have a significant
place. Besides if we offer them with devotion and spiritual emotion then their
significance is even more enhanced. Therefore in Srimad Bhagavadgita Lord
Krushna says if anybody offers me even a leaf with full devotion and bhav then I
accept it by manifesting myself in gross form. This declaration by the Lord brings
two things to our notice. First is that devotion and spiritual emotion has important
role in our life and secondly every action of ours should be performed with full

understanding of the science underlying it. In this satsang we will try to

understand the science of offering leaves to deities and their effects.
1. Importance of patri in puja ritual
Patri is related to the colour particles. The deities principles get attracted to the
leaves because of colour particles. The leaves or patri have the capacity to attract
and emit the deity principle. Some of the patris constantly emit the deity
principle which helps in continuous purification of the surrounding atmosphere.
Only that patri which has more capacity to absorb the respective deity principle
should be offered to the deity. That is the reason it is said that only
that patri which is liked by the deity is to be offered to Her / Him.
Generally five types of patri or leaves are to offered to deities during
a puja ritual. The five patris represent the five great cosmic elements of the
Universe namely earth, water, fire, air and ether. The deities are in the form of
light. The principles of deities get activated with the help of the five elements.
These deity principles are rapidly attracted towards patris when they are offered
to a deity.
Patris of Tulsi are mandatory in the ritualistic worship of Lord Vishnu, Lord
Krushna and Pandurang, Bilvapatri is mandatory in the ritualistic worship of
Lord Shiva and durvas in the ritualistic worship of Lord Ganapati.
Inkarmakanda (spiritual practice with physical body) the availability
of tulsi, bel and durva is mandatory. In addition the place of worship is decorated
with some special leaves. For example the bough of mango leaves tied on the
entrance of a house is a very common sight. Ritualistic worship of a deity is
incomplete without the use of patris. The leaves of five trees namely Pipal (Ficus
religiosa), Audumbar (glomerous fig tree), Ashok (Jonesia Asoka), mango,
and Vat(ficus indica) are of special spiritual significance in religious rituals. They
are known as Panchpallav (pancha=five,pallav=leaf).
In some special worships of a deity, various types of leaves are offered to a deity
and this particular worship is known as patrapuja. Among the various types
of patris which are mandatory in the articles of puja, tulsi is one.

2. Tulsi
Tulsi is a sacred plant. It has been mentioned in Skandapuran that some of the
drops of nectar fell on the earth during the process of Samudramanthan (churning
of ocean). Tulsi was formed out of them. It was handed over to Lord Vishnu by
Lord Bramha. Tulsi is liked by Lord Vishnu and hence it is specially offered to
Lord Vishnu. While citing the importance of Tulsi it has been mentioned
in Padmapuran that offering flowers made of gold, stones and pearls do not have
even one sixteenth of the importance of Tulsi! Sins of even many eras are
destroyed by sight, touch, meditation, obeisance, planting and use of Tulsi. All
deities reside in the plant of Tulsi from its roots to the tip. It constantly emits the
principles of deities and purifies the surrounding atmosphere. It is even said that
whoever has a garden of Tulsi in the front yard of his house makes the
surrounding nine miles area (yojan) as pure as river Ganga. Let us understand this
further in subtle dimension.
The unmanifest and subtle most Vishnu principle is absorbed through the
stem of Tulsi leaf and is then converted into Krushna principle and goes on
flowing through the stem.
Chaitanya is activated at the base of the Tulsi leaf and is projected into
atmosphere in the form of circles. Thischaitanya simultaneously flows
through the vessels of Tulsi leaf.
The particles of Shakti (divine energy) are also present in the leaves
of Tulsi.
The paricles of chaitanya and Krushna principle are transmitted into
atmosphere through the inflorescence.
Now our readers must have realized the spiritual benefit of offering Tulsi leaves
to a deity during puja ritual. The effect of plucking such sacred Tulsi leaves has
been described thus in Skandapuran, :
- Tulsi ye vichinvanti dhanyaste karapallavaaha means blessed are those hands
who pluck tulsi leaves for the puja. Thus by knowing the importance of gathering

