Happy Celebrations of Srimati Tulasi Devi's Vivah

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Namaste all! _/\_

 

Happy Celebrations of Srimati Tulasi Devi's Vivah on November 13

 

vRndAyAya tulasi devyAya priyAyAya kezavAya ca

viSNu bhaki prade devi satyavatyAya namo namaH

 

http://www.iskcon.org.uk/norwich/images/tulasi3.jpg

 

Tulsi Vivah -- Legend

Source: Free Press Journal

By Meera S. Sashital

 

One of the most sacred plants of the Hindus is the Tulsi Plant (Ocimum

Sanctum). There is not one household where you will not find the plant

in front of the house. Tulsi plant is held in great Veneration because

it is supposed to be the incarnation of Lakshmi. Every pious Hindu

takes care to water it daily and make circumambulation of it while

praying.

 

In the month of shukla or bright half of kartik, on an auspicious day

between the eleventh day and the fifteenth, God Krishna is married to

Tulsi. A mock marriage is performed with an idol of Krishna or the

Salarama believed to be Krishna himself and Tulsi. Tulsi, the plant,

was in her former birth Vrinda, the daughter of a giant named Nemi or

Kalanemi. Tulsi was married to a demon named Jalandhar. Her husband

was, according to legend, born out of the sweat which Shiva had thrown

from his brow into the ocean when he perspired at being insulted by

Lord Indra. As he was born in water or Jala, he was named Jalandhar.

Due to this he claimed suzerainty of the Ocean and as his heritage

demande back from Indra all the fourteen treasures churned out of the

ocean in the second incarnation of Vishnu. But, Indra, the king of the

Gods refused. To avenge Indra, Jalandhar worshipped Brahma and did

severe penance.

 

Brahma being pleased grants him freedom from death as long as his wife

Vrinda remained virtuous and chaste, because Vrinda was renowned for

her faithfulness and chastity.

 

Jalandhar quite secure of his life wages war on Indra and invades

Amaravati, the capital of Swarga, compelling all he Gods to flee. They

seek Shiva and Vishnu's protection and fight the demon but get

defeated. Finally Vishnu deputes Lakshmi to Jalandhar to learn th

secret of his death. Jalandhar yields to her charms and discloses the

fact. At first Shiva is sent to Vrinda in Jalandhar's form to entice

her but he fails. Then, Vishnu himself goes to Vrinda in the guise of

Jalandahr and betrays her. No sooner Vrinda loses her virtue, Jaladhar

gets killed. Vrinda on discovering the identity and the horrible deed

he had committed cursed Vishnu that he would become a black stone.

Vishnu also retaliates and cursed her saying that she sould become a

Tulsi shrub.

 

This is why Vishnu has turned into a shaligram, the ammonite found

chiefly in the river Gandaki, and Vrinda into Ocimum sanctun, the

Tulsi plant. Vishnu won over by Vrinda's unimpeachable chastity vows

to marry her every year. This has been immortalised by performing

their marriage annually on the 11th day of the month of Kartik. With

the ceremony of Tulsi's marriage, the annual marriage season of the

Hindus begins. This day also coincides with the end of Vishnu's four

months sleep, known as Prabodidhinyekadasi (Awaking Eleventh).

 

Another slight deviation in Tulsi's story of that when Vrinda

discovered she was deceived, she built a pyre and immolated herself.

But Vishnu adminring her chastity and sorry for the wrong done to her,

was inconsolable till the Gods planted a Tulsi shrub and summoned her

spirit into it. Since then she is believed to come into the shrub

every evening leaving it in the morning. This is the reason why the

Tulsi leaves are not plucked after sunset.

 

Lord KRISHNA says to RADHARANI in Brahma Vaivarta Purana

(Sri Krishna Janma Khanda):

 

yathA tvaM rAdhikA devI

goloke gokule tathA

 

vaikuNTeca mahA lakShmIr

bhavatI ca sarasvatI

 

bhavatI martyalakSmIzca

kSIroda sayina priyA

 

dharma putra vadhUstvaM ca

sAntir lakSmI svarUpiNI

 

kapilasya priyA kAntA

bhArate bhAratI satI

 

dvArAvatyAM mahAlakSmIr

bhavatI rukmiNI satI

 

tvaM sIta mithilayAM ca

tvacchAyA draupadi satI

 

rAvaNena hRtA tvaM ca

tvaM ca rAmasya kaminI

 

http://saigan.com/heritage/gods/godimages/krishn7.jpg

 

O Radhey! Just as You are My Beloved Soul of Goloka and the Queen of

Gokula, in the same way You manifest as Maha Lakshmi and Sarasvati in

Vaikunta, and also as Martyalakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu. You

appear as the opulent form of Santi who is the wife of Dharmaputra.

