Know Here The Complete Story Of The Tulsi Plant

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Tulsi or Basil is one plant which you will find in almost every Hindu household. As observed in many houses, every morning the woman of the house offers water, incense and flowers to the plant. In the evening oil lamps are lit in front of the plant. Have you ever wondered why only the Basil plant receives this special treatment and not other plants?

It is because the Tulsi plant is regarded as a Goddess according to the Hindus. She is very close to Lord Vishnu and no ritual is ever deemed complete without the presence of Tulsi leaves. The Tulsi plant also has great medicinal benefits. It is an important herb which is used in Ayurvedic treatment and is a cure for many diseases like cold, cough and other ailments. The plant is also said to purify the atmosphere and act as a mosquito repellent too. So, know here the complete story of the Tulsi plant.

A Beautiful Princess Vrinda

Tulsi is known as Vrinda in Hindu scriptures. She was a beautiful princess of a demon king named Kaalnemi. She was married to Jalandhar who was very powerful. Jalandhar had immense power because he was born out of fire from Lord Shiva's third eye. Jalandhar fell in love with Princess Vrinda who was an extremely chaste and a devoted lady.

Tulsi: The Devoted Wife

Vrinda was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu whereas Jalandhar hated all the Gods. Yet, the two were destined to get married. It is said that after marrying Vrinda, Jalandhar became invincible because her chastity and devotion multiplied his strength. His arrogance grew and he aimed to become the supreme power of the universe by defeating Lord Shiva.

Lord Vishnu's Dilemma

The Gods grew insecure of Jalandhar's growing powers. They went to Lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu was in a dilemma because Vrinda was his ardent devotee and he could not do injustice to her. But, due to a threat posed by Jalandhar to all the deities, Lord Vishnu decided to play a trick.

Lord Vishnu's Trick

While Jalandhar was busy in a battle with Lord Shiva, Vishnu came to Vrinda disguised as Jalandhar. Vrinda could not recognize him at first and went to greet him thinking that Jalandhar has returned. But as soon as she touched Lord Vishnu, she realized that he was not her husband. But her chastity was already shattered by then as she had touched the body of another man and thus, Jalandhar became vulnerable. Realizing her mistake, Vrinda asked Lord Vishnu to show his real form. She was shattered to see that she was tricked by her own Lord.

The Curse Of Vrinda

Seeing Lord Vishnu disguised as Jalandhar and tricking her to break her chastity, Vrinda cursed Lord Vishnu that he would soon turn into a stone. Lord Vishnu accepted the curse and he turned into a Shaligrama stone which is also found near the Gandaka river today. After this, Jalandhar was killed by Lord Shiva since he was not under the protection of his wife's chastity anymore. Vrinda was also heart broken and decided to end her life.

The Boon Of Lord Vishnu

Before Vrinda died, Lord Vishnu blessed her with a boon that she would take the form of a plant, Tulsi and would be worshipped along with Lord Vishnu. His puja will never be deemed complete without offering the leaves of Tulsi. Hence, since then Tulsi forms an inseparable part of Hindu rituals. The unfortunate Goddess was finally blessed and turned into a plant who resides in almost every house to bless everyone.