Brahma-khaṇḍa · Chapter 22
Sourceशौनकउवाच। माहात्म्यं ब्रूहि सर्वज्ञ शृण्वतां पापनाशनम् । सर्वप्राणिहितार्थाय तुलस्या अनुकंपया १। सूत उवाच। तुलस्याः परिसरे यस्य काननं तिष्ठति द्विज । गृहस्य तीर्थरूपत्वान्नायांति यमकिंकराः २। तुलस्याः काननं विप्र सर्वपापहरं शुभम् । रोपयंति नराः श्रेष्ठास्ते न पश्यंति भास्करिम् ३। रोपणं पालनं सेवां दर्शनं स्पर्शनं तु यः । कुर्य्यात्तस्य प्रणष्टं स्यात्सर्वपापं द्विजोत्तम ४। कोमलैस्तुलसीपत्रैरर्चयंति हरिं तु ये । कालस्य सदनं विप्र ते न यांति महाशयाः ५। गंगाद्याः सरितः श्रेष्ठा विष्णु ब्रह्म महेश्वराः । देवैस्तीर्थैः पुष्कराद्यैस्तिष्ठंति तुलसीदले ६। यो युक्तस्तुलसीपत्रैः पापी प्राणान्विमुञ्चति । विष्णोर्निकेतनं याति सत्यमेतन्मयोदितम् ७। तुलसीमृत्तिकालिप्तो युक्तः पापशतैरपि । विमुंचति नरः प्राणान्स याति हरिमन्दिरम् ८। यो नरो धारयेद्विप्र तुलसीकाष्ठचंदनम् । तस्याङ्गं न स्पृशेत्पापं स याति परमं पदम् ९। तुलसीकाष्ठमालां तु कण्ठस्थां वहते तु यः । अप्यशौचोप्यनाचारो भक्त्या याति हरेर्गृहम् १०। धात्रीफलकृतामाला तुलसीकाष्ठसंभवा । दृश्यते यस्य देहे तु स वै भागवतो नरः ११। तुलसीदलजां मालां कण्ठस्थां वहते तु यः । विष्णूच्छिष्टां विशेषेण स नमस्यो दिवौकसाम् १२। यः पुनस्तुलसीमालां कण्ठे कृत्वा जनार्दनम् । पूजयेत्पुण्यमाप्नोति प्रतिपुष्पं गवायुतम् १३। धारयन्ति न ये मालां हैतुकाः पापबुद्धयः । नरकान्न निवर्तंते दग्धाः कोपाग्निना हरेः १४। न जह्यात्तुलसीमालां धात्रीमालां विशेषतः । महापातकसंहर्त्रीं धर्मकामार्थदायिनीम् १५। स्पृशेच्च यानि लोमानि धात्रीमाला कलौ नृणाम् । तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि वसते केशवालये १६। निवेद्य केशवे मालां तुलसीकाष्ठसंभवाम् । वहते यो नरो भक्त्या तस्य वै नास्ति पातकम् १७। तुलसीकाष्ठमालां तु प्रेतराजस्य दूतकाः । दृष्ट्वा नश्यन्ति दूरेण वातोद्धूतं यथा दलम् १८। तुलस्या विपिने धात्र्याश्छायासु यो नरोत्तमः । पिण्डं ददाति पितरो मुक्तिं यान्ति द्विजोत्तम १९। पाणौ मूर्ध्नि गले चैव कर्णयोश्च मुखे द्विज । धात्रीफलं यस्तु धत्ते स विज्ञेयो हरिः स्वयम् २०। धात्रीपत्रैः फलैर्विप्र श्रीहरिं चार्चयेद्द्विज । कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं पूजया नश्यति सकृत् २१। यज्ञादेवाश्च मुनयस्तीर्थानि कार्तिके द्विज । धात्रीवृक्षं समाश्रित्य तिष्ठन्ति कार्तिके सदा २२। धात्रीपत्रं कार्तिके च द्वादश्यां तुलसीदलम् । चिनोति यो नरो गच्छेन्निरयं यातनामयम् २३। धात्रीछायासु यो विप्र चान्नं भुनक्ति कार्तिके । अन्नसंसर्गजं पापमावर्षं तस्य नश्यति २४। तुलसीवनमध्ये च धात्रीमूले च कार्तिके । कुर्याद्धर्यर्चनं विप्र वैकुण्ठं याति स ध्रुवम् २५। तुलसीमूलदेशेऽपि स्थितं वारि द्विजोत्तम । गृह्णाति मस्तके