The defiling of the chastity of Tulasi and the glory of Salagrama
Narada said—How did Narayana implant his seed into the womb of TulasI, you kindly tell me?
Narayana said—Lord Narayana, for the benefice of the gods, took to the form of Samkhacflda and enjoyed the company of the damsel.
Visnu on the other hand deceitfully took away the kavaca of Sarnkhacuda and taking to his fonn reached the abode of TulasI. He arranged the drums to be beaten at the gate of the abode of TulasI with the shouting of the slogans of victory. TulasI was thus made to wake up.
Hearing that her mind was filled with delight and with her mind filled with devotion she peeped through the window over the king’s way.
Offering charity to the Brahmanas she awarded the beggars with enough riches. The king descended from the chariot and moved towards the palace which was studded with precious gems, was quite charming and beautiful.
Finding her husband standing in a peaceful mood, the damsel felt delighted. She bowed in reverence to him and washed his feet. She made her tears to flow.
The damsel made him sit on the beautiful lion- throne and offered him a fragrant betel. She said—“My life is met with success today and all my efforts have borne fruit, because 1 find my lord coming as victorious from the battle field.
Therealter smilingly she looked at her lord with side glances with her hair standing on end. She spoke sweet words while asking about the news of the battle.
TulasT said—О lord, О compassionate one, how did you fight with lord Siva who can destroy the entire universe? How did you become victorious? You please tell me.
On hearing the words of Tulasi lord Vishnu who had taken to the form of Sarhkhacuda smiled and said.
Lord Hari said—“O damsel, the battle between two of us continued for a year in which all the demons were destroyed.
Thereafter, Brahma worked for a truce between us and the rights of both the sides were restored by him.
Thereafter, 1 have returned to my abode and Siva has returned to his abode. Thus speaking the lord of the universe slept there.
О Narada, thereafter lord Visnu enjoyed the company of the damsel. TulasI felt more delighted than before and she ultimately came to know about the reality and said: “Who are you”?
TulasI said—“Are you not the lord of illusion”? You tell me who you are? You have deceitfully enjoyed my company and have defiled my chastity. Therefore I shall pronounce a curse on you. О Brahmana, getting afraid of the curse of TulasI, lord Visnu playfully took to an extremely charming form. The queen saw that the lord of all the lords was standing before her who had the complexion of a new cloud, had the eyes like the lotuses of the winter season, had a beautiful body containing crores of gods of love, adorned with all ornaments, wearing a smile on his face and clad in a yellow lower garment.
Finding him there, lustful TulasI fainted with passion. On regaining consciousness she spoke.
TulasI said—О lord, you are heartless, having no compassion. You are hard like a stone. You have defiled my chastity deceitfully and have killed my husband.
О lord, therefore you are stone-hearted and devoid of compassion. You will therefore take the form of a stone on earth.
Those of the people who call you the ocean of mercy are misled. There is no doubt about it. Why did you kill your own sinless devotee who had committed no crime, for the sake of others? You are the soul of everyone still you are unaware of pain of others. Therefore in one of your births you will forget yourself.
Thus speaking the immensely chaste TulasI fell at the feet of lord crying and was filled with grief lamenting again and again.
The lord of Kamala finding her in a pathetic condition tried to assuage her feelings saying.
The lord said—“O chaste lady, you have performed tapas in the land of Bharata for a long time to achieve me and on the other hand Samkhactida had performed tapas for a long time to achieve you.
As a result of these tapas, the passionate Samkhacuda got you. Now I have considered it appropriate to award you the fruit of your tapas. Therefore putting an end to the present body you take to a divine form and come to Goloka in my Rasallla as LaksmI in the company of lord Vis nu.
Your body will now take to the form of GandakI river, which will be considered to be quite auspicious by the people. Besides your hair will become trees. Since the trees will be bom of your hair they will be known by the name of TulasI.
О damsel, having the beautiful face, in all the three worlds the leaves of TulasI would be considered to be the best and extremely meritorious as compared to any other leaves and flowers which are offered to the gods.
О beautiful one, the plant of TulasI will always be considered to be the best of all the trees and flowers. The trees of sacred TulasI will be grown in the heaven, the hell, the nether world, Vaikuntha, the Goloka, the banks of river Viraja, the land of Vmdavana, on the earth, forest, the campaka-vana, the beautiful sandalwood forest; besides the creepers like Madhavl, KetakI, Kunda, Mallika and Malati forest besides the sacred places.
