Lord Siva said:
My dear Narada Muni, kindly listen, now I will recite to you
the wonderful glories of Tulasi Devi. One who hears Tulasi Devi's
glories will have all his sinful reactions, stored from many
births, destroyed and very quickly attain the Lotus-Feet of Sri Sri
Radha-Krsna.
The leaves, flowers, roots, bark, branches, trunk and the
shade of Tulasi Devi are all spiritual.
One whose dead body is burnt in a fire, which has Tulasi wood
as fuel, will attain the spiritual world, even if he is the most
sinful of sinful persons, and that person who lights up that fire
will be freed from all sinful reactions. One, who at the time of
death, takes the name of Lord Krsna and is touching the wood of
Tulasi Devi, will attain the spiritual world.
When the dead body is being burned, even if one small piece of
tulasi wood is put in the fire, then that person will attain the
spiritual world; by the touch of Tulasi all other wood is purified.
When the messengers of Lord Vishnu see a fire which has Tulasi wood
burning in it, they immediately come and take that person, whose
body has been burned, to the spiritual world. The messengers of
Yamaraj will not come to that place when Tulasi wood is
burning.
That person's body which has been burned by Tulasi wood, goes
to the spiritual world, and on his way, all the demigods shower
flowers on him. When Lord Vishnu and Lord Siva see that person on
his way to the spiritual world, They become happy and bless him and
Lord Krsna comes before him and taking his hand, He takes him to
His own abode.
One who happens to go to a place where Tulasi wood has been
burned will become purified of all sinful reactions. That brahmin
who is performing a fire sacrifice and places amongst the other
wood Tulasi wood will get the results of one agnihotra yajna (fire
sacrifice) for each grain offered in that fire.
One who offers Lord Krsna incense made of Tulasi wood will get
the result of one hundred fire sacrifices and of giving one hundred
cows in charity.
One who cooks an offering for Lord Krsna on a fire which has
Tulasi wood in it, will attain the same benefit as one who gives in
charity a hill of grains as large as Mount Meru, for each grain of
such an offering to Lord Krsna.
One who lights up a lamp to be offered to Lord Krsna with a
piece of Tulasi wood will attain the same benefit as one who offers
ten million lamps to Lord Krsna. There is no-one more dear to Lord
Krsna than that person.
One who applies the paste of Tulasi wood to the body of the
Deity of Lord Krsna with devotion will always live close to Lord
Krsna.
That person who puts the mud from the base of Tulasi Devi on
his body and worships the Deity of Lord Krsna gets the result of
one hundred days worship for each day.
One who offers a Tulasi Manjari to Lord Krsna gets the benefit
of offering all the varieties of flowers, after which, he goes to
the abode of Lord Krsna.
One who sees, or comes near, a house or garden where the
Tulasi plant is present, gets rid of all his previous sinful
reactions, including that of killing a brahmin.
Lord Krsna happily resides in that house, town, or forest,
where Tulasi Devi is present.
That house, where Tulasi Devi is present, never falls on bad
times, and due to Tulasi Devi's presence, that place becomes more
pure than all the holy places.
One who plants a Tulasi tree near the temple of Lord Krsna,
goes to Krsna's abode.
Wherever the smell of Tulasi Devi is taken by the wind, it
purifies everyone who comes in contact with it.
In that house where the mud from the base of Tulasi Devi is
kept, all the demigods along with Lord Krsna will always
reside.
Wherever the shade of Tulasi Devi falls is purified.
(One must only use Tulasi wood which has been attained after
Tulasi Devi has dried up. One must never take Tulasi wood from a
tree which has not dried up.)