भक्त्या पापी याति हरेर्गृहम् २६। तुलसीपत्रगलितं यस्तोयं शिरसावहेत् । सर्वतीर्थेषु स स्नातश्चांते याति हरेर्गृहम् २७। पुरा कश्चिद्द्विजश्रेष्ठो द्वापरेऽभून्महामुने । स्नात्वैकदा तुलस्यै स वनं दत्वा गृहं गतः २८। आदित्यो वर्चसा नाम्ना मार्त्तंड इव पुण्यतः । तृषार्तो भक्षकः कश्चिदागतो बहुकल्मषः २९। तुलस्यामूलतस्तोयं पीत्वा चासौ हतांहसः । त्वरयाप्यागतो व्याधो नाम्ना यश्चासिमर्द्दनः ३०। उवाच भुक्तं चान्नं च भुक्त्वा भग्नं गतः किमु । कृत्वा मे पाकभांडस्थं चागतो हिंसकस्य ते ३१। विव्याध तं गतप्राणं नेतुं वै शमनाज्ञया । आगताः किंकराः क्रुद्धाः पाशमुद्गरपाणयः ३२। बद्ध्वा नेतुं मनश्चक्रुरागता विष्णुकिंकराः । तदा छित्त्वा चर्मपाशं स्यंदने तं मनोहरे ३३। तूर्णमारोहयामासुः पप्रच्छुर्विनयान्विताः । तेऽपि पुण्येन भोः संतः केन वै नीयतेऽप्यसौ ३४। ऊचुस्तेऽसौ पुरा राजा पुण्यं बहुतरं कृतम् । अकरोद्धरणं कांचित्सुंदरीं चांगनामयम् ३५। अनेन चांहसा राजा गतो वै शमनक्षयम् । तत्रक्लेशं तु युष्माभिर्दत्तं वै शमनाज्ञया ३६। ताम्रमय्यास्त्रियासार्द्धं क्रीडां सुप्त्वा चकार सः । तप्तायां लोहशय्यायां वैक्लव्यं कर्मणा नृप ३७। तप्तायोभीषणं तप्तं लोहस्तंभं यमाज्ञया । ततः स्थितः समालिंग्य भुक्त्वा दुःखं चिरं नृपः ३८। सिक्तः क्षारांबुधाराभिरन्यैर्वै शमनालये । ततो नरकशेषे च पापयोनौ मुहुर्मुहुः ३९। जन्मासाद्य चिरं दुःखमनुभूतं स्वकर्मणा । तुलसीमूलकं वारि पीत्वा याति हरेर्गृहम् ४०। इदानीं तद्वचः श्रुत्वा गतादूता यथागताः । तेन सार्द्धं विष्णुदूता गता वैकुंठमंदिरम् ४१। माहात्म्यं कथितं ब्रह्मन्तुलस्याः पापनाशनम् । कुर्वंति सेवां ये भक्त्या न जाने किं भवेन्मुने ४२।
śaunakauvāca| māhātmyaṃ brūhi sarvajña śṛṇvatāṃ pāpanāśanam | sarvaprāṇihitārthāya tulasyā anukaṃpayā 1| sūta uvāca| tulasyāḥ parisare yasya kānanaṃ tiṣṭhati dvija | gṛhasya tīrtharūpatvānnāyāṃti yamakiṃkarāḥ 2| tulasyāḥ kānanaṃ vipra sarvapāpaharaṃ śubham | ropayaṃti narāḥ śreṣṭhāste na paśyaṃti bhāskarim 3| ropaṇaṃ pālanaṃ sevāṃ darśanaṃ sparśanaṃ tu yaḥ | kuryyāttasya praṇaṣṭaṃ syātsarvapāpaṃ dvijottama 4| komalaistulasīpatrairarcayaṃti hariṃ tu ye | kālasya sadanaṃ vipra te na yāṃti mahāśayāḥ 5| gaṃgādyāḥ saritaḥ śreṣṭhā viṣṇu brahma maheśvarāḥ | devaistīrthaiḥ puṣkarādyaistiṣṭhaṃti tulasīdale 6| yo yuktastulasīpatraiḥ pāpī prāṇānvimuñcati | viṣṇorniketanaṃ yāti satyametanmayoditam 7| tulasīmṛttikālipto yuktaḥ pāpaśatairapi | vimuṃcati naraḥ prāṇānsa yāti harimandiram 8| yo naro dhārayedvipra tulasīkāṣṭhacaṃdanam | tasyāṅgaṃ na spṛśetpāpaṃ sa yāti paramaṃ padam 9| tulasīkāṣṭhamālāṃ tu kaṇṭhasthāṃ vahate tu yaḥ | apyaśaucopyanācāro