glorification of Tulsi devi

[Paramananda das]

Glorifications of Tulasi Devi
From the Sristikanda of the Padma Purana
Kartikeya inquired: "My dear father (Lord Shiva) which tree or plant is capable of giving love of God?"
Lord Shiva replied: "My dear son, of all trees and plants Tulasi Devi is the topmost; She is all auspicious, the fulfiller of all desires, completely pure, most dear to Lord Krishna and the topmost devotee.
Long ago, Lord Krishna for the welfare of all conditioned souls brought Vrindadevi in her form of a plant (Tulasi) and planted her in this material world. Tulasi is the essence of all devotional activities. Without Tulasi leaves, Lord Krishna does not like to accept flowers, food stuffs, sandalwood paste, in fact anything without Tulasi leaves is not looked upon by Lord Krishna.
One who worships Lord Krishna daily with Tulasi leaves attains the results of all kinds of austerities, charity, fire-sacrifices. In fact he does not have any other duties to perform, and he has realized the essence of all scriptures.
Just as the Ganges river is purifying all who bathe in her, so Tulasi Devi is purifying the three worlds.
It is not possible to describe the full benefit of offering Tulasi Manjaris (flowers) to Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna, along with all the other demigods lives wherever there is Tulasi Devi. For this reason one should plant Tulasi Devi at one’s home and offer worship daily. One who sits near Tulasi Devi and chants or recites prayers will attain the results much faster.
All forms of ghosts and demons run away from that place where Tulasi Devi is planted and all kinds of sinful reactions are destroyed when one comes close to Tulasi Devi. One who makes a garden of Tulasi plants gets the result of all charities and of one hundred fire sacrifices.
One who puts into his mouth or on his head the Tulasi leaves after they have been offered to Lord Krishna attains the abode of Lord Krishna. In Kali-yuga, one who worships, performs kirtan in front of, remembers, plants or keeps Tulasi, burns up all his sinful reactions and attains Lord Krishna’s abode very quickly.
One who preaches the glories of Tulasi Devi and also practices what he preaches, becomes very dear to Lord Krishna.
One who worships Tulasi Devi has already satisfied his guru, the Brahmins, demigods, and all the Holy places.
One who offers a Tulasi leaf to Lord Krishna becomes a Vaishnava very quickly. What is the need of understanding all the scriptures for one who has offered the wood or leaves of Tulasi Devi to Lord Krishna, for he will never have to taste the milk from the breast of a mother again (he will never take birth again).
One who has worshipped Lord Krishna with the leaves of Tulasi Devi has already released all his ancestors from this realm of birth and death.
My dear Kartikeya, I have told you many of the glories of Tulasi Devi. If I was to describe her glories for eternity I still would not be able to reach their conclusion.
One who remembers or tells others these glorifications of Tulasi Devi will never take birth again.