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The Worship of Srimati Tulasi Devi

SB 7-5-23&24
(4) pada-sevanam. According to one’s taste and strength, hearing, chanting and remembrance may be followed by pada-sevanam. One obtains the perfection of remembering when one constantly thinks of the lotus feet of the Lord. Being intensely attached to thinking of the Lord’s lotus feet is called pada-sevanam. When one is particularly adherent to the process of pada-sevanam, this process gradually includes other processes, such as seeing the form of the Lord, touching the form of the Lord, circumambulating the form or temple of the Lord, visiting such places as Jagannatha Puri, Dvaraka and Mathura to see the Lord’s form, and bathing in the Ganges or Yamuna. Bathing in the Ganges and serving a pure Vaisnava are also known as tadiya-upasanam. This is also pada-sevanam. THE WORD TADIYA MEANS “IN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD.” Service to the Vaisnava, TULASI, GANGES AND YAMUNA ARE INCLUDED IN PADA-SEVANAM. All these processes of pada-sevanam help one advance in spiritual life very quickly.

SB 7.5.23-24
If one commits any of the above offenses, one must read at least one chapter of Bhagavad-gita. This is confirmed in the Skanda-Purana, Avanti-khanda. Similarly, there is another injunction, stating that one who reads the thousand names of Visnu can be released from all offenses. In the same Skanda-Purana, Reva-khanda, IT IS SAID THAT ONE WHO RECITES PRAYERS TO TULASI OR SOWS A TULASI SEED IS ALSO FREED FROM ALL OFFENSES.

SB 9.4.18-20
sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayor
vacamsi vaikuntha-gunanuvarnane
karau harer mandira-marjanadisu
srutim cakaracyuta-sat-kathodaye
mukunda-lingalaya-darsane drsau
tad-bhrtya-gatra-sparse ‘nga-sangamam
ghranam ca tat-pada-saroja-saurabhe
SRIMAT-TULASYA RASANAM TAD-ARPITE
padau hareh ksetra-padanusarpane
siro hrsikesa-padabhivandane
kamam ca dasye na tu kama-kamyaya
yathottamasloka-janasraya ratih

Maharaja Ambarisa always engaged his mind in meditating upon the lotus feet of Krsna, his words in describing the glories of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the Lord’s temple, and his ears in hearing the words spoken by Krsna or about Krsna. He engaged his eyes in seeing the Deity of Krsna, Krsna’s temples and Krsna’s places like Mathura and Vrndavana, he engaged his sense of touch in touching the bodies of the Lord’s devotees, HE ENGAGED HIS SENSE OF SMELL IN SMELLING THE FRAGRANCE OF TULASI OFFERED TO THE LORD, and he engaged his tongue in tasting the Lord’s prasada. He engaged his legs in walking to the holy places and temples of the Lord, his head in bowing down before the Lord, and all his desires in serving the Lord, twenty-four hours a day. Indeed, Maharaja Ambarisa never desired anything for his own sense gratification. He engaged all his senses in devotional service, in various engagements related to the Lord. This is the way to increase attachment for the Lord and be completely free from all material desires.

Adi 3 Advaita Acarya was a contemporary of Lord Caitanya’s father. He felt sorry for the condition of the world because even after Lord Krsna’s appearance, no one had interest in devotional service to Krsna. This forgetfulness was so overwhelming that Advaita Prabhu was convinced that no one but Lord Krsna Himself could enlighten people about devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Therefore Advaita requested Lord Krsna to appear as Lord Caitanya. OFFERING TULASI LEAVES AND GANGES WATER, HE CRIED FOR THE LORD’S APPEARANCE. THE LORD, BEING SATISFIED BY HIS PURE DEVOTEES, DESCENDS TO SATISFY THEM. As such, being pleased by Advaita Acarya, Lord Caitanya appeared.

Adi 3.105-106 Advaita Acarya considered the meaning of the verse in this way: Not finding any way to repay the debt He owes to one who offers Him a tulasi leaf and water, LORD KRSNA THINKS, “THERE IS NO WEALTH IN MY POSSESSION THAT IS EQUAL TO A TULASI LEAF AND WATER.”

Adi 3.107 Thus the LORD LIQUIDATES THE DEBT BY OFFERING HIMSELF TO THE DEVOTEE. Considering this, the Acarya began worshiping the Lord.

