The Transcendental Anatomy of Tulasi Devi

Partake on a journey into the mystical world of the transcendental anatomy of Tulasi Devi, as illuminated by profound verses in ancient scriptures. These verses, a mere glimpse into that sacred space, reveal the divine essence of Tulasi and her unparalleled significance. Delve into sastra unveiling the sanctity of Tulasi’s roots, leaves, and soil, and the celestial entities and holy places that find refuge in her divine presence.

These are only a small number of verses describing the transcendental anatomy of Tulasi Devi, we will be updating this article as we find more verses.

Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (Skanda Purāṇa) 9.182-184 
bhū-gatais tulasī-mūlair
mṛttikā sparśitā tu yā
tīrtha-koṭi-samā jñeyā
dhāryā yatnena sā gṛhe

yasmin gṛhe dvija-śreṣṭha
tulasī-mūla-mṛttikā
sarvadā tiṣṭhate dehe
devatā na sa mānusaḥ

tulasī-mṛttika-lipto
yadi prāṇāt parityajet 
yamena nekṣituṁ śakto
yuktaḥ pāpa-śatair api

Know for certain that the clay found where the roots of a tulasi plant have spread is as sanctified as millions of holy places of pilgrimage. One should very carefully keep that clay in his house. One whose body or house is adorned with clay that was taken from the root of a tulasi plant is not to be considered inferior to a demigod. One can escape the wrath of Yamarāja if at the time of death his body is smeared with the clay found at the root of a tulasi plant.

Tulasī Upaniṣad Text 5
tvam eva sura-saṁsevyā 
tvam eva mokṣa-dāyinī
tvac-chāyāyāṁ vasel lakṣmīs 
tvan-mūle viṣṇur avyayaḥ

You indeed are the object of worship for all the demigods, and the bestower of liberation. In Your shadow Srimati Lakshmi Devi lives, and in Your root imperishable Lord Vishnu is residing.

Tulasī-dhātrī-māhātmya (Padma Purāṇa) Text 8
indro ’gniḥ śamanaś caiva 
nairṛtir varuṇas tathā
pavanaś ca kuveraś ca
tac chākhāyāṁ vasanty amī

The demigods—Lord Indra, Lord Agni, Lord Yamaraja, Lord Nairiti, Lord Varuna, Lord Vayu, and Lord Kuvera dwell in the branches of Srimati Tulasi Devi’s plant.

Tulasī-dhātrī-māhātmya (Padma Purāṇa) Text 6
keśavaḥ patra-madhye ca 
patrāgre ca prajāpatiḥ
patra-vṛnte śivas tiṣṭhet 
tulasyāḥ sarvadaiva hi

Lord Kesava always dwells in the middle of Srimati Tulasi Devi’s leaf, Lord Brahma at the tip of the leaf, and Lord Shiva at the base of the stem of the leaf.

Tulasī-dhātrī-māhātmya (Padma Purāṇa) Text 7
lakṣmīḥ sarasvatī caiva 
gāyatrī caṇḍikā tathā
sarvāś cānyā deva-patnyas 
tat-patreṣu vasanti ca

Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Sarasvati, Goddess Gayatri, Goddess Candika, and all the wives of other demigods as well, dwell in the leaves of Srimati Tulasi Devi’s plant.

Tulasī-dhātrī-māhātmya (Padma Purāṇa) Text 10
koṭi-brahmāṇḍa-madhyeṣu 
yāni tīrthāni bhū-tale
tulasī-dalam āśritya 
tāny eva nivasanti vai

All holy places in the millions of universes as well as on the earth, are sheltered in Srimati Tulasi Devi’s leaves.

Śrī Garga-saṃhitā 2.15.13
puṣkarādyāni tīrthāni
gaṅgādyāḥ saritas tathā
vāsudevādayo devā
vasanti tulasī-dale

On a single Tulasi leaf the holy places beginning with Pushkara, the sacred rivers beginning with the Ganga, and the Deities headed by Lord Vasudeva reside.

Śrī-tulasī-stava Text 32
tulasī-patra-galitaṁ
yas toyaṁ śirasā vahet
gaṅgā-snānam avāpnoti
daśa-dhenu-phala-pradam 

One who carries water fallen from Srimati Tulasi Devi’s leaves on one’s head attains the same result of bathing in Ganga river or giving ten cows in charity.

