STOTRAS,BHAJANS & PUJA: The Worshiping of Srimati Tulasi-devi(Tulasi Stotra/puja.18)

The Worshiping of Srimati Tulasi-devi(Tulasi Stotra/puja.18)

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“Every home with a Tulasi plant is a place of pilgrimage, and no diseases, messengers of Yama, the God of Death, can enter it.”
Skandapurana 2, 4, 8, 13 Padmapurana Uttarakhanda

Wherever the aroma of Tulasi is carried by the wind, it purifies the atmosphere and frees all animals from all baser tendencies.”
Padmapurana, Uttarakhanda

“Vishnu, the Lord of the Three Worlds, takes up abode in the village or the house where Tulasi is grown. In such a house no one suffers calamities like poverty, illness or separations from dear ones.” Padmapurana, Uttarakhanda, 6-24-31-32

Benefits of Worshiping Tulasi-devi

Although we can never fully describe the glories of Tulasi-devi, an eternal associate of Lord Krsna. The scriptures give us a hint of the value of worshiping her. The following list comes from the Padma Purana.

Tulasi is the essence of all devotional activities.
The leaves, flowers, roots, bark, branches, trunk, and shade of Tulasi-devi are all spiritual.
One who with devotion applies the paste of Tulasi wood to the Deity of Krsna will always live close to Krsna.
One who puts mud from the base of the Tulasi tree on his body and worships the Deity of Lord Krsna gets the results of one hundred days worship each day.
One who offers a Tulasi manjari to Lord Krsna gets the benefit of offering all other varieties of flowers, and he goes to the abode of Krsna.
One who sees or comes near a house or garden where the Tulasi plant is present gets rid of all his sinful reactions, including that of killing a brahmana.
Lord Krsna happily lives in the house, town, or forest where Tulasi-devi is present.
A house where Tulasi-devi is present never falls on bad times, and it becomes purer than all holy places.
The fragrance of Tulasi-devi purifies all who smell it.
Lord Krsna and all the demigods live in a house where mud from the base of the Tulasi tree is found.
Without Tulasi leaves, Lord Krsna does not like to accept flowers, food, or sandalwood paste.
One who worships Lord Krsna daily with Tulasi leaves attains the results of all kinds of austerity, charity, and sacrifice. In fact, he has no other duties to perform, and he has realized the essence of the scriptures.
One who puts into his mouth or on his head Tulasi leaves that have been offered to Lord Krsna attains Lord Krsna’s abode.
In Kali-yuga, one who worships, remembers, plants, keeps, or performs kirtana before Tulasi burns up all sinful reactions and quickly attains Lord Krsna’s abode.
One who worships Lord Krsna with Tulasi leaves releases all his ancestors from the realm of birth and death.
One who remembers the glories of Tulasi or tells others about them will never take birth again.

The Worship of Srimati Tulasi-devi

For devotees aspiring to enter the eternal realm of Vrindavan, service to Vrinda-devi is essential. Srila Prabhupada stressed this by making Tulasi puja a daily part of our morning program. Tulasi-devi is an expansion of Vrinda-devi in this world. Every morning we pray to Vrinda-devi:

“ye tomara sarana loy tara vancha purna hoy krpa kori koro tare vrndavana-vasi“

“Whoever takes shelter of you, all his desires are fulfilled and by your mercy he becomes a resident of Vrndavana.”

Srimati Tulasi-devi is worshiped in the morning, after mangala-arati, when all the devotees should attend to her worship and circumambulation. First, obeisances are offered to Tulasi-devi with the Tulasi pranama mantra. Following, the Tulasi-puja-kirtana song is sung while Tulasi-devi is offered incense, a ghee lamp, and flowers. When the song is finished, the assembled devotees circumambulate Tulasi-devi four times, offering her water. During the circumambulation we are chanting the mantra: yani kani ca papani brahma-hatyadikani ca / tani tani pranasyanti pradaksinah pade pade. Finally, we again offer obeisances with the Tulasi pranama mantra.

Tulasi’s body is spiritual. Although Tulasi appears as many individual trees, she is one person, and she comes wherever she sees devotion to Krsna.

Every morning devotees should water and pray to Tulasi-devi and circumambulate her three times.

Worship Tulasi with nice food, flowers, incense, a ghee lamp, and other traditional articles of worship.

Protect the delicate Tulasi seedlings from birds and insects. It is an offense to turn the seedlings back into the soil.

In places where Tulasi cannot survive the winters when planted in the ground, provide a suitable house for her.

Every day provide Tulasi fresh air, water (as needed be careful not to water too much), and sunshine (or plant lights).

Neglecting to care for or water Tulasi properly is a great offense. Do everything carefully.

When picking Tulasi leaves, chant the following mantra:

tulasy amrta janmasi
sada tvam kesava-priya
kesavartham cinomi tvam
varada bhava sobhane

“O Tulasi, you were born from nectar. You are always very dear to Lord Kesava. Now, in order to worship Lord Kesava, I am collecting your leaves and manjaris. Please bestow your benediction on me.”

Pick only the leaves that grow next to the manjaris (flowers) and the leaves that are ready to drop (they will turn a pale color) not the new, green ones. Pick the manjaris as soon as they blossom. Avoid letting them go to seed, which takes much energy from the plant that can be used to make more leaves and flowers for Krsna’s service. Pick the leaves one at a time with your fingertips. Don’t shake or stroke the branch and damage healthy leaves. Pick with care and attention. Avoid using cutting tools.

Never cut or prune Tulasi-devi. This is a great offense. Remove dead branches if absolutely necessary. If branches obstruct a passageway, tie them back, but don’t cut them.

Pick Tulasi leaves and flowers in the morning, never at night (from sunset to sunrise).

Never use chemical sprays on Tulasi.

Collect leaves once in the morning for worshiping Krsna and for putting on the plates of food to be offered to Him. Put at least one leaf on each preparation. Never pick Tulasi leaves for any other purpose than to offer to the Lord.

Lord Krsna likes garlands of Tulasi leaves. Tulasi leaves mixed with sandalwood pulp and placed on the lotus feet of the Lord is the topmost worship. Do not place Tulasi leaves on the feet of anyone other than Lord Visnu in His various forms. Srimati Radharani can be given a Tulasi leaf in Her hand for offering to Lord Krsna.

Krsna accepts even dry Tulasi leaves. Tulasi wood (taken after a plant has fully dried naturally) can be used to carve worship paraphernalia, such as beads. Place leftover Tulasi wood within the earth.
(Courtesy www,Vrindavan dham)

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