Tulasi Vivaha or the Marriage of the Sacred Leaf

The Basil Leaf Weds the Shaligram Stone in a Ritual Ceremony

Oct 29, 2009

The tulasi leaf is steeped in legend. Its ritual marriage to God in the form of the shaligram stone is conducted in every Hindu household.

Tulasi is the basil leaf, which is sacred to Hindus. The literal meaning of tulasi is that which is beyond compare. The legend of Tulasi is narrated in the Padma Purana. The story ends with the marriage of Tulasi to God, who is represented in the form of a shaligram stone. The shaligram is a black smooth ammonite stone usually found on river beds.

The Legend of Tulasi

Tulasi was married to the demon Sankhachuda. Sankhachuda had been given a boon that he could not be defeated as long as his wife remained faithful to him. And Tulasi was the paragon of fidelity. Sankhachuda misused this boon and went on a rampage across the Universe. Krishna was forced to intercede.

While Sankhachuda was engaged in the battlefield with Shiva, Krishna assumed the guise of the demon returning victorious from battle. Tulasi was overjoyed and gave a hero’s welcome to her husband. After the rituals were complete Tulasi and the imposter husband retired to the bedroom and the condition of the boon was violated. At that instant Sankhachuda was killed by Shiva’s trident. Krishna was compelled to narrate the tale of deceit to Tulasi. She was aghast at his cold heartedness and cursed him to become a stone.

Krishna then told Tulasi the story behind the story. Tulasi and Sankhachuda were his friends, only Tulasi was known as Vrinda and Sankhachuda was Sudama. Sudama loved Vrinda and Vrinda loved Krishna and this entire drama had been stage-managed to let every desire be fulfilled.

However Tulasi’s curse came into effect and Krishna was turned into the shaligram stone. Tulasi gave up her human form and became the basil leaf and they are even today found together near river beds.

The Marriage of Tulasi

The ritual marriage of the tulasi leaf to the shaligram stone re-enacts the last part of the legend. The ritual is performed on the eleventh day of the waxing fortnight of the Hindu month of Kartik.

The pot in which the tulasi plant is grown is painted red and decorated. Sugar cane stems are driven in the pot to create a frame around the tulasi plant. A complete bridal dress with adornments like bangles is arranged around the frame, thus representing Tulasi as a bride. The shaligram is represented as the groom and usually dresses in the red and yellow sacred string. The rituals that take place in an actual Hindu marriage are replicated. The devotees performing the ritual, usually a couple, act as the parents of the bride and perform the kanyadaan, or the giving away of the bride. This ritual is very important to parents who do not have daughters and are thus unable to perform a kanyadaan in real life. Even witnessing the marriage of Tulasi is said to absolve the devotee of all sins committed.

The auspicious dates for marriages in the Hindu calendar commence from this day.

The Sacredness of the Tulasi

The following prayer to the tulasi leaf symbolizes its sacred position in Hindu religion: “I bow down to the tulasi at whose base are all the holy places, at whose top reside all the deities and in whose middle are all the Vedas.”

The tulasi leaf is placed in every offering given to any deity and is also the part of any prasad. It also has great medicinal values and taking one tulasi leaf with water every day is a great cure for the common cold.

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