Both the article and the accompanying video were produced by Namarasa Dasa.
Picking Tulasi leaves and manjaris is an important activity in the life of a sadhaka because Tulasi is absolutely needed to worship Krishna in His deity form. We put Tulasi in the water we bathe Him with, the food He eats, and on His lotus feet. The video above goes in detail on how to properly pick Tulasi Devi to help her grow more bushy. In this short article, I will outline the method of how to pick Tulasi leaves and manjaris.
There is a quote by Srila Prabhupada where he mentions that Tulasi leaves that have fallen should be collected first. This is practical advice because if we pick too many green leaves, Tulasi may be troubled because scientifically, a plant eats through its leaves. Of course, Tulasi is transcendental, but we have to keep this in mind.
“You can take for worshiping Krishna leaves from the Tulasi plant. First utilize the dead leaves or leaves which have fallen down, and if more leaves are required for worshiping Krishna, you may take them from Tulasi plant in this way: First approach Tulasi Devi and offer your obeisances, requesting her that for worshiping Krishna you want to take some leaves. Then if she allows you may take.”
– Letter from Srila Prabhupada, 1977 unknown correspondence
Manjaris, on the other hand, take a lot of energy to grow. They should be cut when they are soft and when they look like small pyramids. In the sastras, it is said that we should offer soft manjaris to Krishna. In the above video you can see where you have to pick, just underneath a manjari with two leaves, one on each side.
Some say you shouldn’t use scissors, but many people use a dedicated pair of scissors that for Tulasi only. This makes sure you don’t accidentally pluck too much off or perhaps even split a branch.
When picking leaves or manjaris, it should be daytime, not Dvadashi (the day after Ekadashi), and you should be altar clean (freshly bathed and wearing clean clothing). Chant the mantra:
tulasy amṛta-janmāsi
sadā tvaṁ keśava-priyā
keśavārthaṁ cinomi tvāṁ
vara-dā bhava śobhane
“Oh Tulasi, you were born from nectar. You are always very dear to Lord Kesava. Now, in order to worship Lord Kesava, I am collecting your leaves and manjaris. Please bestow your benediction on me.”
It’s best to pick the manjaris as soon as you see them so that Tulasi can direct her energy elsewhere. Also, you don’t always need to pick green leaves, first use leaves that have fallen or are yellow and about to fall. When you are done picking, chant the mantra:
cayanodbhava-duḥkhaṁ ca
yad hṛdi tava vartate
tat kṣamasva jagan-mātaḥ
vṛndā-devī namo ’stu te
“Oh Tulasi-Devi, I offer my respectful obeisances unto you. Kindly forgive me if I have caused you pain by picking your leaves and manjaris, Oh mother of the universe.”
Keep Tulasi’s area clean by sweeping daily, and her pot free from dry leaves and flowers. She is a pure devotee of the Lord and should be treated as such!
Check out the video above for a visual explanation of how to pick Tulasi Devi properly and how to help her grow more bushy.
Check out our other foundational articles on watering, lighting, nutrients, bugs, temperature, humidity and soil to learn how to take care of the Tulasi plant. If you don’t already have a plant, get some seeds here, and watch our video on how to grow them.
Look over this article to learn how to diagnose your Tulasi plant when she’s sick and feel free to contact us with any questions. If you want to deepen your knowledge about the Tulasi plant from ancient Vedic wisdom, check out this amazing book.
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Thank you for your very informative website dedicated to Tulsaiseva. Please accept my dandavat pranams 🙏.
I am very blessed to have been blessed with Srimati Tulasi ‘s presence but find myself in a dilemma. I was given two plants some time ago and planted them in a planter box next to the house as I was told they would survive living outside. This is a different variety to Tulasi I have had in the past which had to grow inside due to our climate and never survived very long often succumbing to spider mites.
Fast forward to today and I now have two rather large Tulasi ‘trees’ growing up against the house and window and overhanging the path. If I had known they would grow so big I would have planted them in pots elsewhere. I didn’t expect them to grow bigger than a small, compact shrub.
Every time I look at Her, it causes me some anxiety as Her size has become problematic (we are needing to paint our window frames this summer) and I understand we are not meant to cut or shape Tulasi or even brush against her. Other devotees have suggested, though not ideal, that it could be done with may prayers for forgiveness. Or that I could try transplanting Her, something I’m not sure She would survive and which would also require some trimming.
I feel I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. From a practical point of view, Tulasi has grown too big for where She is planted but from a spiritual perspective, I am fearful of causing Her pain and suffering, or even death, not to mention committing an immense offence if I do anything to remedy this. Are you able to offer me any advice on this matter?
Hare Krishna 🙏🙏🙏
Hare Krishna, dandavat pranams. Thank you for your kind words.
A similar incident happened in Hawaii in 1971, this article speaks about it and the advice Prabhupada gave in this regard:
https://tulasiseva.com/respect-for-tulasi/
In short, Srila Prabhupada advised to never cut her, and that her branches can be tied back to avoid brushing against her.
In addition to that I would suggest possibly trying to relocate her. You would just need to dig up her root system while trying not to damage to much of it. Small trees are relocated all the time and you could follow a similar procedure, I think it would be doable.
Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna,
Thank you for your advice, I ll do that.
Hare Krishna,
Please accept my humble obeisance, all glories to Prabhupada.
We recently acquire a Tulasi by a good friend who offered us to take care of her.
The Tulasi plant has two stems (it is maybe two seeds that are growing one near the other).
They are already quite grown (one has already 5 levels of leaves (and measure 7cm) and the other has 7 levels of leaves (and measure 10 cm)).
Would it be a mistake to try to pick the top level of at least the smallest plant to create a bifurcation ?
The risk I am anticipating is the that the already grown stem may not be able to carry the weight of two (or more) new stems.
I don’t know if that’s authorized in this comment section to share links but for your information here are photos of our plant : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1i94MDVeMBiXhFyuFdmYvTnBFMoi1zpdT?usp=sharing
Please tell me if in the future you prefer me not to share links.
I have just discovered this website and I am so delighted to see so much content on Tulasi Maharani.
Thank you very much for this very precious service you are doing for the devotees.
Hare Krsna,
Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Pick the top most bud on each stem as outlined in the video above. That will keep her from growing upwards and she will start to branch out sideways.
Haré Krishna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I received Tulsi from someone who started her from seed, and so there are multiple plants growing in one pot very close together. I received them after they had grown quite a bit and am not so confident about separating them at the risk of killing them both. Is it okay if I leave them all growing together? Or can I thin them down to one plant per pot? If I can thin them down, what do I do with the Tulsi that I must cut? I can try to re-root them I think and eventually put them in their own pots. I don’t want to commit offenses to Tulsi by cutting her unnecessarily or killing her at the chance that the plants I thin out don’t survive the re-rooting process. Please, any advice on how to proceed? Thank you for sharing all this information.
Hare Krsna,
Jaya Srila Prabhupada.
If they are small the roots may be able to be separated by taking her out of the pot and separating the roots. If she’s grown quite a bit, or if you’re not comfortable doing that, then it’s okay to leave her.
Radhey Krishna prabhuji
Thank you so much for giving spiritual life gyan.its very nice to tell about our dharmas
Thank you ever so much for this wonderful blog about Srimati Tulasi Devi. I once told Srila Gour Govinda Swami that I had a lot of faith in tulasi; he encouraged me, saying: You should continue to serve tulasi, tulasi can give you krsna (this is amply verified in Sri Tulasi-kirtana we sing in the temple.) Please continue with your inspiring service – eternally.
Koti pranams
tarunkrsnadas
Hare Krishna
Thank you so much for the video mataji Such wonderful service Grateful to you
I had two question what if She has grown tall and slender already Do we again use the same method of plucking her top cluster of leaves so that she grows bushy and sideways
Also what is the reason for the leaves sometimes turning purple and sometime the tips turning brown What is the reason and remedy for that
Hare Krishna,
Yes this method can be used at any time, even when she has grown tall and slender already.
Leaves generally turn purplish because of the light being too intense, or a nutrition problem.
Tips sometimes turn brown due to over watering, under watering, low humidity, or light being too intense.
Check out this article for more about how to diagnose specific problems: tulasisevamrta.com/tulasi-plant-health-diagnostic/
Or feel free to contact us with any questions: tulasisevamrta.com/contact/
– Nandini Tulasi das
HareKrsna,
Pranaam To All Respected Devotees , All Glories To Srila Prabhupad Ji And Vaishnav Acharayas.
Absolutely Beautiful Englightening Knowledge On Tulsi Maharani. I Beg Forgiveness Have Done Much Offence , Will Try Much Harder To Improve Service To Dearmost Tulsi Devi.
🙏🏻🌺🌼🌸🙏🏻
Can I pick the leaves and make tea with them for myself to drink if I am offering them to Krishna first?
In the Vaisnava tradition we do not use Tulasi for tea, only for offering to Krsna, then the offered leaves are honored by eating them.
Thank you for the lovely blog on tulsi maharani. You are doing real service to her and mankind.
Hare Krishna
My few tulsi plants have dried totally..and also in some plants few branches are treen and few dried..how to pluck those dried stems and whole dried plant. Please let me know..
If the Tulasi plant has completely dried up and has no life in it, then you can cut up the branches. If she is partially dried up but still is giving green leaves, then don’t cut any branches. Do not cut the branches unless the entire plant has no life.
Hare Krishna can ripped in tamil
Thank you for your guidance
hare krishna, please accept my humbel obeisances.
I think maybe there is a word false.
you should be altar clean (freshly bathed and wearing clean clothing).
here “altar” maybe use “utterly”.
I live in China, I translate this essay into Chinese for introduce how to pick tulasi.
so I need your reply.
Thank you.
Hare Krsna, please accept my humble obeisances.
Thank you for your message and your wonderful service of translating this article to Chinese. The phrase “altar clean” is used in many parts of ISKCON to explain the state of cleanliness one should be in when doing service on the altar for the deity. So in the same way when touching tulasi, we should be as clean as we would when touching the deities. “Altar clean” means being freshly bathed and wearing clean clothing.