The following is a transcription of a discourse delivered by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja in Los Angeles, USA on June 5, 1998

 

[One of the most important and prominent personalities in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is Tulasī-devī. In the form of a plant in this world, she purifies and nourishes all who come in contact with her – by watering her, circumambulating her, offering her leaves to Kṛṣṇa, chanting her glories, performing her ārati, and simply remembering her. Below are two discourses given by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja on the glories of Tulasī-devī.]

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Why is Tulasī so beloved to Śrī Kṛṣṇa? She arranges for the birds, peacocks, nikuñjas (secluded groves), flowers, fragrances and everything related to nikuñja-sevā and śṛṅgāra-rasa, and thus she serves Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā. She also makes arrangements for all the gopīs to meet with Kṛṣṇa. She especially serves Śrīmatī Rādhikā by making beautiful environments and kuñjas (groves) for Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa to meet. She controls Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, if She makes a request to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa on anyone’s behalf, telling Them, “Please be merciful to that jīva, make him qualified to serve You,” Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa will at once hear her. Moreover, she has the power to make that jīva like herself.

We cannot see Vṛndā-devī because she is transcendental, but although transcendental, she has come to this world in the form of Tulasī-devī. You should know that she is the same Tulasī-devī in the form of a plant. We see her as a plant, but she is not a plant. She can take away all our diseases and problems and, being very merciful, she can make us qualified to serve Śrī Rādhā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa.*

Śrī Advaita Ācārya read this verse in Gautamīya-tantra:

tulasī-dala-mātreṇa
jalasya culukena vā
vikrīṇīte svam ātmānaṁ
bhaktebhyo bhakta-vatsalaḥ

[Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is very affectionate toward His devotees, sells Himself to a devotee who offers Him merely a tulasī leaf and a palmful of water.]

Try to understand this teaching if you want to perform bhakti (pure devotional service).

If you want to serve Kṛṣṇa, first pray to serve tulasī. If you want a very good and attractive wife or husband, you can also have that by her mercy. If you want kṛṣṇa-prema, pour water on her, not so much water that she will die. Try to serve her.

What did Śrī Advaita Ācārya do?

Devotee: He offered Kṛṣṇa tulasī leaves, which were very soft and fragrant.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: These leaves were so sweet that they attracted bees to hum there. Why did Advaita Ācārya do this? Why? What did he want?

Śrī Advaita Ācārya knew that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would come to this world, but there was no fixed time for Him to come. He thought, “I’m here in this world, so Kṛṣṇa should come right away.” If Advaita Ācārya had not prayed, Kṛṣṇa might have come after millions of years. Advaita Ācārya requested, “I don’t want to wait. Please come now.” Kṛṣṇa was planning to come but had not fixed a date. He wanted to fix it but could not. So Adaita Ācārya requested Him with folded palms, “If you do not come, I will destroy the entire world. I cannot give the people kṛṣṇa-prema, but I can destroy the world because I am the destroyer (as the manifestation of Mahā-Viṣṇu). I cannot give vraja-prema. I can give the prema achieved by vaidhī-bhakti, but I cannot give vraja-prema.” So he requested Kṛṣṇa to come. He fasted and wept and prayed to Kṛṣṇa.

So, if you want kṛṣṇa-prema, then serve tulasī in the same way that Advaita Ācārya did,** and then tulasī may be merciful to you.

Kṛṣṇa came in the form of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by taking the golden beauty and intrinsic mood of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, which was Her modana-mahābhāva. Actually he did not “take” it; He “borrowed” it. Advaita Ācārya wanted to give a part of unnatojvalla-rasa to the souls entrapped in this world, but He could not do it alone. Only Kṛṣṇa can do this, so he requested Kṛṣṇa to come, and Kṛṣṇa came in the form of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

* “What is the meaning of “Vṛndāvana”? It means the forest of vṛndā, or tulasī. There are many other wonderful trees and plants, but the tulasī tree is primary. It can also mean the forest where the cowherd girl Vṛndā-devī is queen. Why is she known as the queen of Vṛndāvana? Because she arranges amorous meetings between Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Another meaning of vṛndā is “group”, meaning groups of cows, gopas and gopīs, and avana can mean “one who nourishes and protects”. So Vṛndāvana can also mean the ones who provide stimuli that nurture and increase feelings of love in Śrī Govinda and the cows, gopas and gopīs. More meanings have been given, but these three are primary.” (Bhakti-rasāyana by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja)

