Unveiling the Glories of Tulasi Devi – Padma Purana 1

In this translation, discover the transformative power encapsulated in every facet of Tulasi Devi, from leaves to roots, as described in the Padma Purana. The divine narrative explores the purifying essence of Tulasi, its role in cremation, and the divine blessings bestowed upon those who cultivate and worship Her. Join us as we delve into the sanctity of Tulasi, a sacred thread connecting the heart to the divine, unraveling the secrets of Her divine grace and immense religious merit.

The following article is taken from the Padma-Purana Uttarakhaṇḍa chapter twenty-three. This is a scholarly translation from Motilal Banarsidass publishers with very slight modifications by our editors to make it easier to read.

Mahadeva said: O Narada, listen. I shall tell you the importance of Tulasi, which having heard a man is freed from sin from his birth to his death. Everything of Tulasi including leaves, flowers, fruits, roots, branches, skin, and stem is purifying, so also is the clay where a Tulasi plant grows.

Glories of Cremation With Tulasi Wood

Those whose bodies are burnt with the Tulasi wood are freed from sins, so also he on whose dead body the Tulasi wood is placed and who (i.e. whose dead body) is cremated after doing so, is freed from sins. He who at the time of death hears the narration of or has recollection of Vishnu, and who is cremated with the Tulasi wood is not reborn. If among a hundred pieces of any other kind of wood there is just one piece of Tulasi wood (in the funeral pyre), the man would have salvation just at the time of cremation—even if he has committed a crore of sins. By being sprinkled with the water of the Ganga, religious merit becomes meritorious. Similarly, pieces of wood become meritorious when mixed with Tulasi wood. As long as the funeral pyre mixed with Tulasi wood is burning, all his sins committed during crores of kalpas are burnt.

A man should especially bathe with the clay from the root of Tulasi. As long as the clay is on his body, he has bathed at a holy place. When a man who worships with the shoot (flower) of Tulasi, has performed the worship with many flowers and it (the benefit) lasts as long as the moon and the sun shine in the sky. All the sin due to the murder of a brahmana perishes by touching or seeing the plant.

Seeing the dead body of a man being burnt with Tulasi wood, Vishnu’s messengers take him, not Yama’s servants. Freed from thousands of crores of existences, he goes to Vishnu. On those men seated in airplanes, who (i.e. whose dead bodies) are burnt with Tulasi wood, gods (devatas) drop handfuls of flowers. All the celestial damsels sing, and singers sing songs. Seeing him, Vishnu, along with Shiva, is pleased. Taking him by his hand and physically taking him to his house, Vishnu would clean all his sins in the presence of gods after having celebrated a great festival along with cries of victory. The sin of men is burnt in the fire-chamber or crematory when the fire of Tulasi wood is burning with clarified butter.

Glories of Using Tulasi Wood in Puja

Those men who perform a sacrifice with the fire of Tulasi wood would obtain the fruit of an Agnistoma sacrifice for every sesame seed that is offered into the fire. A man who offers the incense of a piece of Tulasi wood to Vishnu obtains the fruit similar to that of a hundred sacrifices or that of the gift of a hundred cows. That food which a man cooks as an offering of eatables to the deity with the fire made from Tulasi wood is indeed accepted by Vishnu. O lord, he who offers one lamp lighted from the Tulasi wood to Vishnu obtains the fruit of the religious merit earned by the offering of thousands of lakhs of lamps. There is no devotee seen on the earth like him who offers the sandal like paste of Tulasi wood to Krishna. O best Brahmana, he becomes fit for the favor of Vishnu. Having devoutly smeared Vishnu with the sandal-like paste obtained from Tulasi wood in the Kali age, he always enjoys in the vicinity of Vishnu. The fruit of the religious merit remains as long as the sandal-like paste from Tulasi wood, used for smearing the deity of Vishnu, remains in the temple.

Other glories of Tulasī Devī

He who carries on his head the water dropping from the Tulasi-leaf obtains the fruit of having bathed in Ganga and would get the fruit of a gift of a hundred cows.

If a man gives a Tulasi leaf on the pinda offered to the manes (ancestors), then for every leaf that is offered, the manes (ancestors) are contented for a hundred years. A man should especially bathe with the clay from the root of Tulasi. As long as the clay is on his body, he has bathed at a holy place. When a man who worships with the shoot (flower) of Tulasi has performed the worship with many flowers and it (the benefit) lasts as long as the moon and the sun shine in the sky. All the sin due to the murder of a Brahmana perishes by touching or seeing the plant. Even by seeing Tulasi, O Narada, all that sin perishes.

Mahadeva said: Now I shall tell you something else. Listen with a concentrated mind. O best of the divine sages, I have not told it to anyone else.

Visnu and Siva Resides Near Tulasi Devi

In whichever house, village, or grove there would be a Tulasi plant, Vishnu, the lord of the world, being pleased, would stay there. In that house where there is a Tulasi plant there is no poverty, no hostile action due to (i.e. from) kinsmen, no grief, no fear, and no disease. Everywhere the Tulasi plant is auspicious, and especially so in a sacred place. When Tulasi is planted by men they eternally reside with Vishnu. When Tulasi is devoutly worshiped, Vishnu pacifies fearful diseases and many ill omens.

Wherever the wind goes after taking the fragrance of Tulasi, all the ten quarters are purified, so also the aggregate beings of four kinds. O best sage, the deities Shiva and Vishnu always reside in that house in which there is the clay taken from the root of the Tulasi plant. Therefore, Tulasi is purifying.

There is no devotee seen on the earth like him who offers the sandal like paste of Tulasī wood to Krsna. O best brahmana, he becomes fit for the favour of Vishnu. Having devoutly smeared Vishnu with the sandal like paste obtained from Tulasī wood in the Kali-age, he always enjoys in the vicinity of Vishnu.

He who carries on his head the water dropping from the Tulasi leaf obtains the fruit of having bathed in Ganga and would get the fruit of a gift of a hundred cows. If he especially plants a Tulasi plant in the temple of Shiva, he would stay in heaven for as many yugas as is the number of the seeds. Formerly goddess Parvati had planted a hundred Tulasi plants on the Himalaya for Shankara.

I bow down to Tulasi. A man should plant Tulasi on a parvan day, on any other special occasion, when in sravana, or on a sankranti day.

Tulasi gives great religious merit. A poor man who worships Tulasi daily will become rich. The image of Vishnu, bringing about every kind of success, gives fame also.

We welcome you to read our other articles on Tulasi Devi as found in sastra.

Bibliography

• The Padma-Purana Part VII. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. 1952, Delhi.