Verse Text
atha pādābja-tulasī-gandho, yathā tṛtīye (3.15.43) –
tasyāravinda-nayanasya padāravinda-
kiṣjalka-miśra-tulasī-makaranda-vāyuḥ |
antar-gataḥ sva-vivareṇa cakāra teṣāṁ
saṅkṣobham akṣara-juṣām api citta-tanvoḥ ||23||
Translation
The fragrance of tulasī, from the Third Canto: When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasī leaves from the toes of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead entered the nostrils of those sages, they experienced a change both in body and in mind, even though they were attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding. SB 3.15.43
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
In the Third Canto, Fifteenth Chapter, verse 43, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there is a statement concerning the four saintly persons known as Catuḥ-sana, headed by Sanaka-kumāra. They went to visit the Lord of Vaikuṇṭhaloka in the spiritual sky, and when they bowed down before the Lord, the aroma of the tulasī, mixed with saffron, entered their nostrils and immediately attracted their minds. Although these four saintly persons were always absorbed in the thought of impersonal Brahman, from association with the Lord and from smelling the tulasī leaves the hairs on their bodies immediately stood up. This shows that even a person who is situated in Brahman realization, if he is put into association with devotees in pure devotional service, will immediately become attracted to the personal feature of the Lord.