Continuation…
Dr. Shanker Adawal
Vastu and Sacred
Vegetation
Part
2
Tulasi
Plant- The Tulasi plant is said to be the most favourite of
Vishnu. The name Tulasi is explained by the Brahmavaivarta P. by saying that
after seeing her, men and women are unable to provide any comparison for her.
Hence the knower of yore call her by the name Tulasi. She is also called
Vrandavani, because she performed penance at Vrandavna, as is mentioned by the
Skanda Purana.
About the birth of Tulasi,
the Brahmavaivarta Purana gives two kinds of account. According to one account,
the goddess Lakshmi once tried to settle the quarrel between the rivers Ganga
and Sarasvati. So the Sarasvati cursed her to be both a tree and a river on the
earth. As Lakshmi felt sorry for the curse, Vishnu told her that, on the earth,
she should go to the house of Dharmadhvja, where she would be born as the
ayonisambhava (supernatural) daughter of Dharmadhvaja. There she should be
Vishnu’s wife and would be famous as Tulasi in the world. As a river she would
be known as Padmavati.
The same Purana in its
Prakrtikhanda gives another account. It says that Brahma asked Tulasi to marry
the demon Sankhacuda, who was formerly a cowherd called Sudama, born of
Vishnu’s part but was born as a demon due to the curse of Radha. The gods, who
were harassed by sankhacuda, later on came to know that as long as Tulasi the
wife of Sankhacuda was faithful to him, the later was invincible. Then Vishnu
decided to seduce her taking the form of Sankhacuda and ultimately seduced her.
When Tulsi came to know the mischief, she cursed Vishnu to become a stone on
the bank of river Gandaki, which was in effect Tulasi herself.
As Vishnu is thought to be
closely associated with Tulasi, there has been the tradition of performing the
marriage of Tulasi with Krisna (Vishnu) every year in the bright half of
Karttika. The Skanda P. mentions the festival dedicated to Krisna from the
ninth to the twelfth bright half of Karttika, culminating in the marriage of
Krisna (Vishnu) with the plant Tulasi. Thus the golden image of Krisna
(Vishnu), adorned with ornaments is to be brought ceremoniously with all pomp
and grandeur, accompanied by the beating of drums. Then this image of Vishnu
and the Tulasi plant are to be separated by a piece of new cloth and at the
close of the day on the Goraja muhurta (i. e. when the atmosphere is filled
with the dust-particles from the feet of the cows, returning to the cow-pens
after the day’s grazing), both are to be worshipped and the kanyadana (giving
away the bride) of Tulasi is to be performed. After this marriage, one should
eat all things that had been taboo in the four rainy months and they should be
offered to the Brahmans.
The ritual of marriage of
a god with a plant is a unique feature in any tradition and the marriage-ritual
of Tulasi and Krisna (Vishnu) clearly brings out the aspects of vegetation and
fertility in the character of Vishnu.
Apart from the
mythological details noted above, the association of the Tulasi plant with
Vishnu in the religions rituals is as follows. The Padma P. enjoins the worship
of Vishnu on the completion of a ritual for Vishnu at the foot of a Tulasi
plant. The skanda P. says that it is meritorious to keep awake, praising Hari
(Vishnu) in the month of Karttika in a Tulasi- grove or under an Asvattha tree.
Hence the devotees of Vishnu use the Tulasi-leaves. A paste made from the
Tulasi-twig is also enjoined at the worship of Vishnu, according to the Padma
P.
Tulasi plants are grown in
abundance for offering to God in every house and in temples. Without tulasi the
daily puja or any religious function cannot be performed. It has a great and
inspiring fragrance and is believed to hve cured many diseases. Age old saying
that; the dead body kept in the garden of Tulasi plants does not deteriorate,
cannot be an exaggeration. It has scientific, medicinal and spiritual value. It
contains about 28 minerals and is used in the preparation of more than 300 Ayurvedic
medicines. It destroys bacteria’s, disease carrying germs, and is used in the
treatment of asthma, tuberculosis, leprosy etc., and it also purifies blood and
improves digestive system. Scientists have found that 15 drops of Tulasi juices
(of Leaves) is added to one litre of petrol the speed of the Vehicle can be
raised by 20%. Dried up plants are used in handicrafts and manufacturing sacred
necklaces (Tulasi-mani). There are varieties of these plant like Krishna
tulasi-red and black; shree tulasi-red; Rama tulasi, black tulasi, white tulasi
and so on. Tulasi for puja should be plucked before the sunrise and not in the
afternoon, evening or during the night and finger nails should not be used for
the purpose. Tulasi plant grown in pedestal shaped pot known as `Vrindavan’ is
normally located in the North-East corner of the plot and worshipped daily.
This divine plant therefore can not be clubbed in the list of other plants and
trees.
Continue…
Dr. Shanker Adawal
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or search keyword "shanker adawal" in google search for published articles
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