the tulsi leaves for puja our faith in tulsi must have been enhanced to a great
extent.
So let us now see some useful precautions to be taken while gathering Tulsi
leaves.
Do not pluck the leaves singly, pluck them in pairs
Pluck the tip of tulsi consisting of leaves without shaking the plant.
When a manjiri (inflorescence ) is plucked then it should contain leaves.
If we pluck the tulsi leaves while simultaneously chanting the name of our
favourite deity and with utmost respect and with proper method, the benefit
received through the puja ritual multiplies a million times.
2.1 Why are women prohibited from gathering tulsi leaves?
Women have a high proportion of raja component when compared to men. There
is generation of heat energy in the dormant and serene sattvik frequencies present
in the tulsi plant by the touch of women which leads to decrease in
its sattvikta (sattva quality). Hence they are prohibited from gathering or
plucking the tulsi leaves.
2.2 Why are tulsi leaves used while offering naivedya to a deity?
Thus we have learnt about the gathering of tulsi leaves which imparts spiritual
benefits. We often see that while offering naivedya (food offering) to a deity it is
offered with the help of two leaves of tulsi. One of them is kept on
thenaivedya while other is offered to the deity. Let us now understand as to
why tulsi leaves are used while offeringnaivedya to a deity.
Tulsi has the greater capacity to absorb and
emit sattvik and Krushnatattva frquencies present in the universe. Therefore use
of tulsi while offering naivedya imparts two benefits.

The tulsi leaf used while offering naivedya absorbs the subtle frequencies
emitted from the food. When thistulsi leaf is offered to the deity, the deity
principle rapidly absorbs the frequencies present in the leaf.
There is subtle covering of raja-tama present in the atmosphere around the
food to be offered to the deity asnaivedya. When a tulsi leaf is kept on the
food, the sattvik frequencies emitted from the tulsi leaf reduces this
covering. Besides the atmosphere around the plate or banana leaf meant for
serving the naivedya gets purified. This retains the sattvikta of naivedya for
a long period.
Thus the tulsi leaf is used for offering naivedya for receiving the grace of the
deity by pleasing Him/Her. Therefore there is a rich tradition of offering prayerful
obeisance to tulsi plant loved by Lord Vishnu every morning and evening as mark
of gratitude because it is a destroyer of negative energies and a purifier of the
atmosphere.
3. Durva
Durva has greater capacity of attracting and constantly enhancing principles of
three deities namely AadiShiv, AadiShakti and AadiGanesh. The combined flow
of all these three principles in durva is called Durvas. When this flow enters the
idol of a deity its vital energy becomes manifest. This is called awakening of
idol. In order to sustain this awakening, durva are offered on the idol of Lord
Ganesh three times in a day in quantity of 21 or its multiple during ritualstic
worship of Lord Ganesh. The number 21 is made up of two complete numbers
namely 2 and 1. The addition of 2 and 1 gives number 3 which is symbolic of
three primal principles (aaditattva).
Generally tender shoots of durva are used in puja ritual of a deity. These tender
shoots have highest capacity to absorb principles of deities present in the dew
drops fallen on their leaves. This benefits the worshipper. If durva bear flowers,
they are not used in puja ritual. Flowering plant denotes the ripeness. Ripening
causes decrease in the vitality of the plant. This further reduces its capacity to
attract the frequencies of deity principle. To further knowdurva from a spiritual
standpoint let us understand it in the subtle dimension.

The point where three leaves of durva meet together, divine energy is
activated and is emitted in the form of circles of chaitanya.
Ganesh principle gets activated in the space of the stem.
This activated chaitanya is then emitted from the leaves and their tips.
The speciality of durva is that the process of receiving the principles of deities
starts from the roots.
3.1 What is the difference between durva and common grass?
We just saw that durva has maximum capacity to absorb and emit three primal
deity principles. Common grass does not have such capacity and therefore it is
not helpful to increase the sattvikta. The vibrations entering and leaving the
common grass are illusory that is they appear just like common vibrations but are
deceptive. To understand this point let us see it in the subtle dimension.
In the roots of common grass the raja component is more active and is
emitted through the leaves.
Due to the presence of raja component in common grass there is flow of
illusory vibrations through it and these are then emitted out.
Some people offer common grass to the deity mistaking it for durva. This does
not accrue any benefit to the worshipper. If durva is not available every time
then akshatas (unbroken rice grains) having the all encompassing property should
be offered to the deity. Even scriputures say,
Saklopchararthe akshtan samrpayami meaning akshtas can be offered in place
of all substances. When akshatas are offered with full faith and spiritual emotion
then we can get the benefit of frequencies of deities.
Let us proceed further with same faith and spiritual emotion towards one
more patri and that is bilva patri or bel leaf.

