Tulsi Vivah Story Hindu Mythological Legends

Legend of Tulsi: Tulsi had married the evil demon king Jalandhar, but requested Lord Vishnu that her husband would never come to harm. However, because the demon king indulged in evil practices and could not be destroyed by the Gods, the Gods approached Lord Vishnu to do something to save the world from the demon. Lord Vishnu took the form of Jalandhar and stayed with the unsuspecting Tulsi, who did not realize that her husband was actually killed. When Tulsi realized that she had been tricked, she got very angry and cursed Vishnu, transforming him into a black stone (Shaligram). She then collapsed and from her body emerged the tulsi plant..

Tulsi plant

Legend of Tulsi Vivah Ceremony

My aunt related two lovely mythological stories on Tulsi.

One is the story of the Tulsi Vivah ceremony: Vrinda (Tulsi’s birth name) wished to marry Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna said that Tulsi would always be his close sakhi (friend) like Radha and have a place in his heart but could never have place inside his home. However, Lord Krishna said that as a close sakhi, no puja of Lord Krishna would ever be complete with her and that Tulsi would always find a place outside every home where he was worshipped. Hence, to this day, the Tulsi plant is grown in the courtyard of a home and every offering made to Lord Krishna includes a few tulsi leaves.
  

Know about the traditional Tulsi Vivah Ceremony

Story of Tulsi related to the Mahabharata: Lord Surya had presented the Pandavas with an Akshaya Patra so that they could have unlimited food during their exile. However, once the thalis (plates) in which they ate were washed and overturned to dry, no more food would be available. Duryodhan knew about this and was determined to create trouble for the Pandavas, so came up with the idea of sending Sage Durvasa and other rishis to the Pandava's home after they had finished their meal. He was sure that when no food was offered, Sage Durvasa would be enraged and curse the Pandavas. 


When the rishis visited the Pandavas' home, sure enough Draupadi had already turned over the thalis and had no more food in the house to serve them. Not wanting to show disrespect to the Rishis, she requested them to return after bathing in the nearby river. Draupadi then prayed to Lord Krishna to help her. Lord Krishna told her to offer him a thali with a few Tulsi leaves. Draupadi did so, and Lord Krishna ate them, gave a loud burp and said her offerings of Tulsi leaves had satisfied his appetite. At that moment, the rishis returned. Draupadi was prepared to face their wrath as she did not have any food to serve them. Instead, she was surprised when the Rishis smiled and thanked her for the sumptuous food that she had sent for them at the river bank itself, burping to express their enjoyment of their meal. It was thus that Draupadi realized that it was Lord Krishna who had arranged for the food for the rishis! From this story rose the term “Draupadichi thali” (thali of Draupadi). It is also thus that the offering of tulsi leaves is considered a must for every naivedya ( food offerings made to God before the meal is eaten by family members) made to Lord Krishna.

Click here to know the Tulsi Aarti Lyrics in Marathi

Tulsi Aarti Lyrics Words in Marathi

तुलशीची  आरती 

  

तुलसी

  

