The Religious and Medicinal plants-1

TULASI

Namas thulasi Kalyani,

Namo Vishnu priye Shubhe,

Namo moksha pradhe devi,

Nama sampath pradhayike.

Meaning: I bow to auspicious Tulasi who is dear to Lord Vishnu, who brings good luck to devotees, who guides one to attain salvation, who showers all the wealth to the devotees.

प्रसीद देव देवेशि! प्रसीद हरिवल्लभे! क्शीरोदमथनोद्भूते! तुलसी! त्वां नमाम्यहम्

ప్రసీద దేవ దేవేశి! ప్రసీద హరివల్లభే! క్షీరోదమథనోద్భూతే! తులసీ! త్వాం నమామ్యహమ్

prasIdha dhEva dhEvEshi! prasIdha harivallaBhE!

 kShIrOdhamaThanOdhBhUthE! thulasI! thvAM namAmyaham

यन्मूले सर्व तीर्धानि यन्मध्ये सर्व देवताः यदग्रे सर्व वेदाश्च तुलसीं त्वां नमाम्यहां

యన్మూలే సర్వ తీర్ధాని యన్మధ్యే సర్వ దెవతాః యదగ్రే సర్వ వేదాశ్చ తులసీం త్వాం నమామ్యహాం

yanmUlE sarva thIrDhAni yanmaDhyE sarva dhevathAH

 yadhagrE sarva vEdhAshcha thulasIM thvAM namAmyahAM

 “Tulasi” the queen of herbs is also known as Holy Basil. Tulasi is planted in every Hindu household in a special container or a simple pot and worshipped daily. The name 'tulsi' connotes "the incomparable one". Tulsi is a venerated plant and Hindus worship it in the morning and evening. Tulsi grows wild in the tropics and warm regions. Dark or Shyama tulsi and light or Rama tulsi are the two main varieties of basil, the former possessing greater medicinal value. Of the many varieties, the Krishna or Shyama tulsi is commonly used for worship. A Hindu household is considered incomplete if it doesn't have a tulsi plant in the courtyard. Tulsi is the sacred plant dearer to the Lord Vishnu. Tulsi symbolizes purity. Tulsi got its name from Tulasi Devi, who was one of Lord Krishna's eternal consorts.

The plant can grow up to 4 feet tall. The stems are hairy with simple opposite green leaves. The leaves have an unmistakable aroma. Flowers are light purple and extremely tiny, which bloom on elongate racemes in close whorls. There are two types of Tulasi plants cultivated and they are Rama Tulasi, which has Green leaves and Krishna Tulasi, which has purple leaves.

Tulasi leaves are used in auspicious rituals and to worship god. Vedas mention that God does not accept any offering if it does not include Tulasi leaves. Puranas describes Tulsi as the consort of Lord Krishna. Those departing for their heavenly abodes are give water mixed with tulsi petals. Skanda Purana says, "Just by touching Tulsidevi one's body becomes pure. By praying to her, all diseases practically become removed. If one waters her or makes her wet, the fear of Yamaraja (death personified) is destroyed.”     The plant is a prime ingredient for the worship of Hanuman.

Legend of Tulasi:

