Uttara-khaṇḍa · Chapter 23
Sourceमहादेवउवाच- शृणु नारद वक्ष्यामि माहात्म्यं तुलसीभवम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा मुच्यते पापादाजन्ममरणांतिकात् १। पत्रं पुष्पं फलं मूलं शाखा त्वक्स्कंधसंज्ञितम् । तुलसी संभवं सर्वं पावनं मृत्तिकादिकम् २। शरीरं दह्यते येषां तुलसीकाष्ठवह्निना । दत्वा च तुलसीकाष्ठं सर्वांगेषु मृतस्य वै ३। पश्चाद्यः कुरुते दाहं सोऽपि पापात्प्रमुच्यते । मरणे यस्य संप्राप्तं कीर्तनं स्मरणं हरेः ४। तुलसीदारुणा दाहो न तस्य पुनरावृतिः । यद्येकं तुलसीकाष्ठं मध्ये काष्ठशतस्य हि ५। दाहकाले भवेन्मुक्तिः कोटिपापायुतस्य च । गंगांभसाभिषेकेण यांति पुण्यानि पुण्यताम् ६। तुलसीकाष्ठमिश्राणि यांति दारूणि पुण्यताम् । तुलसीकाष्ठसंमिश्रा यावत्प्रज्वलते चिता ७। दह्यंति तस्य पापानि कल्पकोटिकृतानि वै । दह्यमानं नरं दृष्ट्वा तुलसीकाष्ठवह्निना ८। नयंति तं विष्णुदूता न च वै यमकिंकराः । जन्मकोटिसहस्रैस्तु मुक्तो याति जनार्दनम् ९। दह्यंते ये नरा लोके तुलसीकाष्ठवह्निना । तान्विमानस्थितान्देवाः क्षिपंति कुसुमांजलिम् १०। नृत्यंत्यप्सरसः सर्वा गीतं गायंति गायकाः । जायंते वीक्ष्य तं विष्णुः संतुष्टः शंभुना सह ११। गृहीत्वा तं करे शौरिर्गृहं नीत्वास्य चांगतः । मार्जयेत्सर्वपापानि पश्यतां त्रिदिवौकसाम् १२। महोत्सवं कारयित्वा जयशब्दपुरःसरम् । ज्वलते यत्र चाज्येन तुलसीकाष्ठपावकः १३। अग्न्यगारे श्मशाने वा दह्यते पातकं नृणाम् । होमं कुर्वंति ये विप्रास्तुलसीकाष्ठवह्निना । सिक्ते सिक्ते तिले वापि अग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत् १४। यो ददाति हरेर्धूपं तुलसीकाष्ठसंभवम् । शतक्रतुसमं पुण्यं लभते गोशतं फलम् १५। नैवेद्यं पच्यते यस्तु तुलसीकाष्ठवह्निना । मेरुतुल्यं भवेद्दत्तं तदन्नं केशवस्य हि १६। तुलसीपावकेनाथ यो दीपं कुरुते हरेः । दीपलक्षसहस्राणां पुण्यं स लभते फलम् १७। न तेन सदृशो लोके वैष्णवो भुवि दृश्यते । यः प्रयच्छति कृष्णस्य तुलसीकाष्ठचंदनम् १८। स जायते कृपापात्रं विष्णोर्वाडवसत्तम १९। तुलसीदारुजातेन चंदनेन कलौ हरिम् । विलिप्य भक्तितो नित्यं रमते हरिसन्निधौ २०। तुलसीपंकलिप्तांगः कुरुते विष्णुपूजनम् । पूजाशतदिनैकाह्ना लभ्यते गोशतं फलम् २१। विलेपार्थे तु कृष्णस्य तुलसीकाष्ठचंदनम् । मंदिरे तिष्ठते यावत्तावत्पुण्यफलं शृणु २२। तिलप्रस्थाष्टकं दत्वा यत्पुण्यं प्राप्नुयान्नरः । तत्फलं जायते पुंसां प्रसादाच्चक्रपाणिनः २३। यो ददाति पितॄणां तु पिंडे तुलसिसंभवम् । दलं संजायते तृप्तिः पत्रे पत्रे शताब्दिका २४। तुलसीमूलमृत्स्नैव स्नानं कुर्याद्विशेषतः । तेन तीर्थे कृतं स्नानं यावच्चांगे च मृत्तिका २५। तदीय यातु मंजर्या पूजनं च करोति यः । नानापुष्पैः कृता पूजा यावच्चंद्रदिवाकरौ २६। यस्मिन्गृहेऽवतिष्ठेत तुलसी वृक्षवाटिका । दर्शनात्स्पर्शनाच्चैव