Picking Tulsi

[Pritesh01]

Is it ok to take a tulsi out of a tulsi tree brfor it falls? are they any sins occured when is the best time i can do this? is it true krishna only accepts prasadam with a tulsi leaf?

[Guest guest]

Haribol, as far as i know it is ok to pick a Tulsi leaf before it falls because it is being used to serve Krishna, as Krishna only accepts bhoj if there is a Tulsi leaf placed on the item being offered. This was because when Vrnda Devi was cursed to be a plant (and the Lord turned into a stone otherwise know as a shaligram), she was honoured to be always placed at the lotus feet of the Lord and Krishna would only accept offerings with a Tulsi leaf. If however one does not have a Tulsi leaf available, in my humble opinion, if one visualises that Tulsi is present on the offering, Krishna will be pleased.

 

As for your question regarding picking the leaf, there is a special mantra to be chanted. I do not have this at hand but i will post it in the next couple of days. If you have access to the Back to Godhead magazine there was a lovelly article on Tulsi Devi and her worship. The article was in the BTG about 5 years ago, and the front cover had a picture of Vrnda Devi with a blue background.

In the article it stated that if one does pick a leaf it should be done after sunrise and before sunset.

 

 

 

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

Here is a website that provides much information on taking care of Tulasi:

 

http://www.hknet.org.nz/sstp-12a.html#TheTulasiHandbook