Tulasi mahima is spoken of by Prahlada in Padma Purana, said P.T. Seshadri in a discourse. Prahlada says that rishis met Sadananda. They asked him whose name, if uttered, would destroy our sins and give us punyas. Sadananda told them about how Tulasi Devi’s avatara happened.
He said Rudra had told his son Subrahmanya about Tulasi Devi’s greatness. Sadananda said that when the milky ocean was churned, using the Mantara mountain as the churning rod, many things appeared from the ocean, including nectar. Sacred drops of water fell from Lord Narayana’s eye into the nectar pot. Tulasi came from one of these drops. Lord Narayana took for Himself only three entities that emanated from the ocean. They were Lakshmi, Kaustubha gem and Tulasi. Of these, He wore the first two on His chest, but He wore Tulasi all over His body. The Lord wanted to grant Tulasi a boon. Tulasi requested that no matter what sins a person had committed, if he prayed to Tulasi , his sins should be wiped out.
She further requested that those who did an archana to the Lord using Tulasi and those who consumed Tulasi offered at His feet must reach His feet. She also prayed that He must always think of her, just as she would be thinking of Him always. The Lord gave her the boons she asked for. In addition, He said that there were lots of flowers like lotuses, maalasugandha, jasmine and so on, which were offered to Him in worship. Some even offered flowers made of gold. But if these flowers were offered without Tulasi, He would not be pleased. Wilted flowers are removed from the Lord’s body, and discarded. But Tulasi leaves, even if they have wilted, will continue to please Him, He said. Moksha is guaranteed to those who use Tulasi when they do their daily aradhana to the Lord.
Nammazhvar, in his Thiruviruttam, points to the sacredness of tulasi, said P.T. Seshadri, in a discourse. Nammazhvar imagines himself to be Parankusa Nayaki, a girl pining for Krishna’s love. Parankusa Nayaki’s anxious mother sends for a woman fortune teller and asks her to suggest a remedy for her daughter’s problem. The fortune teller says that what ails her daughter is no ordinary disease, and ordinary medicines will be of no use. Tulasi is the only medicine that will help, says the fortune teller. She advises Parankusa Nayaki’s mother to place around her daughter’s neck a tulasi garland that has adorned the Lord. Or she could place a tulasi leaf on her head. Even a tulasi stalk can be placed on her head. Or the root of the tulasi plant can be put on her head. Even the soil in which a tulasi plant grew can be placed on her head and will cure her, says the fortune teller.
Padma Purana has the story of tulasi’s birth. When the milky ocean was churned and nectar was obtained, an auspicious drop of water from Lord Narayana’s eyes fell into the nectar pot and tulasi came from this. Padma Purana has a sloka which begins with the words “tulasi amrita janmaasi,” where not only is tulasi’s birth from nectar mentioned, but the purpose of her birth is also mentioned. The sloka says that tulasi is dear to Lord Kesava, and that she is being plucked only to be offered to Kesava. The sloka ends with a prayer for tulasi’s blessings. Prahlada recites this sloka in Padma Purana and says it should be recited before plucking tulasi leaves. Manavala Mamunigal quotes this sloka in his Jeeyar Thiruvaradhana krama, although he does not mention Padma Purana explicitly. Manavala Mamunigal too says this sloka must be recited before plucking tulasi leaves.
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