One habit that is deeply immersed in Hindu tradition is worshipping the basil plant (तुलसी). We’ve seen our ancestors worshipping the basil plant (तुलसी), everyday & every evening but do we really know why it is done? The answer to this is as well immersed in Hindu Scriptures. Tree worship is not uncommon in Hinduism & the basil plant (तुलसी) is regarded as the sacred of all plants. The basil plant (तुलसी) is always associated with purity, highly valued, used for all religious & medicinal purposes among the Hindus. Many Hindus have the basil plant (तुलसी) growing in the front courtyard or near their home, often in special pots or a special stone structure & considered very auspicious to have the basil plant (तुलसी) in the front courtyard of the house. Traditionally, the basil plant (तुलसी) is planted in the centre of the central front courtyard of Hindu houses. The plant is cultivated for religious purposes & also for its medicinal usages.
A house with the basil plant (तुलसी) is considered as a place of pilgrimage. Traditionally, the daily worship & care of the plant is the responsibility of the women of the household. Though daily worship is prescribed, Tuesdays & Fridays are considered especially sacred for the basil plant (तुलसी) worship. Rituals involve watering the plant, cleaning the area near the plant with water & cow dung as cow dung is considered the most sacred in Hinduism & making offerings of flowers, lighting the lamp & incense, etc. & at last circumambulation of the plant while chanting the mantras. The basil plant (तुलसी) often worshipped twice in a day, in the morning & in the evening.
While plucking the leaves of the basil plant (तुलसी), the following shloka is chanted –
चयनोद्भवदुःखं च यद् हृदि तव वर्तते।
तत् क्षमस्व जगन्मातः वृंदा देवि नमोऽस्तुते।।
Meaning - O Vrunda devi (another name of Tulasi), I offer my respectful homage to you. Kindly forgive me if I have caused you any pain by plucking your leaves.
Historical account of the basil plant (तुलसी) –
According to the Shiva Puran, there was a demon named Dambh, he was the devotee of Lord Vishnu. He started doing penance for the attainment of the son. After many years Lord Vishnu got pleased with his penance & appeared in front of Dambh & stated to ask for his desired boon. Dambh gets very pleased with the sight of Lord Vishnu & after paying homage he asks for the son, who becomes Lord Vishnu’s devotee, most intelligent, powerful & skilful. The son, who wins all the three worlds (स्वर्गः, पृथ्वी & पातालः) & the gods would never be able to defeat him. Lord Vishnu offered his desired boon. After few years Dambh’s wife delivers a very lustrous son & they kept his name Shankhacuda. Throughout his childhood, he obtains all kinds of knowledge. Later, when he enters into his youth, he went to the Pushkar & started his penance to please Lord Brahma. After prolonged penance, Lord Brahma got pleased with his penance & told him to ask for a boon. After paying homage to Lord Brahma, Shankhacuda asks that, he never gets defeated by any God, to this Lord Brahma agrees & offers him the boon & told him to go to the Badri forest where he will find a girl named Tulasi, who is the daughter of Dharmadhvaj, performing her penance, meet her & marry that girl.
Later, Shankhacuda went to the Badri forest & met Tulasi & told her about himself, his boon & Lord Brahma’s demand of marrying her. She agrees to it & both of them gets married. Later, Shankhacuda becomes the king of the demons & wins all the three worlds. After few years, gods went to Lord Brahma & Lord Vishnu & complained about Shankhacuda, to this Lord Vishnu said that, only Lord Shiva can advise & help about this problem. After reaching to Lord Shiva & requesting for help, he said that he will proceed for a war with Shankhacuda to conquer heaven & earth back with the help of all the gods & goddesses. After prolonged war, no one was able to kill Shankhacuda as he was wearing Lord Vishnu’s armour & his wife Tulasi was the chaste wife & she had a boon that no one can kill his husband until she is the chaste wife.
So, to break both the boon, first Lord Vishnu took the form of an old man & went to Shankhacuda & asked him for his armour in charity as he was best known for the charity. Shankhacuda gave him his armour. Later Lord Vishnu took the form of Shankhacuda & went to his palace stating that he won the battle. Tulasi gets very joyful to see his husband back from long battle & thus, Lord Vishnu successfully breaks Tulasi’s chastity. On the other side Lord Shiva kills Shankhacuda with his trident & from Shankhacuda’s bones forms lustrous conch (शंखः). When Tulasi realizes that this is not Shankhacuda but someone else in the form of Shankhacuda she gets angry & curses Lord Vishnu that he will become a stone. Knowing this, Lord Shiva appears before Tulasi & told her not to get angry & asks her to leave this gross body which will be converted into the sacred river called Gandaki & she will get a celestial body & she will be worshipped like a Goddess in the form of a Tulasi plant & once in a year the stone form of Lord Vishnu (शालिग्रामः) will marry the Tulasi plant. She will be dear to Lord Vishnu & not even a single worship of Lord Vishnu will be complete without Tulasi leaves. Thus, Tulasi is very sacred for Hindus & she is worshiped as a goddess.