जय  देवी  जय देवी  जय  माये  तुलशी ||

निज्पत्रहुनी  लघुतर  त्रिभुवन  हैं  तुलशी  || ध्रु ||

ब्रह्मा  केवल  मुलीं  मध्ये  तो  शौरी  |

अंग्रीन शंकर  तीत्हें  शाखापरिवारीं |

सेवा  करिती  भावे  सकलहि  नरनारी  |

दर्शन  मात्रे  पापेन  हरती  निर्धारीं  || १  || जय  देवी  ||

शीतल  छाया  भूतल  व्यापक  तूं  कैसी  |

मंजरीची  आवड  कम्लार्मन्नासी  |

तव  दविर्हित  विष्णु  रहे  उपवासी  |

विशेष  महिमा  तुझा  शुब  करिक्मासीन  || २  || जय देवी  ||

अच्युत  माधव  केशव  पीताम्बरधारी  |

तुझे  पुजन्कालीन  जो  हे  उच्चारी  |

त्यासी  देसी  संतति  संपत्ति  सुखकारी  |

गोसावीसुत  विनवी  मजला  तूं  तारी  || ३  || जय  देवी  ||

Click here to know How to do a Tulsi Vivah Ceremony at Home

Click here to know the mythological stories of Tulsi Vivah

How to perform a simple Tulsi Vivah Puja Aarti Ceremony at Home

The Tulsi plant is one of the sacred plants of the followers of the Hindu faith, as this plant is considered to be one of the manifestations of Goddess Mahalaxmi. The Tulsi plant is grown in a large earthen pot and in many towns and villages in India you will see the Tulsi plant growing in the front courtyard of the house, in a structure made from bricks known as Vrindavan (the name Vrinda was Goddess Mahalaxmi’s name at birth).

Vrindavan in which Tulis plant is grown

Tulsi Vivah is the marriage (vivah) ceremony of the Tulsi plant to Shaligram (a black stone manifestation of Lord Vishnu). The Tulsi Vivah Ceremony is performed on the second day of Karthik Ekadashi in the evening.

Click here to know the story of the Tulsi Vivah Ceremony

Date of TulsiVivah Ceremony in 2010: November 17^th, 2010

Preparations Requirements for Tulsi Vivah Ceremony at Home

1. Any food eaten on this day should be pure vegetarian only. It is important to prepare a poha (puffed rice) dish.

2. Buy a day in advance sugarcane sticks and pieces of tamarind and amla.

3. The Tulsi Vivah ceremony is either performed by an official priest or by the ladies in the family. Women of all age groups perform the Tulsi Vivah ceremony, although it is said that generally widows do not perform the Tulsi Vivah ceremony.

4. On the morning of the Tulsi Vivah ceremony, after bath, the tulsi plant should be watered and the lunch should be cooked. Generally, in many families lunch on this day consists of rice-dal, puris, a kheer made from sweet potato and red pumpkin vegetable (bhopla). A little part of each of the cooked food is kept in a thali in front of the Tulsi plant as an offering before the family members eat the meal. The actual ceremony is performed in the evening only.

Tulsi Vivah Vidhis Puja Aarti

Step 1: Clean the area around the Tulsi plant. Sprinkle a little water on the tulsi plant and clean the idol of image or picture of Lord Vishnu (or Lord Krishna).  The idol can be a substitute for the shaligram, which is generally brought by the priest who can be called to perform the Tulsi Vivah ceremony. You can do a small rangoli design in front of the tulsi plant pot.

Step 2: Prepare a thali having a diya and red flowers (hibiscus flowers can be used); and another thali containing a saree, a blouse piece, a packet of mahendi, a kohl stick or box, a box of sindoor (red vermillion powder) and a few green bangles.Also keep a thali of fruits, tamarind and amla pieces. The reason for this: The tulsi is considered to be a plant of the forest (van), so anything which grows on the trees is offered as part of the Tulsi Vivah ceremony. 

Step 3: Take 4 sugarcane sticks and place it at 4 corners around the tulis plant pot, connecting them with strong threads. This is the traditional way, done in the courtyards of villages. Alternatively, you can gently insert the  sugarcane sticks in the soil around the tulsi plant.

Step 4: Place a small bright cloth (this is generally red in colour and resembles a scarf or odhni) on the tulsi plant. Apply a bit of the sindoor on a leaf of the Tulsi plant. Throw the red flowers on the tulsi plant. Offer the fruits, tamarind and amla pieces. Say the Tulsi Aaarti. 

Click here to know the words of the Tulsi Aarti

Place the thali for the wedding (saree, blouse, bangles, etc) in front of the tulsi plant pot. Light the diya in the thali and perform the aarti of the tulsi plant. Apply a tika of sandalwood paste on the forehead of the idol/image/shaligram of Lord Vishnu (in some homes, a thali of men's clothing is also offered with a sacred thread). Offer a little of the pre-pared poha dish (you can put it in the same thali as the fruits).

Step 5: Once the aarti is completed, a little of the poha is offered to family members and guests. The fruits can also be eaten later. In many homes, the lady who performed the Tulsi Vivah ceremony also eats a leaf of the tulsi plant, symbolically implying that the Goddess has entered her body.

Step 6: The thali containing the wedding items is generally offered to a Brahmini (female ascetic).