“Vṛndā-devī’s father is Candrabhānu, her mother is Phullarā Gopī, and her husband is Mahīpāla. All of them eternally reside in Vṛndāvana. Vṛndā-devī is the most important among all the sakhī messengers, such as Vṛndārikā, Melā and Muralī. Her function is to arrange the Divine Couple’s meeting through various means skillfully; therefore, she is the vana-devī (forest-queen) of Vṛndāvana. Vṛndā-devī has dedicated her kingdom of Vṛndāvana, which she wonderfully serves, protects and nourishes, at the lotus feet of Vṛṣabhānu-nandinī Śrīmatī Rādhikā, who is the embodiment of mahābhāva. Therefore, Śrīmatī Rādhikā is truly Vṛndāvaneśvarī, the Queen of Vṛndāvana.”

“The Purāṇas state that Mahārāja Kedāra’s daughter, who is described as Vṛndā-devī; King Kuśadhvaja’s daughter, whom the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa describes as Tulasī, the wife of Śaṅkhacūḍa; and Vṛndā, or tulasī, the beloved of Hari who appears in the form of a plant on the Earth planet; are aṁśa, prakāśa, and kalā-svarūpa (partial manifestations) of Vṛndā-devī, who is a direct expansion of the personal form (kāya-vyūhā svarūpā) of sarva-śaktimayī Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Vṛndā-devī eternally resides in Vṛndāvana, and she is continuously engaged in service to the Divine Couple in the nikuñjas of Vṛndāvana. Indeed, Vṛndāvana is known by the name of this Vṛndā-devī.” (Śrī Vraja-maṇḍala Parikramā by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja)

** [Advaita Ācārya thought:] “If Śrī Kṛṣṇa were to appear as an incarnation, He Himself could preach devotion by His personal example.

“In this Age of Kali there is no religion other than the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, but how in this age will the Lord appear as an incarnation?

“I shall worship Kṛṣṇa in a purified state of mind. I shall constantly petition Him in humbleness.

“My name, ‘Advaita,’ will be fitting if I am able to induce Kṛṣṇa to inaugurate the movement of the chanting of the holy name.”

While He was thinking about how to propitiate Kṛṣṇa by worship, the following verse came to His mind.

tulasī-dala-mātreṇa
jalasya culukena vā
vikrīṇīte svam ātmānaṁ
bhaktebhyo bhakta-vatsalaḥ

“Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is very affectionate toward His devotees, sells Himself to a devotee who offers Him merely a tulasī leaf and a palmful of water.’

Advaita Ācārya considered the meaning of the verse as follows: “Not finding any way to repay the debt He owes to one who offers Him a tulasī leaf and water, Lord Kṛṣṇa thinks, ‘There is no wealth in My possession that is equal to a tulasī leaf and water.’

“Thus the Lord liquidates the debt by offering Himself to the devotee.” Considering in this way, the Ācārya began worshipping the Lord.

Thinking of the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, He constantly offered tulasī buds in water from the Ganges.

He appealed to Śrī Kṛṣṇa with loud calls and thus made it possible for Kṛṣṇa to appear.

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 3.99-109)

The following is a transcription of a discourse delivered by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on February 12, 2000

 

[Because Advaita Ācārya called for the appearance of Lord Caitanya by offering tulasī and water, Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja gave a discourse on the glories of tulasī on Śrī Advaita Ācārya’s appearance day. He called on disciples, and he also personally spoke. The following is a transcription of that discourse:]

Devotee: We have heard how seeing the terrible condition of the world, Śrī Advaita Ācārya’s heart was melting, feeling compassion for all the jīvas. So He wanted to call Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu into this world. While thinking of how to do it, a verse from Śrīmad Gautamīya-tantra came into His mind.

tulasī-dala-mātreṇa
jalasya culukena vā
vikrīṇīte svam ātmānaṁ
bhaktebhyo bhakta-vatsalaḥ

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: We should satisfy Kṛṣṇa; He gives Himself as a property.

Devotee: He can be purchased by those jīvas who serve Vṛndā-devī, and He can give to them the service of Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has written:

tvad-ājñayā pallava-puṣpa-bhṛṅga
mṛgādibhir mādhava-keli-kuñjāḥ
madhv-ādibhir bhānti vibhūṣyamāṇā
vṛnde! numas te caraṇāravindam

Yogamāyā, Paurṇamāsī, arranges all the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in Vraja. But she has one special department; her manifestation for that department is Vṛndā. Vṛndā-devī is a very dear sakhī, and she is in charge of one special department of Kṛṣṇa’s līlā – nikuñja-līlā – the very sweet, amorous and confidential pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in the groves of Vṛndāvana.

