unclean people can offer water to Srimati Tulasi Devi?

March 16, 2002

om gurave namah

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Jaya Jagannath Mahaprabhu

Pranaam to your feet Sri Bhakti Visrambha MAdhava Maharaj,

I have been lost in endless menatl debates in search of a suitable answer to

your nice question.

FACTS

1) There is no doubt that the plant is considered as the physical

manifestation of Sri Tulasi Devi and it is Her body alone that can provide

the mala that are used by the Vaishnava just like the Rudraksha provides the

seeds for the mala for Shiva. There is a difference though. In the

Rudraksha, the seed alone is considered auspicious whereas the entire plant

is considered as auspicious in the case of the Tulasi.

2) The Tulsi is the repository of the pavitra agni or the holy fire, and

we know that our prayers reach bhagavan due to the purity they attain by

agni devata residing in the body of Tulasi. If agni were not present either

in the Tulasi or in the Rudraksha, then they cannot be used for mantra japa

purposes.

3) Tradition as received from Sri Jagannath Das and other pancha sakha of

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu clearly indicates the strict methods for keeping

Her at home or other places of worship as well as the mantras used to

receives leaves from Her etc. There are various mantra sadhana involved with

Sri Tulasi Devi.

4) The procedure and reverence for the Griha Tulasi is just as the

reverence for the tree that forms the body of Sri Jagannath Mahaprabhu. A

red cloth is tied as it is not proper to keep the deity undressed. Tulasi

mata should be given red bangles, red sindoor and all other beauty aids just

like a sadhva stri and pavitra agni maintains Her chastity.

ANALYSIS

When a person touches Her, it is like touching a married woman and is

not considered right. To touch Her permission should be sought by reciting

the appropriate mantra and then only are the leaves to be chosen as a gift

from Her for the use of the temple. When anyone touches Her, Her agni tatwa

is decreased but the person is benefitted no doubt. If the plant is among

the many herbs planeted for medicinal purposes, then this does not matter

very much, but if She has been worshipped, then this is bad.

NOTE: The first sign in any temple or house where the purity of the

Griha Tulaisi has not been maintained is that the purity of the Sanyasis,

Guru's and women shall fall (as explained in the Gita for a fall in Agni

tatwa results in fall in Dharma). Sanyasis will remarry, women shall break

the marriage vow they made in front of Agni devata and the very purpose of

the temple shall be lost. The Guru's may fall and they may suffer

physically.

Conclusion: The negatives outweigh the positives for allowing others to

touch Her. It is my firm opinion that hurting sentiments should not be the

criteria out here and Tulasi should be treated as a part of the deities of

the ratna Simhasana of Jagannath. In fact sentiments will be MORE HURT when

the negatives occur.

Maharaj, Srila Prabhupada did allow Tulasi Seva for one and all, but that

was SEVA and not just passerby watering her till Her roots become weak due

to flooding. SEVA will require that they take the responsibility of looking

after her for a day in a week or even a day in a month. Your Holiness can

fix duties for all the devotees so that all benefit from the Seva, but just

to drop a jug of water to cleanse oneself is another thing.

In fact if they really need that cleansing, a dip at Radha kunda or the Maha

Sagar ocean at Puri is recommended.

I submit this humbly at your feet,

Yours faithfully,

Sanjay Rath

Web: http://sanjayrath.tripod.com

Jyotish Digest: http://jyotishdigest.com/

SJVC: http://www.sjvc.org/

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" Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Swami "

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