ब्रह्महत्यादिपातकम् । तत्सर्वं विलयं याति दर्शनेनैव नारद २७। महादेव उवाच- अथान्यत्ते प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणुष्वैकाग्रमानसः । न कस्यापि च कथितं शृणु देवर्षिसत्तम २८। यत्र यत्र गृहे ग्रामे वने वा तुलसी भवेत् । तत्र तत्र जगत्स्वामी प्रीतात्मा च वसेद्धरिः २९। गृहे तस्मिन्न दारिद्र्यं नायोगो बंधुसंभवः । न दुःखं न भयं रोगस्तुलसी यत्र तिष्ठति ३०। सर्वत्र तुलसी पुण्या पुण्यक्षेत्रे विशेषतः । संनिधौ तस्य देवस्य रोपणात्पृथिवीतले ३१। तेषां विष्णुपदं नित्यं तुलस्यारोपणे कृते । उत्पादान्दारुणान्रोगान्दुर्निमित्तान्यनेकशः । तुलस्याभ्यर्चिते भक्त्या हंत शांतिकरो हरिः ३२। तुलसीगंधमाघ्राय यत्र गच्छति मारुतः । दिशो दश च ताः पूता भूतग्रामश्चतुर्विधः ३३। यस्मिन्गृहे मुनिश्रेष्ठ तुलसीमूलमृत्तिका । सर्वदा तत्र तिष्ठंति देवताश्च शिवो हरिः ३४। तुलसीवनजा छाया यत्र यत्र भवेद्दिवज । तर्पणं कुरुते तत्र पितॄणां दत्तमक्षयम् ३५। तस्य मूले स्थितो ब्रह्मा मध्ये देवो जनार्दनः । मंजर्यां वसते रुद्रः तुलसी तेन पावनी ३६। विना यस्तुलसीं कुर्यात्संध्याकाले तु मार्जनम् । तत्सर्वं राक्षसहृतं नरकं च प्रयच्छति ३७। तुलसीपत्रगलितं तोयं यः शिरसावहेत् । गंगाफलमवाप्नोति शतधेनुफलं लभेत् ३८। शिवालये विशेषेण रोपयेत्तुलसीं यदि । बीजसंख्या वसेत्स्वर्गे प्रत्येकं युगसंख्यया ३९। उमया तु पुरा देवि शंकरार्थं हिमालये । रोपिताः शतवृक्षास्तु तुलस्याः प्रणतोऽस्म्यहम् ४०। पर्वण्यवसरे यस्तु श्रावणे चाथ रोपयेत् । संक्रांतिदिवसे चैव तुलसी चातिपुण्यदा ४१। तुलसीं पूजयेन्नित्यं दरिद्र ईश्वरो भवेत् । सर्वसिद्धिकरामूर्तिः कृष्णः कीर्तिं ददाति च ४२। शालग्रामशिला यत्र तत्र संनिहितो हरिः । तत्र स्नानं च दानं च वाराणस्यां शताधिकम् ४३। कुरुक्षेत्रं प्रयागं च नैमिषारण्यमेव च । तस्य कोटिगुणं पुण्यं शालग्रामशिलार्चनात् ४४। शालग्राममयी मुद्रा संस्थिता यत्र हि क्वचित् । वाराणस्यां च यत्पुण्यं सर्वं तत्रैव तद्भवेत् ४५। ब्रह्महत्यादिकं पापं यत्किंचित्कुरुते नरः । तत्सर्वं नाशयेदाशु शालग्रामशिलार्चनात् ४६। इति श्रीपाद्मेमहापुराणे पंचपंचाशतसहस्रसंहितायां उत्तरखण्डे उमापतिनारदसंवादे तुलसीशालग्राममाहात्म्यंनाम त्रयोविंशोऽध्यायः २३।
mahādevauvāca- śṛṇu nārada vakṣyāmi māhātmyaṃ tulasībhavam | yacchrutvā mucyate pāpādājanmamaraṇāṃtikāt 1| patraṃ puṣpaṃ phalaṃ mūlaṃ śākhā tvakskaṃdhasaṃjñitam | tulasī saṃbhavaṃ sarvaṃ pāvanaṃ mṛttikādikam 2| śarīraṃ dahyate yeṣāṃ tulasīkāṣṭhavahninā | datvā ca tulasīkāṣṭhaṃ sarvāṃgeṣu mṛtasya vai 3| paścādyaḥ kurute dāhaṃ so'pi pāpātpramucyate | maraṇe yasya saṃprāptaṃ kīrtanaṃ smaraṇaṃ hareḥ 4| tulasīdāruṇā dāho na tasya punarāvṛtiḥ | yadyekaṃ tulasīkāṣṭhaṃ madhye kāṣṭhaśatasya hi 