Adi 3.107 Through devotional service one can easily please Lord Krsna with a leaf of the tulasi plant and a little water. As the Lord says in the Bhagavad-gita (9.26), a leaf, a flower, a fruit or some water (patram puspam phalam toyam), when offered with devotion, very much pleases Him. He universally accepts the services of His devotees. Even the poorest of devotees in any part of the world can secure a small flower, fruit or leaf and a little water, and IF THESE OFFERINGS, AND ESPECIALLY TULASI LEAVES AND GANGES WATER, ARE OFFERED TO KRSNA WITH DEVOTION, HE IS VERY SATISFIED. IT IS SAID THAT KRSNA IS SO PLEASED BY SUCH DEVOTIONAL SERVICE THAT HE OFFERS HIMSELF TO HIS DEVOTEE IN EXCHANGE FOR IT. Srila Advaita Acarya knew this fact, and therefore He decided to call for the Personality of Godhead Krsna to descend by worshiping the Lord with tulasi leaves and the water of the

Ganges. Madhya 15.9 Sri Advaita Prabhu would also place a flower garland around the Lord’s neck and TULASI FLOWERS [MANJARIS] ON HIS HEAD. Then, with folded hands, Advaita Acarya would offer obeisances and prayers unto the Lord.

Madhya 22.125 “TADIYA MEANS THE TULASI LEAVES, the devotees of Krsna, the birthplace of Krsna, Mathura, and the Vedic literature Srimad-Bhagavatam. KRSNA IS VERY EAGER TO SEE HIS DEVOTEE SERVE TULASI, Vaisnavas, Mathura and Bhagavatam.

Madhya 22.125 After item twenty-six (meditation), the twenty-seventh is TO SERVE TULASI, the twenty-eighth is to serve the Vaisnava, the twenty-ninth is to live in Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krsna, and the thirtieth is to read Srimad-Bhagavatam regularly.

Madhya 23.51 Life’ s Ultimate Goal–Love of Godhead “Krsna’s smile, the fragrance of His transcendental body, His flute, bugle, ankle bells, conchshell, the marks on His feet, His place of residence, HIS FAVORITE PLANT [TULASI], His devotees, and the observance of fasts and vows connected to His devotion all awaken the symptoms of ecstatic love.”

Madhya 24.115 The Sixty-One Explanations of the Atmarama Verse ” ‘When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasi leaves and saffron from the lotus feet of the lotus-eyed Personality of Godhead entered through the nostrils into the hearts of those sages [the Kumaras], THEY EXPERIENCED A CHANGE IN BOTH BODY AND MIND, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE ATTACHED TO IMPERSONAL BRAHMAN UNDERSTANDING.’

Antya 3.137 Although Krsna wants everyone to surrender to His lotus feet, because of people’s sinful activities they cannot do this. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah: rascals and fools, the lowest of men, who engage in sinful activities, cannot suddenly surrender to the lotus feet of Krsna. NEVERTHELESS, IF THEY BEGIN CHANTING THE HARE KRSNA MANTRA AND RENDERING SERVICE UNTO THE TULASI PLANT, THEY WILL VERY SOON BE ABLE TO SURRENDER.

KB 30 The gopis then began to address the tulasi plants: “DEAR TULASI, YOU ARE MUCH BELOVED BY LORD KRSNA BECAUSE YOUR LEAVES ARE ALWAYS AT HIS LOTUS FEET.

SB 1.19.6
It is especially mentioned herein that Maharaja Pariksit took shelter of that particular river which is beautifully flowing, carrying the dust of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna, mixed with tulasi leaves. LORD KRSNA’S LOTUS FEET ARE ALWAYS BESMEARED WITH THE TULASI LEAVES, and thus as soon as His lotus feet contact the water of the Ganges and the Yamuna, the rivers become at once sanctified.

SB 3.15.19
Description of the Kingdom of God Although flowering plants like the mandara, kunda, kurabaka, utpala, campaka, arna, punnaga, nagakesara, bakula, lily and parijata are full of transcendental fragrance, THEY ARE STILL CONSCIOUS OF THE AUSTERITIES PERFORMED BY TULASI, FOR TULASI IS GIVEN SPECIAL PREFERENCE BY THE LORD, WHO GARLANDS HIMSELF WITH TULASI LEAVES.

