(2.16) translated by Sriman Kusakratha DasaSri Radha, the goddess of the rasa dance, spoke to Her friend Candranana, the best of the knowers of religion. Sri Radha said, "Please tell Me what kind of worship I should perform to please Sri Krsna, worship that will bring auspiciousness, piety, and the fulfillment of My desire. O beautiful one, you heard the religious scriptures from Garga Muni's own mouth. O noble hearted one, please tell Me what vow or what worship I should perform." Hearing Radha's words, and reflecting on them in her heart for a moment, Candranana, the best of all friends, replied, "O Radha, service to Tulasi gives the greatest piety, the greatest good fortune and the greatest benediction. It gives Lord Krsna's association. You should always gaze on Tulasi, touch her. Then she will grant Your desire.""They who, day after day, serve Tulasi in these nine ways attain the results of pious deeds performed in many thousands of millions of yugas... As many branches, sub-branches, seeds, flowers and leaves as are on the Tulasi he has planted, so many ancestors and descendants in His family for thousands of kalpa-yugas will go to Lord Krsna's transcendental abode. O Radha, by offering Him every flower and leaf that exists, a person who, with offerings of Tulasi-leaves worships Lord Krsna is not touched by sin as a lotus is not touched by water... A home in the midst of a Tulasi forest is a sacred pilgrimage place. Yamaraj's servants will never enter that home.""For persons who plant, protect, water, see or touch her, Tulasi burns the sins committed with the body, mind and words. On a single Tulasi leaf the holy places beginning with Puskara, the sacred rivers beginning with the Ganga, and the Deities headed by Lord Vasudeva reside. Even though stained with a hundred sins, a person who touches a Tulasi-manjari as he leaves this life does not see Yamaraja.""O friend, as four-faced Brahma cannot describe all the glories of Lord Krsna, who holds the Sarnga bow, so he cannot describe all the glories of Tulasi. A man or woman who offers sandal-paste and Tulasi to Sri Krsnacandra's feet attains the results I have told to You. O gopi, serve Tulasi every day. Then Sri Krsna will come under Your control [having won His heart.]"After hearing Candranana's words, Sri Radha, the queen of the rasa dance, in order to please Lord Krsna, began to serve Tulasi. Taking Tulasi, beautiful with many green leaves, to the middle of a ketaki forest, and placing her in a Tulasi-temple that was round, tall, a hundred hastas in size, beautiful with walls of gold and rubies, splendid with an outer wall of emeralds, diamonds and pearls, decorated with cintamani gems, arched gateways, gold flags and gold awnings everywhere, and glorious like Indra's palace, at the time of the star Abhijit, saintly Radha served Sri Tulasi. Beginning with the full moon of the month of Asvina (Sept/Oct), and ending with the full moon of Caitra (Mar/Apr), to please Sri Krsna, saintly Radha followed a vow with great devotion. Month after month She sprinkled Tulasi with milk, sugar-cane juice, grape-juice, mango-juice, pancamrta, and many kinds of sweet and cool juices. On the first day of Vaisakha (Apr/May), She ended the vow. King Vrsabhanu's daughter, Radha, then pleased two hundred-thousand brahmanas with a great feast of fifty six courses. Then Radha gave them daksina of a hundred bharas of gold and pearls to each brahmana. The demigods showered flowers on the Tulasi temple.Then, seated on a glorious throne on a gold pedestal, Her eyes like lotus petals, and Her gold crown and earrings glittering, beautiful four-armed Tulasi, who is dear to Lord Krsna, appeared. Descending from the sky, Tulasi, beautiful as a flowering vine, with Her four arms embraced and then kissed Radha, who wore a new Vaijayanti garland, and whose snake-like braids were covered with a yellow cloth. Sri Tulasi said, "O daughter of Kalavati, I am pleased with You. I am eternally conquered by Your loving devotion. O beautiful one, as if You were an ordinary human being, You very carefully followed this vow. The desire that fills Your heart, mind, intelligence and senses will be attained. Lord Krsna will be kind to You, You are very fortunate."To Tulasi, who spoke these words and who is dear to Lord Krsna, Radha bowed and said, "May I have unalloyed devotion for Lord Krsna's lotus feet." Saying, "So be it, " Krsna's beloved Tulasi disappeared. Then Radha, King Vrsabhanu's daughter, went home happy at heart.A devotee who hears this wonderful story of Sri Radha attains first the three goals of material life and then the supreme spiritual goal of life.
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