5| dāhakāle bhavenmuktiḥ koṭipāpāyutasya ca | gaṃgāṃbhasābhiṣekeṇa yāṃti puṇyāni puṇyatām 6| tulasīkāṣṭhamiśrāṇi yāṃti dārūṇi puṇyatām | tulasīkāṣṭhasaṃmiśrā yāvatprajvalate citā 7| dahyaṃti tasya pāpāni kalpakoṭikṛtāni vai | dahyamānaṃ naraṃ dṛṣṭvā tulasīkāṣṭhavahninā 8| nayaṃti taṃ viṣṇudūtā na ca vai yamakiṃkarāḥ | janmakoṭisahasraistu mukto yāti janārdanam 9| dahyaṃte ye narā loke tulasīkāṣṭhavahninā | tānvimānasthitāndevāḥ kṣipaṃti kusumāṃjalim 10| nṛtyaṃtyapsarasaḥ sarvā gītaṃ gāyaṃti gāyakāḥ | jāyaṃte vīkṣya taṃ viṣṇuḥ saṃtuṣṭaḥ śaṃbhunā saha 11| gṛhītvā taṃ kare śaurirgṛhaṃ nītvāsya cāṃgataḥ | mārjayetsarvapāpāni paśyatāṃ tridivaukasām 12| mahotsavaṃ kārayitvā jayaśabdapuraḥsaram | jvalate yatra cājyena tulasīkāṣṭhapāvakaḥ 13| agnyagāre śmaśāne vā dahyate pātakaṃ nṛṇām | homaṃ kurvaṃti ye viprāstulasīkāṣṭhavahninā | sikte sikte tile vāpi agniṣṭomaphalaṃ labhet 14| yo dadāti harerdhūpaṃ tulasīkāṣṭhasaṃbhavam | śatakratusamaṃ puṇyaṃ labhate gośataṃ phalam 15| naivedyaṃ pacyate yastu tulasīkāṣṭhavahninā | merutulyaṃ bhaveddattaṃ tadannaṃ keśavasya hi 16| tulasīpāvakenātha yo dīpaṃ kurute hareḥ | dīpalakṣasahasrāṇāṃ puṇyaṃ sa labhate phalam 17| na tena sadṛśo loke vaiṣṇavo bhuvi dṛśyate | yaḥ prayacchati kṛṣṇasya tulasīkāṣṭhacaṃdanam 18| sa jāyate kṛpāpātraṃ viṣṇorvāḍavasattama 19| tulasīdārujātena caṃdanena kalau harim | vilipya bhaktito nityaṃ ramate harisannidhau 20| tulasīpaṃkaliptāṃgaḥ kurute viṣṇupūjanam | pūjāśatadinaikāhnā labhyate gośataṃ phalam 21| vilepārthe tu kṛṣṇasya tulasīkāṣṭhacaṃdanam | maṃdire tiṣṭhate yāvattāvatpuṇyaphalaṃ śṛṇu 22| tilaprasthāṣṭakaṃ datvā yatpuṇyaṃ prāpnuyānnaraḥ | tatphalaṃ jāyate puṃsāṃ prasādāccakrapāṇinaḥ 23| yo dadāti pitṝṇāṃ tu piṃḍe tulasisaṃbhavam | dalaṃ saṃjāyate tṛptiḥ patre patre śatābdikā 24| tulasīmūlamṛtsnaiva snānaṃ kuryādviśeṣataḥ | tena tīrthe kṛtaṃ snānaṃ yāvaccāṃge ca mṛttikā 25| tadīya yātu maṃjaryā pūjanaṃ ca karoti yaḥ | nānāpuṣpaiḥ kṛtā pūjā yāvaccaṃdradivākarau 26| yasmingṛhe'vatiṣṭheta tulasī vṛkṣavāṭikā | darśanātsparśanāccaiva brahmahatyādipātakam | tatsarvaṃ vilayaṃ yāti darśanenaiva nārada 27| mahādeva uvāca- athānyatte pravakṣyāmi śṛṇuṣvaikāgramānasaḥ | na kasyāpi ca kathitaṃ śṛṇu devarṣisattama 28| yatra yatra gṛhe grāme vane vā tulasī bhavet | tatra tatra jagatsvāmī prītātmā ca vaseddhariḥ 29| gṛhe tasminna dāridryaṃ nāyogo baṃdhusaṃbhavaḥ | na duḥkhaṃ na bhayaṃ rogastulasī yatra tiṣṭhati 