Tulsi or Basil is one plant which you will find in almost every Hindu household. Every morning the woman of the house offers water, incense and flowers to the plant. In the evening oil lamps are lit in front of the plant. Have you ever wondered why only the Basil plant receives this special treatment and not the other plants?
It is because the Tulsi plant is regarded as a Goddess according to the Hindus. She is very close to Lord Vishnu and no ritual is ever deemed complete without the presence of Tulsi leaves. The Tulsi plant also has great medicinal benefits. It is an important herb which is used in Ayurvedic treatment and is a cure for many diseases like cold, cough and other ailments. The plant is also said to purify the atmosphere and act as a mosquito repellent too.
So, would you like to know more about the story of the wonder plant, Tulsi? Then, read on.
Tulsi: The Devoted Wife
Tulsi is known as Vrinda in Hindu scriptures. She was a beautiful princess of a demon king named Kaalnemi. She was married to Jalandhar who was a powerful part of Lord Shiva. Jalandhar had immense power because he was born out of fire from Lord Shiva’s third eye. Jalandhar fell in love with Princess Vrinda who was an extremely chaste and a devoted lady.
Vrinda was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu whereas Jalandhar hated all the Gods. Yet, the two were destined to get married. It is said that after marrying Vrinda, Jalandhar became invincible because her chastity and devotion multiplied his strength. Even Lord Shiva could not defeat Jalandhar. His arrogance grew and he aimed to become the Supreme Power of the Universe by defeating Lord Shiva.
The Unfortunate Goddess
The Gods grew insecure of Jalandhar’s growing powers. They went to Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu was in a dilemma because Vrinda was His ardent devotee and He could not do injustice to her. But, due to a threat posed by Jalandhar to all the deities, Lord Vishnu decided to play a trick.
While Jalandhar was busy in a battle with Lord Shiva, Vishnu came to Vrinda disguising as Jalandhar. Vrinda could not recognize Him at first and went to greet Him thinking that Jalandhar has returned. But as soon as she touched Lord Vishnu, she realized that He was not her husband. Her chastity was shattered and Jalandhar became vulnerable. Realizing her mistake, Vrinda asked Lord Vishnu to show His real form. She was shattered to see that she was tricked by her own Lord.
The Curse Of Vrinda
Seeing Lord Vishnu disguising as Jalandhar and tricking her to break her chastity, Vrinda cursed Lord Vishnu. She gave the curse that Lord Vishnu would turn into a stone. Lord Vishnu accepted the curse and He turned into the Shaligrama stone which is found near the Gandaka river. After this, Jalandhar was killed by Lord Shiva since he was not under the protection of his wife’s chastity anymore. Vrinda was also heart broken and decided to end her life.
The Boon Of Lord Vishnu
Before Vrinda died, Lord Vishnu blessed her with a boon that She would be known as Tulsi and She would be worshipped along with Lord Vishnu. His puja will never be deemed complete without the leaf of Tulsi. Hence, since then Tulsi forms an inseparable part of Hindu rituals. The unfortunate Goddess was finally blessed and turned into a plant who resides in almost every house to bless everyone with good health.
Source-Boldsky.com