Significance of the basil plant (तुलसी) –
The basil plant (तुलसी) is the centre of religious devotion particularly among women & is referred to as, the symbol of wifehood, chastity & motherhood, it is also known as the important religious symbol of Hinduism & it is considered as the manifestation of Sati Tulasi in the form of the plant. The qualities & amazing powers of this plant are found throughout the Vedas & Puranas, where it is stated that simply touching the plant purifies mind, body, soul, etc. A traditional prayer narrates that the creator-god Brahma resides on its branches, all Hindu pilgrimage centres reside in its roots, the Ganges flows within its roots, all deities are in its stem & its leaves, & that the most sacred Hindu texts - the Vedas are found in the upper part of the sacred basil's branches. According to the Scriptures, the basil plant (तुलसी) is regarded as a threshold point between earth & heaven. The basil plant (तुलसी) is worshipped every day for peace & prosperity. Moreover, the sacred plant helps people eliminate वास्तु दोषः (fault of house management), if any. The presence of the basil plant (तुलसी) helps in warding off evil & negativity.
According to the Puranas, a person who waters & cares for the basil plant (तुलसी) daily gains the divine grace of Lord Vishnu & Liberation (मोक्षः). The basil plant (तुलसी) also has importance in Ayurveda, where it is considered as an integral part of the healing system. It is widely used for its medicinal values & is the core ingredient of many traditional healing methods which is also proved & accepted by the scientists. There are numerous of health benefits which are stated in the Ayurveda texts which are still in practice. The healing properties of the basil plant (तुलसी) is also accepted & adopted by the modern doctors too. Usually, there are two kind of the basil plant (तुलसी); the lighter basil plant which is known as the Rama Tulasi & the slightly darker basil plant which is known as Shyama Tulasi. This vivid description makes one understand the significance that this plant holds in the hearts & minds of its devotees. It states thousands of years of history & legacy upon which modern traditions have been built.
Benefits of the basil plant (तुलसी) –
1. Keeping basil plant (तुलसी) at home prevents insects & mosquitoes from entering the house.
2. Basil (तुलसी) is rich in Vitamin C & zinc thus, acts as a natural immunity booster.
3. Basil (तुलसी) has immense anti-bacterial, anti-viral & anti-fungal properties which protect us from a variety of infections thus, reducing fever. The fresh juice of basil (तुलसी) taken with black pepper powder cures periodic fevers.
4. Eugenol, a terpene with pain-relieving properties found in basil (तुलसी) which reduces aches in the body.
5. Camphene, cineole & eugenol present in basil (तुलसी) helps to reduce cold, cough & congestion in the chest.
6. Juice of basil (तुलसी) leaves mixed with honey & ginger is beneficial in treating respiratory disorders like bronchitis, asthma, etc.
7. Basil (तुलसी) contains compounds ocimumoside A & B. These compounds reduce stress & balance the neuro-transmitters serotonin & dopamine in the brain.
8. Anti-inflammatory properties of basil (तुलसी) reduce inflammation & blood pressure.
9. Phytochemicals present in basil (तुलसी) have strong antioxidant property which acts like an anti-cancer treatment. Thus, they help to protect the skin, liver, oral & lung cancers.
10. Basil (तुलसी) has a profound effect on treatment & prevention of cardiovascular diseases by means of lowering blood lipid content, suppressing ischemia & stroke, reducing hypertension & keeps the heart healthy.
11. Extract of basil (तुलसी) leaves are very effective to lower blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 Diabetes.
12. Basil (तुलसी) detoxifies the body & has diuretic properties. It decreases the level of uric acid in the body, which is the main reason why kidney stones are formed. Reduction in uric acid levels also provides relief to patients suffering from Gouty arthritis.
13. Basil (तुलसी) leaves help to cure indigestion & loss of appetite. They are also used for the treatment of flatulence & bloating.
14. Basil leaves (तुलसी) are known to unclog the pores in the skin & hydrate them. They get rid of the dirt, grime & flush out the toxins from the skin, thus cleansing, revitalizing the face & helps clear out the blemishes & acne of the skin. It is rich in antioxidants & that also helps to prevent premature ageing.
15. It also strengthens hair roots, thus preventing hair loss. Antifungal properties of basil (तुलसी) prevent the development of fungus & dandruff.
16. The herb has been used to treat headaches & migraines too by consuming it by boiling the leaves or by using the herbal powder in the meals or smoothies.
17. Fresh basil (तुलसी) leaves protect from stings & bites from bugs & other insects. Just chewing on these leaves & applying on the bitten areas helps reduce the pain & extracts the poison injected.
18. The snakes do not dare to go near the basil plant (तुलसी). That must be the major reason why during ancient times people used to grow the basil plant (तुलसी) near their houses.
There is one disadvantage of the basil leaves (तुलसी) that, it may affect the reproductive capacity of women who are trying to conceive. The basil leaves (तुलसी) are also not safe to take during pregnancy. This is because the herb contains a compound known as estragole which is known to cause uterine contractions. This could lead to premature birth & cause other complications. So, it is not advisable for the pregnant women. The basil (तुलसी) is indeed a wonder herb with numerous health benefits when taken in moderation every day.
Thus, Hinduism has many traditions that go back further than most people know. To this very day, they are a part of our everyday lives & they continue to affect our lifestyles. It’s often the case of living with one foot in the past & one foot in the present. However, it is very important to know what sets Hindu culture apart from others & why we perform such small rituals. So, it is fair to say that the basil plant (तुलसी) isn’t just a part of Hindu tradition but also an instigator of it. This sacred plant offers a source of belief & prosperity to its devotees & a sense of peace to everyone around it.
अधिक अश्विनः कृष्णपक्षे १०, २०७६