Tulasi Vivah; growing tulasi at home; tulasi tea

The Adiveda Weekly #25

Nov 06, 2022

Hari Aum Sadhakas!

Today we’ll discuss Tulasi. The tulasi plant and more specifically its leaves, play a very important role in our culture.

Tulasi is said to be an incarnation of Lakshmi and thus a great devotee of Narayana (Vishnu). We celebrated Tulasi Vivah, the ceremonial marriage of Tulasi with Lord Vishnu on November 4th.

The Hindu way of life

Tulasi (holy basil) is considered holy by the Hindus and especially amongst the worshippers of Vishnu and his incarnations. No puja to Vishnu or Krishna or Rama can be complete without the tulasi leaf. The tulasi plant takes pride of place in most Hindu gardens. She has a special place made only for her in the centre of the courtyard or in a decorated pot inside the house. According to the Padma Purana, even the sight of the tulasi plant thriving in a home or garden brings an end to all bad karma. Lord Krishna is said to always reside in a house which has tulasi. A home where the tulasi thrives, also thrives! There is never a lack for anything in such a home.

Reflection of the week

“Trust is the basis of a good relationship. With trust, even silence is understood. Without trust, every word is misunderstood.”

For your everyday practice

Grow a tulasi plant at home.

The rishis knew well of the medicinal and healing properties of the plant and that is why they linked its name with one of the chief gods in the pantheon and insisted that every house/garden should keep a tulasi plant which should be protected and taken care of at all times. It is a remarkable antibiotic which can be used in many concoctions for fever, cold, headache etc. If used daily in tea it will stabilise the health and balance the body system. The plant also has great spiritual vibrations. If kept in the compound close to the house, it prevents insects/snakes from entering the house. Thus, in ancient days people were encouraged to grow lots of tulasi around their house.

For your health and well-being

Sip on tulasi tea.

Tulasi is one of my favourite herbs ever. An adaptogen, improver of brain fog, immune amphoteric, insulin sensitiser, and down regulator of an excessive immune response – it’s a wonderful herb when you need to bring balance to the body, or are fighting off an acute illness. It is also special to Krishna/Vishnu and sacred to Hindus, which makes it a little extra special to me and touches my soul whilst also touching my body!

To receive some of the benefits of tulasi, you can harvest fresh tulasi leaves and aerials from your garden in the morning. Boil some water and once boiled, switch off the stove. To the pot with the water, add the freshly harvested tulasi. Then, cover the pot with the tulasi and the water, for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, strain and drink warm.

By Dr. Poorna Menon, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

From Vanamali Mataji’s desk

We have kept one particular day on which the marriage (vivaha) of Tulasi is conducted with Lord Vishnu. This is performed on Prabhodini Ekadashi or the 11th day of the shukla paksha (bright half) in the month of Kartika (November/December). The ritual is given below.

The pot containing the tulasi plant is kept in the middle of the house and given a holy bath and decorated with auspicious objects like turmeric, vermilion, sacred thread, ornaments and flowers. The idol of Krishna or a saligrama stone is decorated with male attire and placed next to the tulasi plant before the preparations for the wedding begin. Those who are observing the vow keep a day-long fast and the vivaha (wedding) takes place in the evening. After invoking the presence of Tulasi and Krishna, the mantras are chanted and a cotton thread is tied round the statue or saligrama and the plant as a mark of the wedding bond!