bhaktyā yāti harergṛham 10| dhātrīphalakṛtāmālā tulasīkāṣṭhasaṃbhavā | dṛśyate yasya dehe tu sa vai bhāgavato naraḥ 11| tulasīdalajāṃ mālāṃ kaṇṭhasthāṃ vahate tu yaḥ | viṣṇūcchiṣṭāṃ viśeṣeṇa sa namasyo divaukasām 12| yaḥ punastulasīmālāṃ kaṇṭhe kṛtvā janārdanam | pūjayetpuṇyamāpnoti pratipuṣpaṃ gavāyutam 13| dhārayanti na ye mālāṃ haitukāḥ pāpabuddhayaḥ | narakānna nivartaṃte dagdhāḥ kopāgninā hareḥ 14| na jahyāttulasīmālāṃ dhātrīmālāṃ viśeṣataḥ | mahāpātakasaṃhartrīṃ dharmakāmārthadāyinīm 15| spṛśecca yāni lomāni dhātrīmālā kalau nṛṇām | tāvadvarṣasahasrāṇi vasate keśavālaye 16| nivedya keśave mālāṃ tulasīkāṣṭhasaṃbhavām | vahate yo naro bhaktyā tasya vai nāsti pātakam 17| tulasīkāṣṭhamālāṃ tu pretarājasya dūtakāḥ | dṛṣṭvā naśyanti dūreṇa vātoddhūtaṃ yathā dalam 18| tulasyā vipine dhātryāśchāyāsu yo narottamaḥ | piṇḍaṃ dadāti pitaro muktiṃ yānti dvijottama 19| pāṇau mūrdhni gale caiva karṇayośca mukhe dvija | dhātrīphalaṃ yastu dhatte sa vijñeyo hariḥ svayam 20| dhātrīpatraiḥ phalairvipra śrīhariṃ cārcayeddvija | koṭijanmārjitaṃ pāpaṃ pūjayā naśyati sakṛt 21| yajñādevāśca munayastīrthāni kārtike dvija | dhātrīvṛkṣaṃ samāśritya tiṣṭhanti kārtike sadā 22| dhātrīpatraṃ kārtike ca dvādaśyāṃ tulasīdalam | cinoti yo naro gacchennirayaṃ yātanāmayam 23| dhātrīchāyāsu yo vipra cānnaṃ bhunakti kārtike | annasaṃsargajaṃ pāpamāvarṣaṃ tasya naśyati 24| tulasīvanamadhye ca dhātrīmūle ca kārtike | kuryāddharyarcanaṃ vipra vaikuṇṭhaṃ yāti sa dhruvam 25| tulasīmūladeśe'pi sthitaṃ vāri dvijottama | gṛhṇāti mastake bhaktyā pāpī yāti harergṛham 26| tulasīpatragalitaṃ yastoyaṃ śirasāvahet | sarvatīrtheṣu sa snātaścāṃte yāti harergṛham 27| purā kaściddvijaśreṣṭho dvāpare'bhūnmahāmune | snātvaikadā tulasyai sa vanaṃ datvā gṛhaṃ gataḥ 28| ādityo varcasā nāmnā mārttaṃḍa iva puṇyataḥ | tṛṣārto bhakṣakaḥ kaścidāgato bahukalmaṣaḥ 29| tulasyāmūlatastoyaṃ pītvā cāsau hatāṃhasaḥ | tvarayāpyāgato vyādho nāmnā yaścāsimarddanaḥ 30| uvāca bhuktaṃ cānnaṃ ca bhuktvā bhagnaṃ gataḥ kimu | kṛtvā me pākabhāṃḍasthaṃ cāgato hiṃsakasya te 31| vivyādha taṃ gataprāṇaṃ netuṃ vai śamanājñayā | āgatāḥ kiṃkarāḥ kruddhāḥ pāśamudgarapāṇayaḥ 32| baddhvā netuṃ manaścakrurāgatā viṣṇukiṃkarāḥ | tadā chittvā carmapāśaṃ syaṃdane taṃ manohare 33| tūrṇamārohayāmāsuḥ papracchurvinayānvitāḥ | te'pi puṇyena bhoḥ saṃtaḥ kena vai nīyate'pyasau 34| ūcuste'sau purā rājā puṇyaṃ bahutaraṃ kṛtam | akaroddharaṇaṃ kāṃcitsuṃdarīṃ cāṃganāmayam 35| anena cāṃhasā rājā gato vai śamanakṣayam | tatrakleśaṃ tu yuṣmābhirdattaṃ vai śamanājñayā 36| tāmramayyāstriyāsārddhaṃ krīḍāṃ suptvā cakāra saḥ | taptāyāṃ lohaśayyāyāṃ vaiklavyaṃ karmaṇā nṛpa 37| taptāyobhīṣaṇaṃ taptaṃ lohastaṃbhaṃ yamājñayā | tataḥ sthitaḥ samāliṃgya bhuktvā duḥkhaṃ ciraṃ nṛpaḥ 38| siktaḥ kṣārāṃbudhārābhiranyairvai śamanālaye | tato narakaśeṣe ca pāpayonau muhurmuhuḥ 39| janmāsādya ciraṃ duḥkhamanubhūtaṃ svakarmaṇā | tulasīmūlakaṃ vāri pītvā yāti harergṛham 40| idānīṃ tadvacaḥ śrutvā gatādūtā yathāgatāḥ | tena sārddhaṃ viṣṇudūtā gatā vaikuṃṭhamaṃdiram 41| māhātmyaṃ kathitaṃ brahmantulasyāḥ pāpanāśanam | kurvaṃti sevāṃ ye bhaktyā na jāne kiṃ bhavenmune 42|
English translation
Śaunaka said :
1. O you omniscient one, kindly tell me, for the good of all creatures, the greatness of Tulasī which destroys the sins of those who listen to it.
Sūta said :
2-13. The servants of Yama do not come to his house in the vicinity of which there is a grove of Tulasī, due to the house having the nature of a holy place, O brāhmaṇa . O brāhmaṇa, the Tulasī-grove is auspicious and removes all sins. Those excellent men who plant it do not see the Sun’s son (i.e. Yama). O best brāhmaṇa, all the sin of him who plants it, nourishes it, attends upon it, looks at it and touches it, perishes. O brāhmaṇa, those high-souled ones who worship Viṣṇu with tender Tulasī-leaves do not go to Yama’s abode. The best rivers like Gaṅgā , the best (gods) Viṣṇu, Brahmā and Śiva , along with deities and holy places like Puṣkara , remain in a Tulasī-leaf. A sinner who, endowed with Tulasī-leaves, casts his life, goes to Viṣṇu’s abode. I have told (you) the truth. The man who, besmeared with the clay of Tulasī (i.e. in which Tulasī is growing), casts his life, goes, though full of hundreds of sins, to Viṣṇu’s abode. O brāhmaṇa, sin does not touch the body of the man’ who would wear the sandal-like Tulasī-wood. He goes to the highest position. He, who, though impure and of bad conduct, wears the rosary of (the beads made of) Tulasī-wood round his neck, goes, due to his devotion, to Viṣṇu’s house. That man on whose body is seen the rosary made of Dhātrī -fruits or (beads of) Tulasī-wood, is a devotee of Viṣṇu. He again who, putting round his neck the garland (of the leaves) of Tulasī, would worship Viṣṇu, obtains, for each flower, a myriad of cows.
