Guest guest Report post Posted August 12, 2004 Hari Krishna ! Can anyone tell me what a Tulasi plant is (ie its latin name) please ? I thought the Tulasi was holy basil but a devotee on this site said that he did not think this was so. I would like to grow a Tulasi plant from seed (or buy one) to pay my humble respects to it each day. At the moment I have been paying my respects to holy basil plants that I grew from seeds (as I thought they were Tulasi) and offering a leaf from it to Lord Krishna each day. Many Thanks if you can help me. Jaya Srila Prabhupada ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted August 13, 2004 I think so. Herb garden at my university says so. but its littlebit different from indian Tulsi. might be due to climate effect Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted August 13, 2004 i'm sure basil is different... my yoga instructor, (initiated in the gaudiya vaishnava parampara and a qualified brahmana) said that tulasi is different from basil... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted August 13, 2004 yes .. holy basil is different if you want to have tulasi ask to gaudya vaishnava devotees or go in sacred places like vrindavan, mayapur Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted August 13, 2004 Hare Krishna ! Many thanks for your help. I have been intending to contact my nearest ISKCON temple, perhaps they will have a tulasi or be able to provide seeds. I am not a proper devotee but have become interested K.C, and for some reason (perhaps because I like plants) I liked the idea of pleasing God by offering my respects to the Tulasi. My humble obeisances to all devotees Mark Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted August 13, 2004 Hare Krishna ! All Glories to Srila Prabhupada !! A search on the internet for tulasi says that the latin name for the tulasi is Ocimum Sanctum which is also known as Holy Basil. The plants I grew were from Ocimum Sanctum seeds.. so I hope I cause no offence in offering a leaf of these plants to Lord Krishna. I just wish to do a little to please God, as I am not a proper devotee, and do not chant enough rounds, or follow all the four regulative principles properly yet. My humble obeisances to all true devotees. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted August 16, 2004 i do not want to cause offence, but a search on the internet is not sufficient... for example the internet definition of vegetarian includes the eating of eggs.... the vedic definition prohibits eggs... if u want to offer basil, that is no problem...krsna says offer me a leaf - any leaf... just don't assume that basil is identical to tulasi... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted August 16, 2004 Hare Krisna ! No offence taken - you have made a good point about the internet, thank you. I will have to confirm what plant it is I've been offering with a proper vedic authority at some point. The main thing is I did not want cause any offence. Thank you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted October 4, 2004 Hare Krisna! Sorry to be a nuisance on this subject of holy basil/ Tulasi, but I just wanted to grow some to pay my humble obeisances to, and being very ignorant I just wanted to find out. I found my information othe following website : http://www.haryana-online.com/Flora/tulsi.htm In England , Ocimum Sanctum (Tulsi) is referred to as Holy basil, although there are many varieties. I grew some of the Krisna tulsi (red-purple leaves) and some Shri Tulsi (green leaves) and have been taking a leaf to from them to offer to Lord Krishna.. Krishna said any leaf could be offered but I hoped growing, looking after , and offering leaves of the Tulsi would please Krishna even more.. Is Tulsi (Tulasi?) plant described on the following website the Tulasi that devotees offer their respects to ? Please excuse my ignorance, and any offense. I am not a devotee, just hoping to make a little progress in that direction. Haribol! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sumedh 0 Report post Posted October 4, 2004 Hare Krishna Yes, the one shown on the site is the Tulasi devotees offer their repects to and offer to Krishna. Usually the Shri Tulasi shown in the picture is offered; do not know about Krishna Tulasi. What nuisance and offense can be there? Your devotion and enthusiasm are really remarkable and it gives pleasure to try and answer questions of such a devotee. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted October 19, 2004 Hare Krishna Dear Sumedh, Thank you for your kind words. Is ok to pick a leaf from a Tulasi plant and offer it to Krishna, or is it better to wait for a leaf to be dropped naturally ? I know it sounds a bit crazy, but I can't help worrying that I am inflicting a little discomfort on a great devotee by plucking leaves off! (I do ask and apologise to the Tulasi for picking leaves - if Prince Charles can admit to talking to plants so can I..) Should I just pay my humble obeisances to the Tulasi and only offer leaves that the Tulasi has dropped ? My humble obeisances and apologies for my ignorance. Haribol! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sumedh 0 Report post Posted October 19, 2004 Hare Krishna please accept my dandavat pranam It does not sound crazy at all, rather is truly beautiful devotional quality which i can only dream of ... Though appearing as a plant, Tulasi is spiritual is nature and she is offered respect just as a pure devotee. Plucking leaves for offering to Krishna would not hurt rather would please her; plucking leaves for any other purpose is considered inappropriate and an offense because she manifests in this world to be offered to Vishnu. Some guidelines can be found here http://www.harekrsna.com/practice/sadhana/morning/tulasi-arati/offering.htm If the leaves that have dropped are enough then they will do else some can be plucked. Other details of her care etc. are provided here http://www.harekrsna.com/practice/sadhana/morning/tulasi-arati/care.htm Since plants are in a quite lower level of consciousness than humans/animals their discomfort when leaf/fruit/seed is picked is very small in comparison. However, this consideration does not apply to Tulasi because she is not material. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted October 20, 2004 Hare Krishna! My humble obeisances Sumedh, and my sincere gratitude for you kind words and helpful answers. Thank you very much for the web links - it is a wonderful website, and I have found many answers and much useful information there. You are a real devotee, whereas I am not, having never even visited a temple, and only having the association of devotees on this website. (Probably why I keep posting questions, as at the moment it is the only contact I have with real devotees) I am very ignorant and still in the earliest stages of K.C. and not even following the four regs properly yet. Thank you for your help and encouraging words. my regards, Mark Haribol! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted February 16, 2006 the latin name for tulasi is ocimum sanctum ,belongs to labiatae family Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest guest Report post Posted February 17, 2006 Haribol ! I have been reading this thread and it is really wonderful that all the devotees are so humbly and free of any false ego are participating and asking questions and finding answers. This is really so sublime. This is the beauty of KC, that it slowly kills the devil of false ego seated deep inside our hearts, by the axe of devotion and trascendental knowledge. My humble obeisances to all of you! haribol ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