Tulasī-dhātrī-māhātmya (Padma Purāṇa) Text 5
yatraikas tulasī vṛkṣas
tiṣṭhaty api ca sattama
tatraiva tridaśāḥ sarve
brahma-viṣṇu-śivādayaḥ

O best of the sages, demigods headed by Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva dwell at that place where even one of Srimati Tulasi Devi’s plants stands.

Tulasī-dhātrī-māhātmya (Padma Purāṇa) Text 9
ādityādi-grahāḥ sarve 
viśvedevāś ca sarvadā
vasavo munayaś caiva 
tathā devarṣayo ’khilāḥ

All planets, like the Sun, the Visvedevas, the Vasus, as well as all sages and all divine saints always reside in Her.

Tulasī-dhātrī-māhātmya (Padma Purāṇa) Text 11
tulasīṁ sevate yas tu 
bhakti-bhāva-samanvitaḥ
sevitās tena tīrthāś ca 
devā brahmādayas tathā

All holy places and demigods headed by Lord Brahma are worshiped automatically by one who devoutly serves Srimati Tulasi Devi.

Śrī Tulasī Stotra Text 9
tulasyāṁ sakalā devā 
vasanti satataṁ yataḥ
atas tām arcayel loke 
sarvān devān samarcayan

In Srimati Tulasi Devi all the demigods reside all the time. Therefore one should worship Her, thereby worshiping all demigods in this world.

Tulasī Upaniṣad Texts 6-7
samantād devatāḥ sarvāḥ 
siddha-cāraṇa-pannagāḥ
yan-mūle sarva-tīrthāni 
yan-madhye brahma-devatāḥ

yad-agre veda-śāstrāṇi 
tulasīṁ tāṁ namāmy aham
tulasi śrī-sakhi śubhe 
pāpa-hāriṇi puṇya-de

Around You all the upadevas such as the denizens of Siddha-loka, Carana-loka, and the celestial serpents are situated. I offer my respects to that Srimati Tulasi Devi in whose root all places of pilgrimage are situated, in whose middle Lord Brahma and the demigods stay, and in whose top the Vedic scriptures rest. O Srimati Tulasi Devi, O friend of Goddess Lakshmi, You are all-auspicious, and You dispel sins and bestow the merits of pious activity.

Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (Padma Purāṇa) 9.162
tulasī-kānanaṁ yatra
yatra padma-vanāni ca
purāṇa-paṭhanaṁ yatra
tatra sannihito hariḥ

Lord Hari resides where there is a tulasi garden or lotus pond, or wherever the puranas are recited.

Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (Skanda Purāna) 9.11-116
ratiṁ badhnāti nānyatra
tulasī-kānanaṁ vinā
deva-devo jagat-svāmī
kali-kāle viśeṣataḥ

hitvā tīrtha-sahasrāṇi
sarvān api śiloccayān
tulasī-kānane nityaṁ
kalau tiṣṭhati keśavaḥ

In Kali-yuga, the lord of the universe is not pleased with anything other than a tulasi forest. In this age of Kali, Lord Kesava disregards thousands of holy places while eternally residing in a forest of tulasi plants.

Padma Purana 9.191

Śrī-prahlāda-saṁhitāyāṁ tathā viṣṇu-dharmottare’ pi
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ kāṣṭhaṁ
tvak-śākhā-pallavāṇkuram
tulasī-sambhavaṁ mūlaṁ
pāvanaṁ mattikādy api

In both, the Śrī prahlāda saṁhitā and the Śrī Viṣṇu-dharma purāṇa, ūttara-khaṇḍa, it is said: “Tulasī’s leaves, flowers, fruits, wood, bark, branches, twigs, sprouts, roots, and earth are all supremely purifying.”

We hope you have found this article on the transcendental anatomy of Tulasi Devi to be enlivening. Take a look at our other articles focusing on Tulasi Devi as found in sastra.

Bibliography

• Gosvami, Sanatana. Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa Volume Two, Vilasas 6-10 (Bhumipati Dasa trans.) Vrindavan: Rasbihari Lal & Sons, 2005. Print.
• Swami, Bhakti Visrambha Madhava. Tulasyamrta, The Nectar of Srimati Tulasi Devi. Vrindavan: Author, 2012. Print.
• Muni, Garga. Sri Garga-samhita (Dhanavir Goswami, Kushakratha Dasa trans.) USA: Rupanuga Vedic College Publishing. Source: https://radha.name. PDF.