14-19. Those men who, of wicked minds, are sceptics, and who do not wear the (Tulasī)-garland, being burnt by the fire of the wrath of Viṣṇu, do not return from hell. A man should not abandon a garland of Tulasī-(leaves), especially of the fruits of Dhātrī, which destroys great sins and gives religious merit, worldly prosperity and sensual enjoyments. A man lives in Viṣṇu’s house for as many thousands of years as the hair (on his body) the Dhātrī-garland would touch. That man who after having offered the rosary of (the beads of) Tulasī-wood to Viṣṇu, devoutly wears it, has no sin at all. On seeing the rosary made of the beads of Tulasī-wood, the messengers of the king of the dead (i.e. king Yama) run away as a leaf shaken up by the wind. O best brāhmaṇa, the dead ancestors of him who offers them piṇḍas in the shadow of Dhātrī in the Tulasī-grove, are emancipated.
20-25. O brāhmaṇa, he who keeps the Dhātrī-fruit in his hand, on his head, round his neck or in his ears should be known as Viṣṇu himself. O brāhmaṇa, the sin earned during crores of existences of him who would worship Viṣṇu with the leaves and fruits of Dhātrī, at once perishes. O brāhmaṇa, sacrifices, gods, sages and holy places always remain by resorting to the Dhātrī-tree in Kārtika . A man who collects a leaf of Dhātrī or a leaf of Tulasī on the twelfth day in Kārtika, would not go to hell full of torment. O brāhmaṇa, the sin, due to the contact of food of the man who eats food under the shadow of Dhātrī in Kārtika perishes for a year. O brāhmaṇa, a man should worship Viṣṇu in a Tulasī-grove and at the root of a Dhātrī in Kārtika; he certainly goes to Viṣṇu’s world.
26-27. O best brāhmaṇa, if a sinner devoutly holds on his head the water remaining at the root of Tulasī, he goes to Viṣṇu’s abode. He who would hold on his head the water flowing from a Tulasī-leaf, has bathed (i.e. has obtained the fruit of having bathed) at all sacred places, and in the end he goes to Viṣṇu’s house.
28-41. O great sage, formerly in the Dvāpara age there was an excellent brāhmaṇa. Once, having bathed and having offered a sacrifice to Tulasī, he went home. He became like the sun in lustre, and like Mārtaṇḍa in religious merit. A glutton, a great sinner, oppressed with thirst, came there, and having drunk the water at the root of Tulasī, had his sins perished. A hunter named Asimardana, came quickly, and said: “The food is eaten.” Having eaten it and shattered the food in the cooking vessel has he gone? He killed him. Yama’s servants, angry and with nooses and hammers in their hands came by Yama’s order to take him to Yama’s abode. (When) they thought of binding and taking him, Viṣṇu’s servants came (there). Then having cut off the leather-straps, they quickly put him in a charming chariot. They (i.e. Yama’s servants) politely asked them: “O good ones, due to which religious merit of him are you taking him (to Viṣṇu’s abode?)” They said: ‘Formerly he was a king. He has done many (acts of) religious merit. He kidnapped some beautiful woman. Due to this sin, the king went to Yama’s abode. There you tortured him by Yama’s order. Lying there he sported with a woman of a coppery red colour. Due to this sin the king went to Yama’s abode. By Yama’s order you tortured him there. He remained there. He embraced misery and suffered for a long time. In Yama’s abode he was sprinkled with streams of salt water. Then for the remaining part of his stay in hell, he was repeatedly born in sinful stocks, and suffered unhappiness as a result of his own deeds. After drinking the water at the root of Tulasī he goes (i.e. would go) to Viṣṇu’s abode.” Hearing these words of them the messengers (of Yama) went as they had come. The messengers of Viṣṇu went with him to Viṣṇu’s abode. O brāhmaṇa, I have told you Tulasī’s abode.
42. O brāhmaṇa, I have told you Tulasī's importance which destroys sins. I do not know what would happen to them who serve (Tulasī) with devotion, O sage.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 14034, revision 335810 (2022-04-15T09:00:15Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365306.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.