Srila Prabhupada on Tulasi Devi 3

The following article consists of excerpts about Tulasi Devi from the letters, lectures, conversations, and books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Date: Nov. 25, 1974
Location: Bombay
Letter to: Sarada

My Dear Sarada Devi Dasi. Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated October 17, 1974, and have noted the contents. I am very glad to hear that you are engaged in the service of Tulasi Devi. Tulasi leaves are very important for satisfying Lord Krishna. But Tulasi Devi is not pleased by the nice tune of singing but by the nice devotion. So you continue to your best, and you will automatically advance more and more in Krishna consciousness.

Date: Nov. 17, 1971
Location: Delhi
Letter to: Patty Dorgan

As far as your questions, Krishna is not in need of anything; He is purnam, the Complete Whole. And yet He appreciates our love for Him, just like everyone appreciates if someone exhibits love for them. So He kindly allows us to show that love by considering that if I do not feed Him, Krishna will go hungry, if I do not give Him rest, He will be tired, like that. He reciprocates by pretending to be dependent on me, my slave, just to give us an opportunity to find the real object of our loving propensity and to take pleasure by pleasing and serving Him. Everything we do should be for the reason that it gives pleasure to Krishna. Because Krishna’s intimate associates give Him the most pleasure, and because they are His favorites, it pleases Him to see that these associates and close friends are also offered all respect by the devotees. Tulasi Devi is part of Krishna’s entourage; She is Krishna-ized or Krishna Conscious, and in this pure state, She has all the qualities of Krishna, and therefore She becomes worshipable just like Krishna. There is a saying, love me, love my dog. It is like that. To approach the President is very difficult, unless you are the friend of His son or daughter, then it becomes very easy. So worship of Tulasi Devi and other of Lord Krishna’s Entourage as part of the total devotional attitude of pleasing Krishna.

Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) Translations and Purports:

3.15.19
mandāra-kunda-kurabotpala-campakārṇa-
punnāga-nāga-bakulāmbuja-pārijātāḥ
gandhe ’rcite tulasīkābharaṇena tasyā
yasmiṁs tapaḥ sumanaso bahu mānayanti

Although flowering plants like the mandara, kunda, kurabaka, utpala, campaka, arṇa, punnaga, nagakesara, bakula, lily, and parijata are full of transcendental fragrance, they are still conscious of the austerities performed by Tulasi, for Tulasi is given special preference by the Lord, who garlands Himself with Tulasi leaves.

Purport:

The importance of Tulasi leaves is very clearly mentioned here. Tulasi plants and their leaves are very important in devotional service. Devotees are recommended to water the Tulasi tree every day and collect the leaves to worship the Lord. One time an atheistic svāmī remarked, “What is the use of watering the Tulasi plant? It is better to water eggplant. By watering the eggplant one can get some fruits, but what is the use of watering the Tulasi?” These foolish creatures, unacquainted with devotional service, sometimes play havoc with the education of people in general.

The most important thing about the spiritual world is that there is no envy among the devotees there. This is true even among the flowers, which are all conscious of the greatness of Tulasi. In the Vaikuntha world entered by the four Kumaras, even the birds and flowers are conscious of service to the Lord.

4.8.55
salilaiḥ śucibhir mālyair
vanyair mūla-phalādibhiḥ
śastāṅkurāṁśukaiś cārcet
tulasyā priyayā prabhum

One should worship the Lord by offering pure water, pure flower garlands, fruits, flowers, and vegetables which are available in the forest, or by collecting newly grown grasses, small buds of flowers or even the skins of trees, and if possible, by offering Tulasi leaves, which are very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Purport:

It is specifically mentioned herein that Tulasi leaves are very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and devotees should take particular care to have Tulasi leaves in every temple and center of worship. In the Western countries, while engaged in propagating the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we were brought great unhappiness because we could not find Tulasi leaves. Therefore we are very much obliged to our disciple Srimati Govinda dasi because she has taken much care to grow Tulasi plants from seeds, and she has been successful by the grace of Krishna. Now Tulasi plants are growing in almost every center of our movement.

Tulasi leaves are very important in the method of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead… Tulasi leaves are very important for satisfying the Lord, so as far as possible an arrangement should be made for growing Tulasi leaves.