You alone are Bharati Sati, the consort of Kapila Deva.

 

http://saigan.com/heritage/gods/godimages/krishn6.jpg

 

You manifest in Dvaraka, as Mahalakshmi, Queen Rukmini and Your Shadow

Itself takes up the form of Draupadi Sati. You ALONE appear in Mithila

as Sita Devi and become the Beloved of Sri Rama and are abducted by

Ravana.

 

tulasI puNya rupa ca

gaGgA bhuvana pAvanI

 

brahma loke ca sAvitrI

kalayA tvaM vasundharA

 

goloke rAdhikA tvaM ca

sarva gopAlakezvarI

 

http://saigan.com/heritage/gods/godimages/krishn5.jpg

 

You are Radhika, the eternal Mistress of all Gopis in Goloka. You are

also identified as the origin of Prakriti, and as Savitri in Lord

Brahma's abode.

 

You are worshipped as the Sacred Plant Tulasi and as ever purifying

River of the three worlds, Ganga, and in part as Mother Earth.

 

Read more at:

 

http://forums.delphiforums.com/jayaradhey/messages?msg=112.2

 

...........

 

Smt. Tulasi devi reminds me a few of my joyous experiences in the

association of Jagadguru Sri Kripaluji Maharaj.

A few years ago when I was on my pilgrimage tour in Vraja,

we used to go on 'Parikrama - Sankirtana' by foot around the 'Rangeeli

Mahal' compound along with Sri Maharaj ji in Barsana.

 

Of course, naturally it was a large crowd of devotees and everyone

trying to get close to Maharaj ji and be blessed with a bissful

glimpse of their Beloved Rasik Saint while walking with their arms

raised and singing the Holy Names.

 

To avoid the struggle and stampede I had preferred to walk and dance

at the edges of the crowd lines, towards the garden borders, far away

from the center of the road where the most traffic used to be.

 

On one particular day, there was some auspicious celebration of Lord

Vishnu going on. Devotees were in jubiliation chanting and doing

'parikrama' Sankirtana. On the path of 'Parikrama' near the dining

hall, there was a huge beautiful garden and soft bed of Tulasi bushes.

Just when we approached at this place, Sri Maharaj ji gave a gentle

push to the crowd on my side and everyone was moved involuntarily

towards my side pushing me more to the edge due to the domino-effect.

 

Sri Maharaj ji's timing and spacing was perfectly perfect!

With this unexpected push I too lost control of myself and fell

helplessly unhurt in the middle of flower garden, right over

the soft bed of Tulasi leaves and fragrant manjaris!!

 

It was like a miracle to me! I couldn't believe myself lying on the

bed of sacred Tulasi bushes, though I burst into a hearty laughter

enjoying the sweet mischievous 'lila' of Sri Maharaj ji, making me

fall unhurt over the bed of Tulasi instead of the stony hard road!

 

After getting up from the garden and joining the 'Parikrama-

Sankirtana' I was overwhelmed by His Divine Grace.

 

---------

 

On another occassion, one devotee offered a huge wild garland made of

sacred Tulasi leaves to Sri Maharaj ji. Sri ji would not wear rough

and heavy garlands over his delicate neck as it would be very

uncomfortable for him. So he took the garland in his hand and placed

it beside him thoughtfully looking at me who was sitting right in

front of him and eagerly waiting with a desire for receiving it as his

'Prasadi garland'.

 

jIve sAkSAt nAhi tAte guru caittya-rUpe

zikSA-guru haya kRSNa mahAnta-svarUpe

 

Since one cannot experience the direct Divinity of the Indwelling Lord

as 'Parama-atma', Krishna appears outside in the form of one's 'siksha

guru'.(C. C 1.1.58)

 

Sri Guru being the 'antaryAmi' knew my greed for the garland.

His naughty dealings with me are naturally full of Divine

mischievousness. He gestured to his close servants to approach him

and whispered into their ears. They took the possession of the Tulasi

garland, placing it in the 'Radhe-Shyami' shawl, they started to

remove all the Tulasi leaves from the garland thus quickly

dis-assembling the entire wreath.

 

Then Sri Maharaj ji announced that 'All' devotees can have the 'Prasad

of Tulasi leaf' from his own hands if they wish to make a love (or

monetary) offering of Rs.100 (roughly around $2.50).

