Tulsi is considered as a very holy plant in Hindu religion. Almost every Hindu have a Tulsi plant growing in front of his/her home or near his/her home. Traditionally Tulsi is planted in the center of the house. Hindus consider this as an reflection of Goddess Tulsi who was also a console of Lord Vishnu.
According to the Devi Bhagavata Purana, Tulsi is a reflection of Goddess Lakshmi who is also Goddess of wealth and a principle console of Lord Vishnu. Its is said that Lord Vishnu had 3 wives Lakshmi, Saraswati and Ganga. One day when Ganga was flirting with Vishnu, Saraswati got angry with this and dragged Ganga to the ground. Looking at this Lakshmi ran to save Ganga but Saraswati who was very angry and impatient curses Lakshmi to be born on earth as a plant. After that Saraswati and Ganga also cursed each other and became rivers. As Lakshmi was a principle console of Lord Vishnu, Vishnu comforts her and said that only a part of her will born on earth and she will always be staying with him. After few years Tulsi was born as daughters of Dharmadhvaja and Kushadhvaja and was named Tulsi and Vedavati.
Tulsi gave up everything and went to Badrinath where she started performing penance to gain Lord Vishnu as his husband. But when Lord Brahma who were pleased by her penance came to her, he told her that she had to marry Rakshas Shankhachuda before marrying Lord Vishnu. Sudama who was a part incarnation of Lord Vishnu was born as a demon due to a curse and he will only be freed when Rakshas Shankhachuda will be killed. But Shankhachuda who already had pleased Lord Brahma was blessed by Brahma with a Vishnu Kavach and was also blessed that no one can kill him till his wife’s chastity is remained. As he had got the Vishnu Kavach he was no more afraid of Lord Vishnu and started terrorizing people.
Soon he also married Tulsi and he became very aggressive and started expanding his kingdom as he was now sure that nobody including the Dev and the Devtas could kill him. Looking at this Lord Shiva challenged Shankhachuda for a war and Lord Vishnu went to break Tulsi’s chastity. Vishnu took the form of Shankhachuda and made relation with Tulsi and when her chastity was broken he was killed by Lord Shiva as Vishnu Kavach was only applicable to Lord Vishnu and not for Lord Shiva. And the time Shankhachuda was killed, Sudama gets freed from his curse. Soon after this, Lord Vishnu took his own form and asked Tulsi to leave her earthly body and asked him to come with him in his original form as Goddess Lakshmi. When Tulsi left her sacred body, her body took the form of Gandaki River and the hairs which fell from his head took a form of a plant which is now called as “Tulsi”.
Apart from this some legends replace Tulsi with Vrinda and Shankhachuda with Jalandhara. The legends in this story concentrates on Vishnu destroying Varinda’s chastity which lead to his husband’s death by Lord Shiva. But unlike Tulsi, Vrinda cursed Lord Vishnu to become a stone, Shaligram stone and Lord Vishnu transformed Varinda into Tulsi plant.
But a Vaishnava legend also relates Tulsi with Samudra Manthan and he said that when Lord Vishnu shed tears of happiness in Amrita, then the first drop which fell in Amrita took the form of Tulsi and from there Tulsi came into existence.
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Now Tulsi is considered as the threshold point between heaven and earth. Tulsi plant is grown in almost each and every Hindu house especially in Brahmin and Vaishnava houses. A house which has Tulsi plant is considered as a place of pilgrimage. The sacred places where Tulsi plant is born is also called Vrindavan. It is not only about having a plant in your house and you will be having all the blessing without even serving it. It is said that a person who waters and cares for the Tulsi plant daily and in routine will get Moksha and blessings of Lord Vishnu, even if he doesn’t worship Lord Vishnu. The plant is considered as a “Women’s deity” and it is a symbol of true wifehood and motherhood. So, traditionally it is women’s responsibility to look after this plant and care for it. Ideally Tuesday and Friday are the two main days for worshiping the plant but it should be worshiped daily twice a day morning and evening. Being a plant it needs water and proper place to grow properly and needs everything which a plant needs like watering, clean surrounding, proper soil and sunlight.
Apart from this Garlands which are made from 1000 Tulsi leaves, Tulsi water are offered in respect of Lord Vishnu. People traditionally use Tulsi Malas which are made from stems and roots of Tulsi plant. This Tulsi mala is considered to be an auspicious thing for the wearer which connects him to the Lord Vishnu and protects him/her from very bad thing. Tulsi is a very important part of Hindu religion and is used in many majority of occasion and even when if a person dies a Tulsi leaf is put inside his mouth as it is said that it will give him Moksha and he/she will be at least considered for heaven. As Tulsi is very a cared plant and it is obvious that we must take some precautions towards it. It is highly unacceptable in Hindu religion to urinate on this plant, throw garbage on this plant, even breaking of its roots is prohibited. Although it is a very important part of Hindu Pujas but there are very strict rules which we all should follow. Like, Only male should cut its leaves and that too in the daylight only and a prayer of forgiveness must be offered to Tulsi after this act.
Tulsi also plays an important role in the field of medicines as well and it helps us cure many problems which we face in our day to day life.
“Jai Tulsi Mata”
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