Verse Text
53. atha tadīyānāṁ sevanam | tulāsyaḥ, yathā skānde—
yā dṛṣṭā nikhilāgha-saṅga-śamanī spṛṣṭā vapuḥ-pāvanī
rogāṇām abhivanditā nirasanī siktāntaka-trāsinī |
pratyāsatti-vidhāyinī bhagavataḥ kṛṣṇasya saṁropitā
nyastā tac-caraṇe vimukti-phaladā tasyai tulasyai namaḥ ||203||
Translation
Service to things related to the Lord (verse 88), service to tulasī (verse 89), from Skanda Purāṇa: Seeing tulasī destroys all sins. Touching her purifies the body. Bowing to her destroys all sufferings. Sprinkling her with water delivers one from death. Planting her bestows attachment of the mind to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Offering her to Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet bestows special liberation in the form of prema. I offer my respects to tulasī.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Vapuḥ-pāvanī (purifying the body) means purifying a person of his bad birth or other karmas. Rogāṇām (destroying all sickness) indicates destroying all types of suffering. Pratyāsatti means attachment of the mind. Vimukti, special liberation, means prema-bhakti.
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
Serving Trees Such as the Tulasī
In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a statement praising the tulasī tree as follows: “Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the tulasī tree, which can immediately vanquish volumes of sinful activities. Simply by seeing or touching this tree one can become relieved from all distresses and diseases. Simply by offering obeisances to and pouring water on the tulasī tree, one can become freed from the fear of being sent to the court of Yamarāja [the King of death, who punishes the sinful]. If someone sows a tulasī tree somewhere, certainly he becomes devoted to Lord Kṛṣṇa. And when the tulasī leaves are offered in devotion at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, there is the full development of love of Godhead.”
In India all Hindus, even those not belonging to the Vaiṣṇava group, take special care of the tulasī tree. Even in great cities where it is very difficult to keep a tulasī tree, people are to be found very carefully keeping this plant. They water it and offer obeisances to it, because worship of the tulasī tree is very important in devotional service.