Tvad-ājñayā pallava-puṣpa-bhṛṅga: “By the order of Vṛndā-devī, Vṛndāvana looks beautiful, as if decorated with all the qualities of the spring season. By her order, the flowers blossom and spread their fragrance everywhere. The wind blows, and the bumblebees are maddened and intoxicated by the sweet honey of the lotus flowers, and they buzz here and there. The peacocks are dancing, and deer are also dancing here and there. So, by the grace of Vṛndā-devī, on her order, Vṛndāvana becomes so very beautiful and provides the most wonderful playground and setting for Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s līlās.”

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Kṛṣṇa always sees Himself indebted to Vṛndā. With all paraphernalia, she serves in such a way that Kṛṣṇa always thinks He cannot repay her. So if anyone gives tulasī to Kṛṣṇa, He becomes shy; and He thinks that, “This devotee has purchased Me.” You can also experiment and test whether this is true or false. Give water to tulasī and offer her leaves at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. And if you offer anything, put tulasī leaves on each preparation. Then Kṛṣṇa surely accepts and is happy, and then He will try and please you. He will say, “What do you want? What do you want?” So all of you, try and worship tulasī. Daily give water and offer a ghee lamp. Especially ladies should offer a lamp. Circumambulate four times and sing the tulasī ārati.

Devotee: Kṛṣṇa is always eager to meet with Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has written:

tvad-ājñayā pallava-puṣpa-bhṛṅga
mṛgādibhir mādhava-keli-kuñjāḥ
madhv-ādibhir bhānti vibhūṣyamāṇā
vṛnde! numas te caraṇāravindam

Who can enumerate the glories and good fortune of Vṛndā-devī? It is by her acting as a messenger that Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa can meet. Kṛṣṇa is so indebted to her. Therefore if anyone worships Śrīmatī Vṛndā-devī, Kṛṣṇa will think, “How can I repay them?” He tells them, “You have purchased Me by your service to Vṛndā-devī.” So Advaita Ācārya has established this siddhānta and this very wonderful rapid progress in bhakti to the service of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: If anyone wants to have a love for, and service to, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa conjugal, they must worship tulasī and very easily they can be benefited. If one does not have prema but is offering tulasī, will Kṛṣṇa accept his offering or not? The answer is that if tulasī is given, it means that everything has been given – and Kṛṣṇa must accept.

If tulasī is given, then Kṛṣṇa will have to accept whether one has a guru or not. You will have to reconcile this. Kṛṣṇa will take the person’s śraddhā. So it will be beneficial; it will not go in vain. Whether there is a guru or no guru, if you are chanting the holy name, will there be an effect? There will be so many results. You can go to Svarga, have a very elevated position in this world; you can go to Vaikuṇṭha – so many things. What will be the result if there is no sādhu-saṅga and you are chanting?

Devotee: From that chanting, sādhu-saṅga will come.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Yes. It will be beneficial in so many ways. It will not go in vain. If you are offering anything along with tulasī, even if there is no guru, as long as there is śraddhā, then because of that śraddhā, Kṛṣṇa will gradually bring that person in line. You cannot say that if one is offering tulasī, but there is no prema, Kṛṣṇa will not accept. Otherwise all śāstra will be useless. If anyone is not chanting the holy name with love and affection, will there be any effect?

Devotee: Yes, he will get sukṛti.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Not only sukṛti.

jayati jayati nāmānanda-rūpaṁ murārer
viramita-nija-dharma-dhyāna-pūjādi-yatnam
katham api sakṛd āttaṁ mukti-daṁ prāṇināṁ yat
paramam amṛtam ekaṁ jīvanaṁ bhūṣaṅaṁ

(Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛtam 1.9, Sanātana Gosvāmī)

[“All glories, all glories to Kṛṣṇa-Murāri’s name, the embodiment of divine bliss! It halts the cycle of birth and death and relieves one of all painful endeavours in practising religion, meditation, charity, deity worship, and austerity. It awards liberation to one who utters it even once. Kṛṣṇa-nāma stands alone as the supreme nectar and sole treasure of my life.”]

The following personalities are related to Kṛṣṇa: tulasī, Yamunā, Ganges, mahāprasādam, the holy name, and so on. If somehow anyone comes in contact with them, even if one is like Jagāi and Mādhāi, he becomes purified.

Śrīmatī Tulasī-devī is so glorious.

Source: Purebhakti.com

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Unless indicated differently, all verse translations and quotes are from the books by Śrīla Prabhupāda (Vedabase.com)