30| sarvatra tulasī puṇyā puṇyakṣetre viśeṣataḥ | saṃnidhau tasya devasya ropaṇātpṛthivītale 31| teṣāṃ viṣṇupadaṃ nityaṃ tulasyāropaṇe kṛte | utpādāndāruṇānrogāndurnimittānyanekaśaḥ | tulasyābhyarcite bhaktyā haṃta śāṃtikaro hariḥ 32| tulasīgaṃdhamāghrāya yatra gacchati mārutaḥ | diśo daśa ca tāḥ pūtā bhūtagrāmaścaturvidhaḥ 33| yasmingṛhe muniśreṣṭha tulasīmūlamṛttikā | sarvadā tatra tiṣṭhaṃti devatāśca śivo hariḥ 34| tulasīvanajā chāyā yatra yatra bhaveddivaja | tarpaṇaṃ kurute tatra pitṝṇāṃ dattamakṣayam 35| tasya mūle sthito brahmā madhye devo janārdanaḥ | maṃjaryāṃ vasate rudraḥ tulasī tena pāvanī 36| vinā yastulasīṃ kuryātsaṃdhyākāle tu mārjanam | tatsarvaṃ rākṣasahṛtaṃ narakaṃ ca prayacchati 37| tulasīpatragalitaṃ toyaṃ yaḥ śirasāvahet | gaṃgāphalamavāpnoti śatadhenuphalaṃ labhet 38| śivālaye viśeṣeṇa ropayettulasīṃ yadi | bījasaṃkhyā vasetsvarge pratyekaṃ yugasaṃkhyayā 39| umayā tu purā devi śaṃkarārthaṃ himālaye | ropitāḥ śatavṛkṣāstu tulasyāḥ praṇato'smyaham 40| parvaṇyavasare yastu śrāvaṇe cātha ropayet | saṃkrāṃtidivase caiva tulasī cātipuṇyadā 41| tulasīṃ pūjayennityaṃ daridra īśvaro bhavet | sarvasiddhikarāmūrtiḥ kṛṣṇaḥ kīrtiṃ dadāti ca 42| śālagrāmaśilā yatra tatra saṃnihito hariḥ | tatra snānaṃ ca dānaṃ ca vārāṇasyāṃ śatādhikam 43| kurukṣetraṃ prayāgaṃ ca naimiṣāraṇyameva ca | tasya koṭiguṇaṃ puṇyaṃ śālagrāmaśilārcanāt 44| śālagrāmamayī mudrā saṃsthitā yatra hi kvacit | vārāṇasyāṃ ca yatpuṇyaṃ sarvaṃ tatraiva tadbhavet 45| brahmahatyādikaṃ pāpaṃ yatkiṃcitkurute naraḥ | tatsarvaṃ nāśayedāśu śālagrāmaśilārcanāt 46| iti śrīpādmemahāpurāṇe paṃcapaṃcāśatasahasrasaṃhitāyāṃ uttarakhaṇḍe umāpatināradasaṃvāde tulasīśālagrāmamāhātmyaṃnāma trayoviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ 23|
English translation
Mahādeva said :
1-5a. O Nārada , listen. I shall tell you the importance of Tulasī , having heard which a man is free from sin from his birth to his death. Everything of Tulasī including leaves, flowers, fruits, roots, branches, skin, and stem is purifying, so also the clay (where) Tulasī-plant grows. Those whose bodies are burnt with the Tulasī-wood (are free from sins), so also he on whose dead body the Tulasī-wood is placed and who (i.e. whose dead body) is cremated after doing so, is freed from sins. He who at the time has (heard) the narration (of the virtues) or the recollection of Viṣṇu , and who is cremated with the Tulasī-wood is not reborn.