The plants of TulasI will be grown in all the sacred places, the auspicious regions and the holy places. О damsel, having the beautiful face, the lord of all the gods resides at places, wherever the leaves of TulasI fall.
Whosoever is consecrated with the water of TulasI plant, will be considered to have taken a bath in all the sacred places and also the performer of all the yajnas. Lord Visnu never gets satisfied by consuming thousands of pitchers of nectar but he feels more satisfied with the TulasI leaves offered to him.
The merit one earns by giving ten thousand cows in charity, can be achieved by just giving away a Tulasi leaf to someone.
When the water together with the Tulasi leaf is poured into the mouth of a dying man, he is relieved of all the sins and proceeds to the abode of Tulasi.
The one who consumes the water of Tulasi daily with devotion, is relieved of the cycle of birth and at the end achieves the merit of taking a bath in the Gaiiga. Such of the people who adore me daily offering Tulasi leaves, earn the merit of performing a lakh of Asvamedha sacrifices. There is no doubt about it. The one who proceeding to a sacred place meets with his end placing the Tulasi leaves over his body and hands and surely achieves the Vishnuloka.
The one who wears round his neck the garland of Tulasi gets entitled to performing the Asvamedha sacrifice at every step. There is no doubt about it.
If one takes an oath holding a Tulasi leaf in his hand and then backs out, he falls in the terrific hell and remains there till the moon and the sun shine on earth.
One who makes a promise holding the Tulasi leaf in the hand and then backs out, he falls into Kumbhipaka hell and remains there, up to the life of fourteen Indras.
One who gets a TulasI leaf at the time of his death, surely goes to the Vaikuntha mounted on a plane studded with gems on the days of the full moon, moonless day, twelfth day of the moon and the first day of the sun, whosoever, applying oil at the time of going to drop refuse in the morning and the evening or the midnight, remains without taking a bath or the one who removes a TulasI leaf duly clad in all the sleeping garments, he acts like the killing of lord Vishnu.
A TulasI leaf plucked three nights earlier is considered to be quite auspicious during the sraddha, vrata, the charity, glory and the adoration of the gods.
The Tulasi leave which falls on the ground, in the water or the one which is offered to lord Vis nu can be made use of the second time after washing it because it gets purified.
О Tulasi, you are the sacred deity of the trees and you will always enjoy the company of lord Krsna in Goloka in seclusion. Thereafter you will emerge as a river from the ams’a of lord Hari and will merge into the ocean who is also formed from my ams’a. Thus you will become the wife of the ocean of salt and will be considered to be quite sacred.
You yourself will reside in Vaikuntha in the form of the chaste TulasI and you will shine there and will be honoured like LaksmI. You will be present in the divine dance in Goloka. There is no doubt about it.
Because of the curse pronounced by you I shall appear in the form of a mountain near the river Gandaki.
The insects will carve or cut the stones with their teeth besides my cakra on the stones.
Often the one having a single door, four cakras, wearing a long garland of flowers having the complexion of the fresh dark clouds, will be known as Lakshmi Narayana (Salagrama).
The one which has a single door, four cakras, having the complexion of the fresh cloud, wearing a Vanamcila, shall be known by the name of Lakshmi Janardana.
The one which has two doors, four cakras, the mark of a cow’s hoof and wearing the long garland of forest flowers, will be known as Raghunatha.
The one which has a small body, two cakras and the complexion of the fresh cloud, will be known by the name of Dadhivamana. It will provide welfare to the house-holder.
The one which is of tiny form having two cakras and the long garland of forest flowers round Ihe neck will be known by the name of Sridhara and will provide fortunes to the householders.
The one which is solid, round, without the one Mala and glitters, such a type of Salagrama shall be known as Damodara.
One which is curly in appearance and is of medium type having the marks of cakra and quiver beside the arrow and the one over which is a sign of the cutting of an arrow, such a stone is known by the name of Ranarama.
The stone which has seven cakras in the centre, an umbrella besides the quiver, is known by the name of Rajarajesvara. Such a stone bestows kingdoms and wealth to the people.
The stone which has fourteen chakras, a quite solid and has the complexion of the fresh clouds, is known by the name of Ananta; it provides four types of merits like dharma, artha, kama and moksa. The one which is circular, having two discs and is bestowed with grace, having the complexion of the cloud, is shining and resembles the hoofs of a cow, belongs to a medium size and is known by the name of Madhusudana.