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4. Bilva patra (leaf of aegle marmelos)

There is mention of bilva tree in such ancient scriptures as Atharvaved, Aitereya
Bramhan and Shatpath Bramhan. It is a sacred tree having sacrificial importance.
The leaves of this sacred tree is generally trifoliate. This trifoliate leaf is symbolic
of Trikal (three states in time), Trishakti (Volition, action and knowledge),
three lingas and three syllables ofOmkar. It is offered to Lord Shiva.
The proportion of sattva component is more in bilva patra and hence it has more
capacity to absorb and emit sattvikfrequencies. This has various effects. One of
them is the reduction of raja-tama particles present in the atmosphere.
A sattvik leaf like bilva patra when brought in proximity of a person suffering
from negative energy distress then the black energy present within him is
reduced.
Whenever a person is affected by the distress due to negative energies then his
control over his physical body, mind and intellect is reduced and control of
negative energy increases. Such a person when comes in contact with an
environment not conducive for negative energy for instance in
a sattvik environment then there is a battle between the negative energy and
the satva predominant environment. This battle can manifest at various levels.
The manifestation can vary from such simple thoughts like running away from
the place to destructive thoughts also. Sometimes the negative energy present in
the person manifests in gross form like sudden burst of anger, shouting, throwing
articles and in fact any type of destructive act like actually breaking and
plundering articles etc. To understand this further let us see the effect of keeping
a bilva patra in front of a woman affected by negative energy distress.
The woman is visibly distressed when the bilva patra is taken in hand and
applied to the neck and head. Thus we have seen the gross effect of bilva
patra on the affected woman affected by negative energy.
The unmanifest-manifest frequencies of chaitanya of Shiva form are
attracted to the bilva patra and absorbed there.

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The unmanifest subtlemost frequencies of Shiva principle and frequencies

of chaitanya are emitted from bilva patra in the form of circles.
Their effect take place on the subtlemost energy of the negative energy and
the black energy is disintegrated.
Frequencies and particles of divine energy are projected towards the
negative energy from bilva patra.
This energy then reduces the amount of black energy emanating from the
negative energy.
Thus up till now we have been introduced to the subject of sacred leaves
like tulsi, durva and bilvapatra. Similarly we also became acquainted with the
effect of sattvik leaves on individual and the environment. Let us pray that
whatever things we have been introduced to in this satsang will be remembered
and applied correctly during a puja ritual so that we can obtain the blessings of
deities and thus spiritually benefitted.
Tulasi - Spiritual significance and Medicinal benefits
Tulasi Spiritual significance and Medicinal benefits
During the churning of the Ocean of milk (ksheera sagara mathana), Sri Hari came
up in the form of Dhanvantari carrying the kalasha of amruta. At that time some
drops of Hari's tears of joy fell into the amrutha kalasha. Tulasi was born out of
those tears of joy. Having been born out of tears of joy, she herself gives joy.
She has Lakshmi devi's amsha in herself. That is the reason for the celebration of
marriage of Tulasi with Shri Krishna on every Karthika shuddha dwadashi day.
Hari likes her very much. It is believed that Hari is present wherever Tulasi is
present.
tuLasee kAnanam yatra | yatra padma vanAni cha |
vasanti vaiShNavA yatra | tatra sannihito hariH ||
Sri Hari will reside wherever Tulasi garden, pond with lotus flowers and
Vaishnavas reside. Garden does not mean acres of garden. A minimum of three

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plants qualify for being called a garden.

Tulasi was born on the Earth as King Dharmadhwaja s daughter. She was an
epitome of beauty and was blessed with an amsha of goddess Lakshmi. The king
gave her the appropriate name of Tulasi. Tula means equal, meaning equal to
Lakshmi. But, nowhere is it said that Tulasi herself is Lakshmi. Vishnu wore the
garland of Tulasi to fulfil Tulasis desire to be always in the company of Hari.
Vishnu also gave a boon to Tulasi that "she would attain the company of Vishnu
through the Tulasi dala (a bunch of Tulasi leaves formed at the end of the branch)
given by the devotees".
Jambavati is the best (shreshta) among the six great women (shanmahishis) of Shri
Krishna. Lakshmi devi is present in a special form (vishesha sannidhana) in her.
Jnanis (learned ones) say that it is Jambavati in the form of Tulasi, who is
worshipping Vishnu on a daily basis (tuLasee jAmbavatee prOktA).
There is a saying by dasaru "ellaa sAdhanaviddu tuLasi illada pooje ollano hari
koLLano"
meaning, the pooja with all items but without tulasi is not accepted by Hari.
All flowers are not available in all seasons. However, Tulasi which has the essence
of all flowers concentrated in itself is available round the year. Thus, offering of
Tulasi dalas to Sri Hari is equivalent to offering all the best flowers.
Jnanis say, seeing (darshana) of Tulasi in the morning erases all sins. This is said
in:
yanmoole sarva teerthAni | yanmadhye sarva dEvatA |
yadagre sarva vedAscha | tuLasee tvAm namAmyaham ||
At the base of the Tulasi plant all the rivers abhimani devatas are present; in the
stem all the devatas are present; and in the tip all Vedas are present.
gO kOTi dAna sadrusham phalamApnuvanti ||
Tulasi's darshana is equivalent to gifting away (daana) of one crore cows.