5b-lla. If among hundred (pieces of any other kind of) wood, there is (just) one (piece) of Tulasī-wood (in the funeral pyre), the man would have salvation just at the time of cremation—even if he has committed a crore of sins. By being sprinkled with the water of Gaṅgā , religious merit becomes meritorious. (Pieces of) wood become meritorious (when) mixed with Tulasī-wood. As long as the funeral pyre mixed with Tulasī-wood is burning, all his sins committed during crores of kalpas are burnt. Seeing (the dead body of) a man being burnt with the Tulasī-wood, Viṣṇu’s messengers take him (to Viṣṇus world) and not Yama ’s servants. Freed from thousands of crores of existences, he goes to Viṣṇu. On those men seated in aeroplanes, who (i.e. whose dead bodies) are burnt with Tulasī-wood, gods drop handfuls of flowers. All the celestial damsels sing and singers sing songs.
11b-21. Seeing him, Viṣṇu, along with Śiva , is pleased. Taking him by his hand and physically taking him to his house Viṣṇu would clean all his sins in the presence of gods after having celebrated a great festival along with cries of victory. The sin of men is burnt in the fire-chamber or crematory when the fire of Tulasī-wood is burning with clarified butter. Those men who perform a sacrifice with the fire of Tulasī-wood, would obtain the fruit of an Agniṣṭoma sacrifice forevery sesamum-seed that is offered (into the fire). A man who offers the incense of a (piece of) Tulasī-wood to Viṣṇu, obtains the fruit similar to that of a hundred sacrifices (or that of the gift) of a hundred cows. That food which a man cooks as an offering of eatables to the deity with the fire made from Tulasī-wood, is indeed offered to Viṣṇu. O lord, he who offers one lamp (lighted from) the Tulasī-wood to Viṣṇu, obtains the fruit of the religious merit earned by (the offering of) thousands of lakhs of lamps. There is no devotee seen on the earth like him who offers the sandal (-like paste) of Tulasī-wood to Kṛṣṇa . O best brāhmaṇa , he becomes fit for the favour of Viṣṇu. Having devoutly smeared Viṣṇu with the sandal(-like paste) obtained from Tulasī-wood in the Kali -age, he always enjoys in the vicinity of Viṣṇu. He who with his body smeared with the paste from Tulasī-wood, worships Viṣṇu, obtains the fruit of having given a hundred cows in one day—(a fruit) of the worship offered for a hundred days.