The story of Tulasi is written in the Padma purana and in Brahma-vaivarta purana. King Kushadvaja had a daughter named Vrinda, who was married to Jalandara the demon king. Jalandhara accused Shiva of being a hypocrite as he was with a wife when he posed as an ascetic. This infuriated Shiva, but he could not kill Jalandhara as he was protected by his wife Vrinda’s virtue and chastity. Jalandhara became powerful due to this blanket of protection and committed many misdeeds; this worried the gods and goddesses. They approached Lord Vishnu to solve the situation. Lord Vishnu took the form of Jalandhara and broke Vrinda’s chastity. Taking advantage of this situation the gods killed Jaladhara. Vrinda was furious when she became aware of the reason of her husband’s death and cursed Lord Vishnu to turn into a stone. Lord Vishnu became the saligrama stone found in the Gandiki River. Goddess Lakshmi consort of Lord Vishnu was shocked at the curse and went to Vrinda and requested her to take back her curse. Goddess Lakshmi, Parvathi and Saraswathi gave three seeds to Vrinda. Vrinda rolled back her curse and sowed these seeds. She entered her husband’s pyre and gives up her life. The three plants that grow from the three seeds are Tulasi, Tamarind and Indian Gooseberry. Lord Krishna was seen in the Tulasi plant; hence it is believed that Lord Krishna resides in the Tulasi plant. Lord Vishnu blessed Vrinda, that the plant Tulasi that grows would represent her and would be worshiped every day by one and all and this plant will be the most sacred and auspicious thing that can be offered to him. Hence Tulasi is offered to Lord Vishnu and Krishna without fail during pooja / rituals.

Satyabhama once weighed Lord Krishna against all her legendary wealth. The scales did not balance till a single tulsi leaf was placed along with the wealth on the scale by Rukmini with devotion. Thus the tulsi played the vital role of demonstrating to the world that even a small object offered with devotion means more to the Lord than all the wealth in the world.

There are two types of Tulsi worshiped in Hinduism—"Rama Tulsi" has light green leaves and is larger in size; "Krishna Tulsi" has dark green leaves and is important for the worship of Vishnu.

Rama Tulasi

Krishna Tulasi

     In the ceremony of Tulsi Vivah, Tulsi is ceremonially married to Vishnu annually on the eleventh bright day or twelfth of the month of Kartika in the luni solar calendar. That day also marks the end of the four month cāturmāsya period, which is considered inauspicious for weddings and other rituals, and so the day inaugurates the annual marriage season in India. The ritual lighting of lamps each evening during Kartika includes the worship of the Tulsi plant, which is considered auspicious for the home. Vaishnavas especially follow the daily worship of Tulsi during Kartika.

Vaishnavas traditionally use japa malas made from tulsi stems or roots, which are an important symbol of initiation. Tulsi malas are considered to be auspicious for the wearer, and believed to put them under the protection of Vishnu or Krishna. They have such a strong association with Vaishnavas, that followers of Vishnu have long been called "those who bear the tulasi round the neck".

Tulasi Mala

Tulasi Festival:

A festival dedicated to Tulasi is celebrated known as Uttandwadashi or Tulasi Vivah in India. This festival falls in the Hindu month of Karthika.  On this day, a branch of Indian Gooseberry and a branch of Tamarind tree is stuck next to the Tulasi plant and worshiped.

Medicinal Values of Tulasi:

Tulsi has been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda for its diverse healing properties. It is mentioned in the Charaka Samhita an ancient Ayurvedic text. Tulsi is considered to be an adaptogen, balancing different processes in the body, and helpful for adapting to stress. Marked by its strong aroma and astringent taste, it is regarded in Ayurveda as a kind of "elixir of life" and believed to promote longevity. Tulsi extracts are used in ayurvedic remedies for common colds, headaches, stomach disorders, inflammation, heart disease, various forms of poisoning, and malaria. Traditionally, tulsi is taken in many forms: as herbal tea, dried powder, fresh leaf, or mixed with ghee. Essential oil extracted from Karpoora tulsi is mostly used for medicinal purposes and in herbal cosmetics, and is widely used in skin preparations due to its antibacterial activity. For centuries, the dried leaves have been mixed with stored grains to repel insects.

Modern scientific research offers impressive evidence that Tulsi reduces stress, enhances stamina, relieves inflammation, lowers cholesterol, eliminates toxins, protects against radiation, prevents gastric ulcers, lowers fevers, improves digestion and provides a rich supply of antioxidants and other nutrients. Tulsi is especially effective in supporting the heart, blood vessels, liver and lungs and also regulates blood pressure and blood sugar.

Tulasi stamp