SB 3.15.49
The tulasi leaf is very useful EVEN FROM THE MEDICINAL OR ANTISEPTIC POINT OF VIEW.

SB 3.16.21
It is said in the Brahma-samhita that the Lord is always served by many hundreds of thousands of goddesses of fortune in His Vaikuntha planet, yet because of His attitude of renunciation of all opulences, He is not attached to any one of them. The Lord has six opulences–unlimited wealth, unlimited fame, unlimited strength, unlimited beauty, unlimited knowledge and unlimited renunciation. All the demigods and other living entities worship Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, just to get her favor, yet the Lord is never attached to her because He can create an unlimited number of such goddesses for His transcendental service. THE GODDESS OF FORTUNE, LAKSMI, IS SOMETIMES ENVIOUS OF THE TULASI LEAVES WHICH ARE PLACED AT THE LOTUS FEET OF THE LORD, FOR THEY REMAIN FIXED THERE AND DO NOT MOVE, WHEREAS LAKSMIJI, ALTHOUGH STATIONED BY THE CHEST OF THE LORD, SOMETIMES HAS TO PLEASE OTHER DEVOTEES WHO PRAY FOR HER FAVOR. LAKSMIJI SOMETIMES HAS TO GO TO SATISFY HER NUMEROUS DEVOTEES, BUT TULASI LEAVES NEVER FORSAKE THEIR POSITION, AND THE LORD THEREFORE APPRECIATES THE SERVICE OF THE TULASI MORE THAN THE SERVICE OF LAKSMI. When the Lord says, therefore, that it is due to the causeless mercy of the brahmanas that Laksmiji does not leave Him, we can understand that Laksmiji is attracted by the opulence of the Lord, not by the brahmanas’ benedictions upon Him. The Lord is not dependent on anyone’s mercy for His opulence; He is always self-sufficient. The Lord’s statement that His opulence is due to the benediction of the brahmanas and Vaisnavas is only to teach others that they should offer respect to the brahmanas and Vaisnavas, the devotees of the Lord.

SB 4.8.55
It is specifically mentioned herein that tulasi leaves are very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and devotees should take particular care to have tulasi leaves in every temple and center of worship. In the Western countries, while engaged in propagating the Krsna consciousness movement, WE WERE BROUGHT GREAT UNHAPPINESS BECAUSE WE COULD NOT FIND TULASI LEAVES. WE ARE VERY MUCH OBLIGED, THEREFORE, TO OUR DISCIPLE SRIMATI GOVINDA DASI BECAUSE SHE HAS TAKEN MUCH CARE TO GROW TULASI PLANTS FROM SEEDS, AND SHE HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL BY THE GRACE OF KRSNA. NOW TULASI PLANTS ARE GROWING IN ALMOST EVERY CENTER OF OUR MOVEMENT.

Madhya 17.193 The word vana means “forest.” VRNDAVANA IS THE NAME GIVEN TO THE FOREST WHERE SRIMATI VRNDADEVI (TULASIDEVI) GROWS PROFUSELY. Actually it is not a forest as we ordinarily consider a forest because it is very thick with green vegetation. There are twelve such vanas in Vrndavana. Some are located on the western side of the Yamuna and others on the eastern side. The forests situated on the eastern side are Bhadravana, Bilvavana, Lauhavana, Bhandiravana and Mahavana. On the western side are Madhuvana, Talavana, Kumudavana, Bahulavana, Kamyavana, Khadiravana and Vrndavana. These are the twelve forests of the Vrndavana area. NoD 9 Further Considerations of Devotional Principles A similar statement is in the Skanda Purana, which says, “Persons who are decorated with tilaka or gopi-candana [a kind of clay resembling fuller's earth which is produced in certain quarters of Vrndavana], and who mark their bodies all over with the holy names of the Lord, and on whose necks and breasts there are tulasi beads, ARE NEVER APPROACHED BY THE YAMADUTAS.” The Yamadutas are the constables of King Yama (the lord of death), who punishes all sinful men. Vaisnavas are never called for by such constables of Yamaraja. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the narration of Ajamila’s deliverance, it is said that Yamaraja gave clear instructions to his assistants not to approach the Vaisnavas. VAISNAVAS ARE BEYOND THE JURISDICTION OF YAMARAJA’S ACTIVITIES.

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हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे ||"

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