22-27. Listen (i.e. note that), the fruit of the religious merit remains as long as the sandal(-like paste) from the Tulasī-wood, used for smearing the image of Viṣṇu, remains in the temple. The same fruit as the religious merit a man would obtain by giving eight prasthas of sesamum-seeds, is obtained by the favour of Viṣṇu. If a man gives (i.e. puts) a Tulasī-leaf on the piṇḍa offered to the manes, then for every leaf (that is thus offered) the manes are contented for a hundred years. A man should especially bathe with (i.e. after applying to his body) the clay at the root of Tulasī. As long as the clay is on the body, he has bathed at a holy place. When a man worships with the shoot of it (i.e. Tulasī), he has performed the worship with many flowers (and it lasts) as long as the moon and the sun (shine in the sky). All that sin like (that due to) the murder of a brāhmaṇa perishes by touching or seeing (the plant) when there is a garden of Tulasī (-plants) in one’s house. Even by seeing it, O Nārada, all that (sin) perishes.
Mahādeva said :
28-33. Now I shall tell you something else. Listen (to it) with a concentrated mind (i.e. attentively). O best of the divine sages, I have not told it to anyone (else). In whichever house, village or grove there would be the Tulasī(-plant), Viṣṇu, the lord of the world, being pleased, would stay there. In that house where there is a Tulasī(-plant) there is no poverty, no (hostile) action due to (i.e. from) the kinsmen, no grief, no fear, and no disease. Everywhere Tulasī(-plant) is auspicious, and especially so in a sacred place. Due to its being planted on the earth, it is always in the vicinity of that god (i.e. Viṣṇu). When Tulasī is planted (by men) they eternally get Viṣṇu’s position. When Tulasī is devoutly worshipped, Viṣṇu pacifies portents, fearful diseases and many ill-omens. Wherever the wind goes (i.e. the breezes blow) after taking the fragrance of Tulasī, (all) the ten quarters are (thereby) purified, so also the aggregate of beings of four kinds.
34-46. O best sage, the deities, Śiva, Viṣṇu always reside in that house in which there is the clay (taken from) the root of the Tulasī(-plant). At its root is Brahma . In the middle is god Viṣṇu. Rudra stays in the sprout. Therefore, Tulasī is purifying. All that sprinkling himself with water which a man does at the time of the sandhyā (prayer) is snatched by demons, and gives (i.e. takes) him (to) hell. He who carries on his head the water dropping from the Tulasī-leaf obtains the fruit of (having bathed in) Gaṅgā and would get the fruit of a gift of a hundred cows. If he especially plants a Tulasī(-plant) in the temple of Śiva, he would stay in heaven for as many yugas as is the number of the seeds (of Tulasī). Formerly goddess Pārvatī had planted a hundred Tulasī-trees (i.e. plants) on the Himālaya for Śaṅkara .
I bow down to Tulasī. A man should plant (a Tulasī-plant) on a parvan day (i.e. the day of the four changes of the moon), on (any other) occasion or in Śrāvaṇa , or on a Saṃkrānti -day. Tulasī gives great religious merit. A poor man who worships Tulasī daily would be rich. The image of Viṣṇu, bringing about every kind of success, gives fame also. Viṣṇu is present there where there is a Śālagrāma stone. Bath and (giving) gifts there is hundred times superior to (doing so) at Vārāṇasī . The religious merit is a crore of times superior to (a visit to) Kurukṣetra , Prayāga , and Naimiṣāraṇya . All that religious merit which can be bad at Vārāṇasī would be (secured) there where the mark of the form of Śālagrāma is present. By means of the worship of a Śālagrāma stone, a man would quickly destroy all that sin due to the killing of a brāhmaṇa etc.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 14053, revision 336289 (2022-04-21T04:48:09Z). English is N. A. Deshpande’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc365454.html and the ten-volume archival witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.