Sri Tulsi Stava to be read every Dvadasi

[Paramananda das]

Sri Tulasi Stava of Sristikanda of the Padma Purana

The Brahmin said: "Srila Vyasadeva, we have heard from you the glories of Tulasi Devi’s leaves and flowers. Now we would like to hear from you the Tulasi Stava (prayer)"

Srila Vyasadeva replied: "Previously a disciple of Shatanand Muni had approached him with folded hands and inquired about the Tulasi Stava".

Disciple: "Oh top most of all devotees of Lord Krishna, kindly relate that Tulasi Stava, which you had heard from the mouth of Lord Brahma." Shatanand replied: "Just by taking the name of Tulasi Devi one pleases Lord Krishna and destroys all sinful reactions."

One who just sees Tulasi Devi gets the benefit of giving millions of cows in charity and when that person offers worship and prayers to Tulasi Devi then that person becomes worthy of worship in this Kali-yuga.

In the Kali-yuga that person who plants a Tulasi tree for the pleasure of Lord Krishna even if the messengers of Yamaraj are angry with him, what can they do to him, he need not fear even death personified.

tulasi amrita janmasi sada twam keshava priya
keshavartham chinomi twam varada bhava sobhane
twadang sambhavai aniyam
pujayami yatha hatim
tatha kuru pavitrangi
kalou mata vinashini

One who chants this mantra while picking Tulasi leaves and then offers them to Lord Krishna’s lotus feet, the results of that offering is increased millions of times.

Now listen carefully to the Tulasi Stava:

1 munayah sidha-gandharvah
Patale nagarat svayam
Prabhavam tava deveshi
Gayanti sura-sattama

2 na te prabhavam jananti
devatah keshavadrite
gunanam patimananutu
kalpakotisha-tairapi

3 krsna-anandat samudbhnutu
kshiroda – mathanodyame
uttamange pura yena
tulasi-vishnu na dhrita

4 prapyaitani tvaya devi

vishno-rangani sarvashah
pavitrata tvaya prapta
tulasim tvam namamyaham

5 tvadanga-sambhavaih patrai
puja-yami yatha harim
tatha kurushva me vighna
yato yami para gatim

6 ropita gomati-tire
svayam-krsnena palita
jagaddhitaya tulasi
gopinam hita-hetave

7 vrindavane vicharata
sevita vishnuna svayam
gokulasya vivriddhyath
kamsasya nidhanaya cha

8 vashishtha vachanat purvam
ramen sarayu-tate
rakshasanam vadharthaya
ropit-tvam jagat-priye
ropita-tapaso vridhyai
tulasi-tvam namamyaham

9 viyoge raghavendra-sya
dhyatva tvam janak atmaja
ashokavana-madhye tu
priyena saha-sangata

10 shankarartha pura devi
parvatya tvam himalaye
ropita sevita siddhyai
tulasi-tvam namamyaham

11 dharmaranye gayayam cha
sevita pitribhih svayam
sevita tulasi punya
atmano hita-michhata

12 ropita ramachandren
sevita lakshmanena cha
sitaya palita bhaktya
tulasi-dandake vane

13 trailokya-vyapini ganga
yatha-shastre-shu giyate
tathaiva tulasi devi
drisyate sacharachare

14 rishyamuke cha vasata

kapirajen sevita
tulasi balinashaya
tarasangam-hetave

15 pranamya tulasi-devi
sagarot tkramanam kritam
krit-karayah prahusthascha
hanuman punaragataha

16 tulasi grahanam kritva
vimukto yati patakaih
athava munishardula
brahma-hatyam-vyapohati

17 tulasi patra-galitam
yastoyam-sirasa vahet
ganga-snanam avapnoti
dasha-dhenu phala-pradam

18 prasid devi deveshi
prasid hari vallabhe
kshirod-mathanod bhute
tulasi tvam namamyaham

19 dvadasyam jagare ratrou
yah pathet tulasi stavam
dvatrim-shadaperadhans cha
kshamate tasya keshavah
Translation by Kusakratha dasa, Krishna Institute.

(1) O goddess, the munis, siddhas, gandharvas, the naga kings in Patala, and the great demigods sing your glories.

(2) Even though they have counted many millions of your virtues, the demigods, except for Lord Keshava, do not understand the full extent of your powers and glories.

(3) Born from Lord Krishna’s bliss as He churned the milk ocean, Tulasi was carried by Lord Vishnu on His head.

(4) O Tulasi, I offer obeisances to you. When you are placed on Lord Vishnu’s limbs, you purify everyone.

(5) As with your leaves I worship Lord Hari, please remove the obstacles before me. I take shelter of you.

(6) To bring auspiciousness to the world and to benefit the gopis, Lord Krishna planted you and cared for you on the shore of the Gomati River.

(7) To bring opulence to Gokula and to become able to kill Kamsa, Lord Vishnu served you in Vrindavana.

(8) O you who are dear to the worlds, in order to become able to kill the rakshasas, by Vasistha’s order, Lord Rama planted you on the shore of the Sarayu. Planting you is like performing great austerities. To you, O Tulasi, I offer my respectful obeisances.

(9) When in the grove of asoka trees Sita-devi was separated from Lord Rama, she meditated on you and for this reason she attained the company of her beloved.

(10) To attain Lord Shiva, Parvati planted you, O goddess, in the Himalayas. To you, O Tulasi, I offer my obeisances.

(11) You are served by the pitas in the Dharmaranya forest of Gaya. You, O sacred Tulasi, are served by they who desire auspiciousness.

(12) O Tulasi you were planted by Lord Rama, served by Laksmana, and with great devotion protected by Sita devi in the Dandaka forest.

(13) As the Ganges, which flows through the three worlds, is glorified in the shastras, so Tulasi Devi is seen by the moving and unmoving creature.

(14) To meet Tara, and kill Vali, the king of monkeys served you Tulasi, in Rsyamukha.

(15) Bowing down to Tulasi Devi, Hanuman crossed the ocean, and, happy and his mission accomplished, returned home again.

(16) By touching Tulasi, one becomes free of all sins. O tiger of sages, in this way, one becomes feree of the sin of killing a brahmana.

(17) If one holds on his head the water that has washed a Tulasi leaf, he attains the result of bathing in the Ganges or the result of giving ten cows in charity.

(18) O goddess, O queen of the demigods, please be kind! O beloved of Lord Hari, please be kind! O Tulasi born from the churning of the milk ocean, I offer my respectful obeisances to you.

(19) Lord Keshava forgives 32 offences for one who, staying awake on Dwadasi night, recites this prayer to Tulasi.

One who worships Tulasi Devi on the Dwadasi (12th day) and chants this Tulasi Stava destroys all 32 kinds of sinful reactions. Lord Krishna becomes very happy with that person.

In that house, where this Tulasi Stava is present, misfortune never visits, not even by accident, and the goddess of fortune will happily reside there.

One who recites this Tulasi Stava will attain devotion to Lord Krishna and his mind will not wonder away from the Lotus feet of Lord Krishna.

That person who keeps awake on the Dwadasi night (12th day) after worshipping Tulasi Devi with this Stava will attain the benefit of visiting all the holy places and his mind will never contemplate enjoying separately from Lord Krishna. Not only this but that fortunate devotee will never be separated from the association of the Vaisnavas (devotees of Lord Krishna).

Asta-Naam-Stava