 

Naturally, I stood up first to receive the 'Prasad' but the crowd was

too big and fast ahead of me. So I was held up in back watching Sri ji

doling out one or two Tulasi leaves to the front devotees in the long

line.

 

I feared that there might not be any more left for me as I was too far

behind in the line. The devotee crowd was also frantic triyng to

secure the sacred Tulasi leaves before they ran out and breaking the

que, not following good descipline.

 

It was really hard to control the devotees' greed.

 

But Sri Maharaj ji was dispensing the leaves sweetly smiling. He

simply continued placing one or two leaves in each streched out hand

over to him without even taking notice of who ever it was.

 

But when my hand finally approached him, without even looking at me he

firmly placed a fist full of Tulasi leaves along with his blessed cool

touch of his lotus hand! I hastily ate all of that precious 'maha prasAd'!

 

Siddha Maha Purusha Saints are fully aware of the 'need and greed'

of their surrendered souls.

 

Lord Krishna has said:

 

yo mAM pazyati sarvatra sarvaM ca mayi pazyati,

tasyA 'haM na praNazyAmi sa ca me na praNazyati

 

- Bhagavad Gita 6.30

 

He who SEES ME every where and sees ALL in Me,

he NEVER becomes LOST to ME, NOR do I become lost to HIM.

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!

 

Divine_Lovers/

[Guest guest]

Namaste all.

 

Festivals of Kartik - Part II

Source: Free Pree Journal

By Meera Sashital

 

Haribodhini or Prabodhini:This is the 11th day of kartik bright

fortnight or the Kartik Ekadashi and is regarded as the day of Lord

Hari or Vishnu. Haribodhini means that which bestows the knowledge of

Sri Har, and Prabodhani meaning awakening from sleep (of Vishnu after

four months) or more aptly, ignorance. Devotees of Lord Hari are said

to observe fasts and rigorous penances to seek knowledge. All

meritorious actions done on this day are said to boomerang with

thousandfold credits. Perhaps this has the link with Sun's movement to

the southern hemisphere and the Winter Solsticce.

 

Moreover, the famous Kartik meals or fairs are held annually at

Gurumukteswar on the banks of the Ganges, attended by thousand of

pilgrim from far and near. The religious significance of this place

lies in the fact that it was at this site that, according to the epic

Mahabharata, King Santanu met the goddess Ganga in her human form and

married her. Scriptures opine that great merit can be obtained by

bathing in the Ganges specially on this day. Thus baths in the holy

rivers, visits to temples and prayers are the common featyres of this

Ekadashi Day.

 

Vailunth Chaturdashi: The fourteenth day of the first half of Kartik

is said to be sacred to Vishnu, the Lord of vaikunth. It is revealed

on this day in Krita Tuga Vishnu went to Benaras and worship Shiva at

the Manikarnika Ghat. While offering 1,000 lotus flowers and invoking

Shiva with praises, he found the thousandth lotus missing. But Vishnu,

unshaken, completes his worship by replacing the missing lotus with

one of his own eyes.

 

 

Shiva veritably pleased with this gesture presented Vishnu the

Sudarshan, the enchanted disc. Since then devotees of Vishnu offer him

a thousand lotuses and 1,000 praiseworthy appellations or the Vishnu

Sahsranama.

 

Vysa Puja: On Kartik Full Moon day, Vyasa, the famous compiler of the

Vedas is to be worshipped, and in his name all regular expounders of

the Purans also. A similar day is Ashada Full Moon, known as Guru Puja

when every student worships his own Guru.

 

There are two other notable days in the month. One is the birthday of

Guru Nanak on Kartik Poornima, the other the 13 day of the dark half

of kartik when Sant Jnaneshvar Maharaj renounced his mortal body and

took Samadhi. Both were great religious leaders and beacon lights of

knowledge, diffusing the message of Love. The main celebrations of

Guru Nanak's birthday are the Akhand Path (continuous reading of the

Granth) and taking of the Holy Granth in procession.

 

Similarly, on this particular Ekadashi day a great Yatra or fair takes

place at Alandi and thousands of people visit it to have the darshan

of the `Samadhi' and shrine of Sant Jnaneshwar. Devotees worship his

Samadhi as well as the holy Jnanesvari, his immortal commentary on the

Bhagavad Gita, which they call as Mauli or Ayi, the Mother and hold

religious discourses.

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!

 

, pyari_h <no_reply> wrote:

 

> Happy Celebrations of Srimati Tulasi Devi's Vivah on November 13