The one having the Sudarsana-chakra, a secret cakra should be known as Gadadhara and the one having two cakras and the head of a horse, is known by the name of Hayagriva.
The one having a vast mouth, two cakras and is of terrific appearance, is known by the name of Narasimha who leads people to Vairagya.
The one having two cakras, a vast mouth and adorned with a long garlands of flowers, is known by the name of Lakshmi-Narasimha. It provides pleasure to all the house-holders.
The one which has two cakras and a mark of Sri engraved on it. Such a type of stone is given the name of Vasudeva. It fulfils all the desires of the people.
The one which has a fine chakra, has a lustre of new clouds having small holes, such a type of stone is known by the name Pradyumna and provides pleasure to all.
The one in which two wheels are joined and the back of which is quite vast is known by the name of Samkarsana. It provides pleasure to the house-holder.
The one which has the yellow complexion, is round in nature, such a beautiful stone is known by the name of Aniruddha by the intellectuals which provides all the pleasure to the householders.
Wherever the stone of Salagrama is kept, lord Vishnu with Lakshmi also resides there. By adoring the stone of Salagrama one is relieved of all the sins including that of Brahmahatya.
If the Salagrama stone is like an umbrella, one gets the kingdom, if it is roundish, it provides the fortunes, if it is of the form of a cart it is painful and it is like the fore part of the trident, it surely brings death.
If it is of a deformed face, it gives misfortune and in case of yellow colour, loss. With the broken cakra it causes ailment and the Salagrama stone causes death.
In case the Salagrama stone remains consecrated during the vrata, perfonning charity, glorious deed, sraddha and the adoration of gods, one achieves great merit.
The one who consecrates with the water of the Salagrama stone, earns the merit of having a bath in all the sacred places and makes the yajnas successful.
The merit one earns by giving away all the riches in charity and by taking a round of the globe, he earns the merit of performing all the yajnas, visiting the holy places and the performing of tapas. He also becomes free from birth and death and becomes the great son of the soil. There is no doubt about it.
One derives the merit of reciting all the Vedas by worshipping the Salagrama stone undoubtedly.
The one who sips the water of the Salagrama stone and also consumes the prasada of the god, he remains without old age and is freed from birth and death. All the sacred places become desirous of touching such a person. Therefore the one having been relieved of birth and death gets purified and moves on to the abode of Vishnu.
Residing there with the lord Visnu and providing setvices to him, he (devotee) looks innumberable Prakrta layas. He frees from bondage and spends much time there.
At the sight of the Salagrama stone, Brahmahatya and other sins, flee away as the serpent disappears at the sight of a Garuda.
The earth gets purified with the dust of his feet. A lakh of generations of such a person get redeemed.
At the time of death if one sips the water of the Salagrama stone, one is relieved of all the sins and goes to the abode of Vishnu.
Thereafter facing the reward of his deeds he achieves salvation and gets merged into the feet of lord Visnu. There is no doubt about it.
Therefore the one who tells a lie after keeping the Salagrama stone with him, has to suffer in the Kurmadamstra hell up to the age of Brahma.
If anyone takes an oath after touching the Salagrama stone and then backs out, he has to suffer in a terrific hell for a lakh of manvantaras.
The one who separates the Tulasi leaf from Salagrama, has to face the agony of the separation from the wife for many births. Similarly the one who separates the Tulasi leaf from the conch, meets with the grief of death of his wife and remains in the hell for seven births.
The one who keeps Salagrama stone, Tulasi and Samkha together, becomes a great intellectual and the beloved of the lord.
If a person implants his seed in the womb of any woman, the separation of that lady even for a moment becomes unbearable for him.
You have become the beloved of Samkhacuda for a manvantara and as such to separate you from Samkhacuda would be quite painful for you.”
Thus speaking lord Vishnu kept quiet and TulasI met with the end of her life and took to the divine form.
Like Lakshmi she also started residing in the heart of lord Vishnu and lord Vishnu proceeded with her to Vaikuntha.
O Narada, thus Vishnu had four spouses named LaksmI, Sarasvatl, Ganga and Tulasi.
From the body of Tulasi at once appeared the river Gandaki. At the bank of the said river a huge mountain appeared from the amsa of lord Vishnu, which was quite sacred for the humans.
0 sage, the insects make many types of stones there. The stones of dark complexion fall into the river daily.
With the grace of the lord the stones of the river appear in red or brown colour. Thus I have told you everything and what more do you want to know?
