Article on Tulasi

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs:Authoritative articles by our revered

AchAryAs in the original or translated forms are always

most welcome to us. I am enclosing an article that

appeared in PeraruLALan magazine authored by

HH PoundarIkapuram Andavan and translated by

SrImathi Usha Narasimhan of Bangalore.Thank you

SrImathi Usha Narasimhan .

 

Saint ThyagarAja has composed 5 krithis on

TuLasamma . We will cover those krithis and

have the audio recordings of those krithis

in that list in a few days.

 

V.Sadagopan

 

 

Feb 2002

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Shrimathe Gopaala Desika Mahadesikaaya Namaha

 

Article in Perarulaalan by HH Srimad Paravakkottai Andavan of

Sri Poundarikapuram Ashramam, Srirangam (translated from Tamil)

 

Tulasi

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Tulasi upanishad, talks of the invaluable nature of tulasi in great expanse.

Black in color, she is the swararupa of rig, yajur, saama, atharvana veda;

She is eulogised extensively in the puraanas, as Vaishnavi , born of the

nectar,

the darling of Vishnu. She is capable of destroying the cycle of births and

deaths; she dispels sins of those who see her; she bestows purity on those

who touch her; she relieves the prostraters off their diseases;

she keps death away from those who nurture her - by watering the tulasi plant;

she keps dangers away from those who worship Narayana ; she bestows wealth on

those ho partake her; she gets rid of poverty of those who

circummbulate her; on applying the mud found at the root of the tulasi plant,

great sins are destroyed; by smelling the tulasi, internal dirt - mental

affliction -

is removed; in such a manner tulasi bestows many goodnesses.

One who has such knowledge is a vaishnavite.

 

Worshipping the Tulasi

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One should never pluck tulasi casually. One should always go past tulasi

in a circumambulate (pradakshina) fashion. Do not even touch tulasi,

unnecessarily. The tulasi leaves should not be plucked at the nodes.

One who flout these rules, is like the one who hurts Vishnu.

 

Yagam, charity, japam, theertam, shrardham, bhagavath aaradhanam,

tharpanam, maarjanam(vaidika karyangal) and other karmas should not

be performed without tulasi. Japam when performed with

Tulasi beads bestows all goodnesses.

 

Days on which tulasi should not be plucked

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On fridays, tuesdays, sundays , ammavaasai,

poornima, sankramanam, grahana kaalam, shashti,

ashtami, dwadasi, chaturdasi, vyathipaadam, manvadhi,

yugadhi and in the afternoon, nights and

sandhya kaalam tulasi should not be plucked.

While gathering the tulasi leaves they should not be borne

using bare hands, on a cloth or aamanakku leaf.

Tulasi leaves can be preserved and used unless they are spoilt. In places

where tulasi is rare, even dry twigs of tulsi may be used.

Tender shoots with four or six leaves have to be plucked at a time.

Tulasi should not be gathered - for personal use-

from temples, forests etc. Home grown tulasi is the best for perusal.

 

Mahalakshmi resides under the shade of the Tulasi. Mahavishnu

resides at the root of the Tulasi plant. All around the tulasi,

gods like siddhas, charanas, pannagars etc. reside. All holy waters run

at the bottom of the tulasi plant.In the mid portion of tulasi plant,

all gods from Bramha onwards, reside. In the tip of the tulasi plant,

vedas and shashtras reside. Tulasi provides for

prayashchittam for all sins. While plucking the tulasi leaves,

one has to chant the tulasi mantra. Upadesha of this mantra may be

got from elders of the home.