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All sins will be erased by darshana, body will be cleansed (deha shuddhi) by
touching (sparsha), diseases will be removed by prostration (namaskara), escape
(parihara) from Yama's clutches by watering Tulasi plant, development of Hari
bhakthi by growing Tulasi plant, obtaining salvation (moksha) by offering of
Tulasi to Sri Hari are the various benefits of Tulasi. These being so, what could be
the benefit of Tulasi pooja with utmost devotion? - Good things (shubha) in both
this world and the other world (iha and para).
poojiparige parama mangaLada padavittu salahuvi |
Dasaru has said, Tulasi will recommend grant of salvation (moksha) with Sri Hari
for those who worship her. Daily during early mornings, the Tulasi brindavana
placed in the front of the house should be seen (darshana), clean the frontage with
water, and decorate with rangoli (floor decoration with white stone powder),
recite:
tuLasee shree sakhee shubhE pApahAriNee puNyadE |
namastE nAradanutE nArAyaNa manaH priyE ||
Hey Tulasi, friend of Lakshmi Devi, embodiment of mangala, one who erases sins,
bestow punya, beloved of Shri Narayana, who is prostrated by Narada, I prostrate
to you.
Water the plant, perform pooja using turmeric, kunkum, and flowers and offer for
naivedya only items already offered (naivedya) to Shri Hari. Elders say, only
persons eligible for salvation (mukthi yogya) will develop interest in Tulasi
darshana, stotra.
Brunda is a chaste wife of a demon Jalandhara. He had obtained eternal status
(avadhyathwa meaning one who cannot be killed) using the chaste character of his
wife and was indulging in all kinds of crimes. Once Sri Hari came to Brunda in the
form of her husband and embraced her. Though she lost her chastity and hence her
husband, she obtained the divine grace of Sri Krishna, became a temple (mandira)
for Tulasi, and one who is worshipped (poojya) by devotees (bhakthas). She
became an eternal (nithya) one who is worshipped with all mangala items
(sumangali).

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Therefore, Tulasi platform (also called katte is the brindavana or the pot/container
in which the Tulasi is grown) gets the first pooja followed by the plant. This means
pooja to a Tulasi plant without a platform (the one grown on soil without a
platform or a container) is not the best. Thus, Tulasi has provided a shelter to
Brunda and through that a status also.
There are two varieties of Tulasi plants viz. Sri Tulasi and Krishna Tulasi. Krishna
Tulasi has blackish leaves. This is more suited for pooja in the brindavana. On the
other hand Sri Tulasi which has green leaves is more suited for offering to Shri
Hari.
Women are only entitled to water the Tulasi plants and worship them. The Tulasi
flowers (thene), kudis or dalas have to be removed regularly by men, which will
make the plant spread and grow well.
Plucking of Tulasi dalas / kudis / flowers is banned on Tuesdays, Fridays and
dwadashi days, and also banned before bath and after meals. So also
transplanting of Tulasi plants.
Plants can be grown from seeds and saplings (the smaller ones that grow near the
big plants due to seed dispersal). Generally these plants do not get any disease.
They grow well with sweet water in a moderate climate where it is neither too hot
nor too cold.
Tulasi is valuable just like an elephant both during its life time and afterwards. The
dry stem of the plant is used to make beads used in garland for wearing. It is used
in homas and havanas. It is also ground on a stone surface, the resulting paste used
in the preparation of gandhodaka used for Theertha preparation.
One more thing Sarala: If we use the dry stem dipped in oil/ghee for transferring
the light from one lamp to another it is said that each lamp lighted is equal to 10
lamps lighting.
When the stem of the Tulasi flower is used in the preparation of mangalarati batthi

