SADAACHARA SMRUTI - TULASI VANDHANA

Step 16

Tulasi vandana

After performing Dyanah snana where we think of river Ganga, originated from Paramatma’s feet flowing into our body in every naadi making us pure, we are ready to perform tulasi vandana.

Fill pure water in a kalasha (made of silver, copper or bronze. Please kindly avoid PLASTIC and silver in God’s pooja room for any reason. They are not sacred). Pour the water to the tulasi which is planted in brindavan or pot.

Praseeda thulasi devi

Praseeda hari – vallabhe

Ksheeroda – madanobudhe

Thulasi thwaam namaamyaham

Praseeda – gracious  

Thulasi devi

 Hari – vallabhe – Beloved wife of Shri Hari

Ksheeroda – Ksheer sagar

Madan – churn

ubudhe – rise up

Thwaam –  you

Namaamy – pray to

Aham - I

I  pray to Lakshmi wife of Shri Hari who was born while churning sheer saagar.

Origin of Tulasi

   Anandha bhashma of Shri Hari

   Amruta 

   Churning of sheer sagar

We all now that Devas and asuras churned the sheer sagar to get amruta. While Lord Vishnu took the avatar of Dhanvantri and appreared with AMRUTA kalasha. Seeing this all the devas were very pleased to see Lord Shri Hari’s help from start till the end (He who laid plan to get rid of asuras from Indira lok and long life of devas through Amrutha. He came as Garuda vahana to lift Mount Mandhara. He took avatar as Kurma to hold Mandhara, now atlast he came with amrutha).

The devas started to praise the Lord Maha Vishnu for all his leela’s and extended help. God was glad to hear their praise and let Tears out of divine joy (anandha bhashma). Always please now that Shri Hari is STITHA PRAJNA – He doesn’t have any emotions. He is the one who is always happy; there is no word of sorrow in his dictionary. A drop of his tears fell on the amrutha kalasha, from which TULASI was born. Hence she was always born with amrutha.

 Importance of Tulasi

Shri Hari doesn’t accept a pooja which was performed in absence of Tulasi. As dasar has said “Tulasi illada pooje vallano Hari Kolano”. Let there be diamonds, gold, gems for a pooja on the other hand we only have Tulasi alone for the pooja, God is satisfied with our Tulasi alone. In every pooja, yagna, yaga Tulasi is a must.

The king of leaves according to ayurveda is Tulasi and amruthavalli, which has been originated from amrutha kalasha.

Apply the mud (mrthika) from the brindavam apply on the forehead, similar to how we apply gopichandana on our forehead.

 If one see’s Tulasi with love once, our all sins will be destroyed.

“yah drushtya nigilaga sangasa mani ”

If we we touch the Tulasi once, our body becomes pure.

If we do namaskara to Tulasi, we will never get any disease (roga nivarana).

If we pour water to Tulasi the time of death will get delayed.

If we plant Tulasi we invite Shri Krishna to home and stays in Tulasi permanently. Krishna’s sannidhana is there. (*Please note while doing puja to Tulasi also place a small idol of Shri Krishna there. While doing sankalpa it has to be Krishna samedha Tulasi puja karishye).

If we dedicate (samarpana) one tulsi leaf to Shri Krishna we will be free from bondage (samsara). (* Please note Ladies SHOULD NOT pluck Tulasi leaves or Tulasi plant. Only male has the adhikara. And after sunset we should not pour water, pluck any leaves from any plant. In short after sunset we should not disturb any plant).

When one plucks thulasi flowers, chant

Thulasi amritha Keshava priye

Keshavaartham lunaami thwaam

Varadaa bhava shobane.

The thulasi thara should be kept with as  much peity and respect given to puja room. The thulasi leaves or flowers should not be plucked during sunset, ekadashi days, Tuesdays or Fridays.

On the crisp:

Every house should Tulasi plant.

Its air and soil has so much medicinal values.

Tulasi is a place where Shri Hari loves to stay and its his sannidhana