In the timeless verses of the Garuda Purana, a sacred dialogue unfolds between Sri Narada and Dhundhumara “yo dadāti harernityaṁ tulasī kāṣṭha candanam,” resonates the proclamation, beckoning devotees into a realm where devotion intertwines with the aromatic essence of tulasi wood. This article ventures deep into these glories, where each offering of tulasi wood paste to Lord Janardana becomes a celestial key, unlocking doors to realms of transcendence. As we explore these illuminations of the profound impact of tulasi on the spiritual journey, we uncover an opportunity that transcends the miseries of material existence, burning away the karmic residues of previous lifetimes.
atha śrī tulasīkāṣṭha-candanamāhātmyam
The Glories of Tulasi Wood Paste
gāruḍe śrī nārada-dhundhumāranṛpa-saṁvāde
In a conversation between Sri Narada and Dhundhumara about the glories of tulasi wood paste found in the Garuda Purana, it is stated:
6.318
yo dadāti harernityaṁ
tulasī kāṣṭha candanam
yugāni vasate svarge
hyanantāni narottamaḥ
One who offers tulasi wood paste to Lord Janardana every day will reside in heaven for an almost unlimited number of yugas.
6.319-322
mahāṇau kalau bhaktayā
dattvā tulasī candanam
yo’rccayen mālatī puṣpair
na bhūya stanapo bhavet
tulasīkāṣṭha sambūtaṁ
candanaṁ yacchato hareḥ
nirddahet pātakaṁ sarvvaṁ
pūrvva janma śataiḥ kṛtam
sarvveṣāmapi devānāṁ
tulasīkāṣṭha candanam
pitṛṇāñca viśeṣeṇa
sadā’bhīṣṭaṁ hareryathā
mṛtyukāle tu saṁprāpte
tulasī taru candanam
bhavate yasya dehe tu
harirbhūtvā hariṁ vrajet
In this age of Kali, one who offers tulasi wood paste to Lord Maha-Vishnu and worships Him with offerings of jasmine flowers will no longer have to suffer the miseries of material existence. By offering tulasi wood paste to the Lord, a devotee’s sinful reactions that were accumulated during his past one hundred lifetimes become burnt to ashes at once. As tulasi wood paste is dear to Lord Hari—it is also very dear to the demigods and forefathers. He whose body is smeared with the paste of tulasi wood at the time of death achieves the liberation of having the same bodily features as Lord Hari while residing in his transcendental abode.
6.323
tāvan malayajaṁ viṣṇor
bhāti kṛṣṇā gururnṛpa
yāvanna dyśyate puṇyaṁ
tulasī kāṣṭha candanam
O King, sandalwood paste and black aguru increase the beauty of Sri Vishnu only for as long as pure tulasi wood paste is not available. In other words, they are inferior to tulasi wood paste.
6.324-325
tāvat kastūri kāmodaḥ
karpūrasya sugandhitā
yāvanna dīyate viṣṇos
tulasīkāṣṭha candanam
kalau yacchanti ye viṣṇau
tulasīkāṣṭha candanam
dhundhumāra na vai marttyāḥ
punarāyānti te bhuvi
The aroma of musk and camphor continues to flourish until tulasi wood paste is offered to the limbs of Lord Vishnu. O Dhundhumara, in the age of Kali, those who offer tulasi wood paste to Sri Hari will not have to return to this mortal world.
6.326
yo hi bhāgavato bhūtvā
kalau tulasī-candanam
nārpayati sadā viṣṇor
na sa bhāgavato naraḥ
A devotee of the Lord cannot be considered an actual devotee if he does not offer tulasi wood paste to Lord Vishnu.
prahlādasaṁhitayām
In the Prahlāda-saṁhita it is stated
6.327-329
na tena sadyśo loke
viṣṇavo vidyate bhuvi
yaḥ prayacchati kṛṣṇāya
tulasīkāṣṭha candanam
tulasī dāru jātena
candanena kalau naraḥ
vilipya bhaktito viṣṇuṁ
ramate sannidhau hareḥ
tulasīkāṣṭha jātena
candanena vilepanam
yaḥ kuryyād viṣṇutoṣāya
kapilāgo-phalam labhet
There is no better Vaisnava in this world than one who offers tulasi wood paste to Sri Krishna. In this age of Kali, by offering tulasi wood paste to the Lord with devotion, one can go to Vaikuntha and reside in his association. Those who smear the body of Lord Vishnu with tulasi wood paste obtain the merit of giving brown cows in charity.
viṣṇudharmottare ca
In the Viṣṇu-dharmottara it is stated
6.332
tulasīcandanākta aṅgaḥ
kurute kṛṣṇa pūjanam
pūjanena dinaikena
labhate śatavārṣikīm
One who worships Sri Krishna after decorating his body with tulasi wood paste attains the merit of worshiping the Lord for one hundred years in a single day.
6.333-334
vilepanārthaṁ kṛṣṇasya
tulasīkāṣṭha candanam
mandire vasate yasya
tasya puṇyaphalaṁ śṛṇu
tila prasthāṣṭakaṁ dattvā
yat puṇyaṁ cottrāyaṇe
tattulyaṁ jāyate puṇyaṁ
prasādāc cakrapāṇinaḥ
Now, hear about the piety of one in whose house there is tulasi wood paste used for applying to the body of Sri Krishna. The piety one achieves by donating eight prasthas of sesame seeds on a day when the sun moves one zodiac sign to another when the sun is in the northern hemisphere can be achieved by pleasing Lord Hari, who carries a disc in His hand, with an offering of tulasi wood paste.
We welcome you to read our other articles on Tulasi Devi as found in sastra, including more from the hari-bhakti-vilasa.
Bibliography
- Gosvami, Sanatana. (2005) Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa Volume Two, Vilasas 6-10 (Bhumipati Dasa trans.) Vrindavan: Rasbihari Lal & Sons.
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How to make tulasi wood paste?
Grind dried Tulasi sticks against a grinding stone with a little bit of water. It is the same stone that is used for making sandal wood paste. Search “sandal wood paste grinding stone” online and there will be some examples.
USING TULASI WOOD ON THE FUNERAL PYRE
When the dead body is being burnt, even if one small piece of Tulasi wood is put in the fire, then that person will attain the spiritual world; by the touch of Tulasi all other wood is purified . When the messengers of Lord Visnu see a fire, which has Tulasi wood burning in it, they immediately come and take that person, whose body has been burnt, to the spiritual world. The messengers of Yamaraj will not come to that place, where Tulasi wood is burning. That person’s body, which has been burnt by Tulasi wood, goes to the spiritual world and on his way, all the demigods shower flowers on him. When Lord Visnu and Lord Siva see that person on his way to the spiritual world, they become very happy and bless him, and Lord Krsna comes before him, and taking his hand, He takes him to His own abode. –Padma Purana, Tulasi Devi Mahatmya, patalakhanda
Note: I have been doing funerals ceremonies or cremations for many years for devotees and nondevotees such as my grandparents and I always put some Tulasi wood on their body for being burn. Even if a devotee is wearing “Tulasi” neck beads, that may not actually be Tulasi, as Srila Prabhupada has said: They [those who make the beads] say it is Tulasi but it is not. Or as some people say “all the trees in Vrndavana are Tulasi trees.”