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(cotton wick used for mangalarati), it is the best (shreshta), batthi will be straight,
preparation also is easy.
All persons of three varnas can worship. Those of fourth Varna can grow the plants
and that itself is a means of earning punya. Sri KrishnArpaNamastu
Muralidhar
I was not aware of so many rules about this - For Tuesdays, Fridays and dwadashi,
should we store the plucked Tulasi from the previous day?
|Gj|
Yes, Tulasi leaves shldnt b plucked on Tuesday, Friday n on Dwadashi days. Fresh
Tulasi leaves plucked day before can b preserved in sampushta, and can b used for
next day pooja. No matter if its not fresh! but rotten leaves shouldn't be used for
pooja. Muralidhar
Now that is solved. Next question is is there a reason we should not pluck Tulasi
on these days?
The 'tulsi' plant or Indian basil is an important symbol in the Hindu religious
tradition. The name 'tulsi' connotes "the incomparable one". Tulsi is a venerated
plant and Hindus worship it in the morning and evening. Tulsi grows wild in the
tropics and warm regions. Dark or Shyama tulsi and light or Rama tulsi are the two
main varieties of basil, the former possessing greater medicinal value. Of the many
varieties, the Krishna or Shyama tulsi is commonly used for worship.
Tulsi As A Deity:
The presence of tulsi plant symbolizes the religious bent of a Hindu family. A
Hindu household is considered incomplete if it doesn't have a tulsi plant in the
courtyard. Many families have the tulsi planted in a specially built structure, which
has images of deities installed on all four sides, and an alcove for a small earthen
oil lamp. Some households can even have up to a dozen tulsi plants on the
verandah or in the garden forming a "tulsi-van" or "tulsivrindavan" - a miniature
basil forest.
The Holy Herb:
Places that tend to inspire concentration and places ideal for worship, according to
the 'Gandharv Tantra,' include "grounds overgrown with tulsi plants". The Tulsi
Manas Mandir at Varanasi is one such famous temple, where tulsi is worshiped
along with other Hindu gods and goddesses. Vaishnavites or believers of Lord

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Vishnu worship the tulsi leaf because it's the one that pleases Lord Vishnu the
most. They also wear beaded necklaces made of tulsi stems. The manufacture of
these tulsi necklaces is a cottage industry in pilgrimages and temple towns.
Tulsi As An Elixir:
Apart from its religious significance it is of great medicinal significance, and is a
prime herb in Ayurvedic treatment. Marked by its strong aroma and a stringent
taste, tusli is a kind of "the elixir of life" as it promotes longevity. The plant's
extracts can be used to prevent and cure many illnesses and common ailments like
common cold, headaches, stomach disorders, inflammation, heart disease, various
forms of poisoning and malaria. Essential oil extracted from karpoora tulsi is
mostly used for medicinal purposes though of late it is used in the manufacture of
herbal toiletry.
A Herbal Remedy:
According to Jeevan Kulkarni, author of 'Historical Truths & Untruths Exposed,'
when Hindu women worship tulsi, they in effect pray for "less and less carbonic
acid and more and more oxygen - a perfect object lesson in sanitation, art and
religion". The tulsi plant is even known to purify or de-pollute the atmosphere and
also works as a repellent to mosquitoes, flies and other harmful insects. Tulsi used
to be a universal remedy in cases of malarial fever.
Prof Shrinivas Tilak, who teaches Religion at Concordia University, Montreal has
made this historical citation: In a letter written to 'The Times,' London, dated May
2, 1903 Dr George Birdwood, Professor of Anatomy, Grant Medical College,
Mumbai said, "When the Victoria Gardens were established in Bombay, the men
employed on those works were pestered by mosquitoes. At the recommendation of
the Hindu managers, the whole boundary of the gardens was planted with holy
basil, on which the plague of mosquitoes was at once abated, and fever altogether
disappeared from among the resident gardeners."
Tulsi In Legends :
Quite a few myths and legends found in the Puranas or ancient scriptures point to
the origin of importance of tulsi in religious rituals. Although tulsi is regarded as
feminine, in no folklore is she described as the consort the Lord. Yet a garland
solely made of tulsi leaves is the first offering to the Lord as part of the daily ritual.

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The plant is accorded the sixth place among the eight objects of worship in the
ritual of the consecration of the Kalasha, the container of holy water.
According to one legend, Tulsi was the incarnation of a princess who fell in love
with Lord Krishna, and so had a curse laid on her by his consort Radha. Tulsi is
also mentioned in the stories of Meera and of Radha immortalised in Jayadev's
Gita Govinda. The story of Lord Krishna has it that when Krishna was weighed in
gold, not even all the ornaments of Satyabhama could outweigh him. But a single
tulsi leaf placed by Rukmani on the pan tilted the scale.
In the Hindu mythology, tulsi is very dear to Lord Vishnu. Tulsi is ceremonially
married to Lord Vishnu annually on the 11th bright day of the month of Karttika 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 'Tulsi Vivaha'
inaugurates the annual marriage season in India.
The tulsi or holy basil is an important symbol in the Hindu religious
tradition and is worshiped in the morning and evening by Hindus at large.
The holy basil is also a herbal remedy for a lot of common ailments. Here're
top fifteen medicinal uses of tulsi.
1. Healing Power: The tulsi plant has many medicinal properties. The
leaves are a nerve tonic and also sharpen memory. They promote the
removal of the catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tube. The
leaves strengthen the stomach and induce copious perspiration. The seed of
the plant are mucilaginous.
2. Fever & Common Cold: The leaves of basil are specific for many fevers.
During the rainy season, when malaria and dengue fever are widely
prevalent, tender leaves, boiled with tea, act as preventive against theses
diseases. In case of acute fevers, a decoction of the leaves boiled with
powdered cardamom in half a liter of water and mixed with sugar and milk
brings down the temperature. The juice of tulsi leaves can be used to bring
down fever. Extract of tulsi leaves in fresh water should be given every 2 to
3 hours. In between one can keep giving sips of cold water. In children, it is
every effective in bringing down the temperature.

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3. Coughs: Tulsi is an important constituent of many Ayurvedic cough

syrups and expectorants. It helps to mobilize mucus in bronchitis and
asthma. Chewing tulsi leaves relieves cold and flu.
4. Sore Throat: Water boiled with basil leaves can be taken as drink in case
of sore throat. This water can also be used as a gargle.
5. Respiratory Disorder: The herb is useful in the treatment of respiratory
system disorder. A decoction of the leaves, with honey and ginger is an
effective remedy for bronchitis, asthma, influenza, cough and cold. A
decoction of the leaves, cloves and common salt also gives immediate relief
in case of influenza. They should be boiled in half a liter of water till only
half the water is left and add then taken.
6. Kidney Stone: Basil has strengthening effect on the kidney. In case of
renal stone the juice of basil leaves and honey, if taken regularly for 6
months it will expel them via the urinary tract.
7. Heart Disorder: Basil has a beneficial effect in cardiac disease and the
weakness resulting from them. It reduces the level of blood cholesterol.
8. Children's Ailments: Common pediatric problems like cough cold, fever,
diarrhea and vomiting respond favorably to the juice of basil leaves. If
pustules of chicken pox delay their appearance, basil leaves taken with
saffron will hasten them.
9. Stress: Basil leaves are regarded as an 'adaptogen' or anti-stress agent.
Recent studies have shown that the leaves afford significant protection
against stress. Even healthy persons can chew 12 leaves of basil, twice a day,
to prevent stress. It purifies blood and helps prevent several common
elements.
10. Mouth Infections: The leaves are quit effective for the ulcer and
infections in the mouth. A few leaves chewed will cure these conditions.

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11. Insect Bites: The herb is a prophylactic or preventive and curative for
insect stings or bites. A teaspoonful of the juice of the leaves is taken and is
repeated after a few hours. Fresh juice must also be applied to the affected
parts. A paste of fresh roots is also effective in case of bites of insects and
leeches.
12. Skin Disorders: Applied locally, basil juice is beneficial in the treatment
of ringworm and other skin diseases. It has also been tried successfully by
some naturopaths in the treatment of leucoderma.
13. Teeth Disorder: The herb is useful in teeth disorders. Its leaves, dried in
the sun and powdered, can be used for brushing teeth. It can also be mixed
with mustered oil to make a paste and used as toothpaste. This is very good
for maintaining dental health, counteracting bad breath and for massaging
the gums. It is also useful in pyorrhea and other teeth disorders.
14. Headaches: Basil makes a good medicine for headache. A decoction of
the leaves can be given for this disorder. Pounded leaves mixed with
sandalwood paste can also be applied on the forehead for getting relief from
heat, headache, and for providing coolness in general.
15. Eye Disorders: Basil juice is an effective remedy for sore eyes and
night-blindness, which is generally caused by deficiency of vitamin A. Two
drops of black basil juice are put into the eyes daily at bedtime.