Lord Vishnu In Tulsi Plant

 Siddhi B. Ranjitkar

Hindus believe in at least ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. One of such incarnations of Lord Vishnu is a holy plant called Tulsi. Lord Vishnu needed to dwell in Tulsi for four months for various reasons. One of such reason is every year He goes to serve as a guard at the entrance to the residence of Monarch Bali Raja whom Lord Vishnu himself pushed to another world for saving the heavenly throne for Indra. Another reason is He needed to reincarnate in Tulsi because of the spell he received from a beautiful woman called Brinda: the spouse of a holy man called Jallandhar. Lord Vishnu therefore, reincarnates in a basal plant called Tulsi for four months every year. Nepalis, therefore, perform worship for Lord Vishnu in Tulsi for four months.  This four-month period is called Caturmasa.

Nepalis sow seeds of Tulsi on the eleventh day called Nirjala Ekadasi of the lunar light fortnight in Jestha in the Vikram calendar. The sowing of seeds is done one month before the transplantation of Tulsi plants.  Devotees first prepare a flowerpot with good soil and compost. Then, they take a purification bath. They do not drink even water on this day to keep the body clean.  That is why they identify this day as Nirjala means without water. They perform other religious rituals to clean their mind, and utter mantras to clean their speech too. Thus, they clean their body, mind and speech for sowing seeds of Tulsi plants.  Thereafter, they sow seeds following Vedic rituals in the flowerpot specially prepared for it.

After a month from the day of the sowing seeds of Tulsi every household prepares a special site or a fresh flowerpot for transplanting Tulsi seedlings. Devotees prepare a special shoulder high hollow column of one and a half feet by one and a half feet of surface area. They fill it with fertile soil and compost. This is done in preparation for transplanting Tulsi seedlings. This is called a Tulsi Maath, and is built in such a place so that devotees can go round it. According to the Hindu religious rituals, believers need to make a round of any god keeping the deity on the right after completing offerings to the god. Devotees having no areas for such a Tulsi Maath prepare a fresh flowerpot for transplanting Tulsi seedlings.

Every household transplants Tulsi plants on the eleventh day called Harisayani Ekadasi of the lunar light fortnight in the Asadha-sukla month in the Vikram calendar. Traditionally, only men perform the rituals of transplanting Tulsi seedlings. They do not drink or eat anything before performing the religious rites of transplanting Tulsi seedlings. According to the Hindu religious belief, a human body becomes defiled after eating or drinking something.

The person assigned to transplant Tulsi plants needs to undergo the purification rites as in the case of sowing seeds. Thereafter, he first offers pure water to the Tulsi Maath or to a flowerpot for making it clean. Then, he transplants a few seedlings into the Tulsi Maath or into the freshly prepared flowerpot. He consecrates them, and then makes offerings to them. Thus, Lord Vishnu reincarnates in Tulsi plants.

Every household believing in Lord Vishnu makes offerings to Tulsi plants twice a day after the transplantation. Anyone of a household may make daily offerings to Tulsi plants.  Usually, a senior most woman in a household performs the daily offerings.  She uses special items such as barley and sesame seeds: the two most favorite items of Lord Vishnu, and other regular items such as vermilion, flowers, and incense for the morning offerings. She waters the plants with holy water freshly collected from a tap before making offerings. She should do it before taking food or drinking tea or any other beverage. The god will not accept the offerings made after eating or drinking anything.

In the evening, the same woman or someone else makes offerings of wick lamps to Tulsi plants. She lights wicks soaked in mustard-seed oil and offers the light to the Tulsi plants.  Offering a light to a deity means asking for enlightenment. She may do it at any time after the sun set. Every household takes special care of Tulsi plants believing the death of Tulsi plants will bring them misfortune.

Hindus in general and people of the Vaisnavis sect of Hinduism in particular perform special offerings called Tulasayanark for the Tulsi plants on the eleventh day called Hariparavartani Ekadasi of the lunar light fortnight in Bhadra (September) in the Vikram calendar. Some devotees take a special one-day fast in the name of Lord Vishnu as the reverence for Him on this auspicious day. Devotees in thousands visit shrines of Lord Vishnu in various parts of the country to perform worship for him on this day.

The four-monthly reverence for Tulsi plants comes to an end on the eleventh day called Hari-bodhini Ekadasi of the lunar light fortnight in the month called Kartik in the Vikram calendar. By this time the Tulsi plants have grown and matured. Lord Vishnu also must have completed his services to Monarch Bali Raja in another world. He must be preparing for coming back to the surface. Therefore, Hindus perform a fire worship called Yajna for the Tulsi plants as the last religious rites. Normally, Hindu priests perform the last offerings to Tulsi plants on behalf of their clients. Thereafter, people let the plants dry for collecting seeds for the next season and leaves for using them as medicine.

It is hard to say when Nepalis have begun to perform worship for Tulsi plants as Lord Vishnu. However, Nepalis have begun worshipping Lord Vishnu since the fifth century during the reign of Licchavi Monarch called Manadev according to the stone inscription of 464 A. D set at the Changu Narayan temple.  People believe that Nepalis must have started venerating Lord Vishnu much earlier than the fifth century.

Lord Vishnu is rightly called the preserver of the world order. He intervenes whenever and wherever something goes wrong. He reincarnated in the ideal persons such as Ram and Krishna to bring back the order in the society of that time destroying the evil spirits called demons. However, He reincarnated in Tulsi plants primarily for atoning for his sins.

Lord Vishnu drove Monarch Bali Raja to another world for preserving the heavenly throne for Indra. This He did in return for the devotion of Indra's mother to Him. Bali Raja was a pious monarch. He had done so much meritorious work and accumulated merits that Bali Raja would replace Indra on the heavenly throne if let him continue his meritorious activities. Knowing the threat to her son's job the mother of Indra meditated on Lord Vishnu and pleased Him with her dedication to Him. So, Lord Vishnu appeared before her and said, " I am pleased with you very much, tell me your wish, I will fulfill it". Indra's mother without losing a single moment said, " O! Lord, please destroy Bali Raja. He has won most of the territories in the human world, he has continued his virtuous deeds, he will soon occupy the heavenly throne if he continues his meritorious deeds."

Lord Vishnu has already given his words to Indra's mother; so, He has no choice but to undertake the most distressing task. He took the guise of a dwarf Brahman and went to the human world. Noticing a half-human-sized Brahman coming toward him, Monarch Bali Raja said, "What can I do for you, venerable Brahman? Let me know your wish, I will meet it."  Lord Vishnu in the guise of a dwarf asked Bali Raja, "Do you promise to give me what I want?"  Bali Raja said to the dwarf, "Yes, I promise."  The dwarf said to Bali Raja, "Give me a piece of land enough for my three steps."  Bali Raja said, "What a nonsense! Is it your will? Then, have it."

Counselors to the monarch suspected that the dwarf must not be an ordinary Brahman. They, therefore, advised the monarch to break his promise and refuse to give the land he promised. Bali Raja, however, could not take back the words he gave.

The dwarf began blowing up and became so large his single foot covered the whole earth and another foot covered the sky and then asked Bali Raja, "Where to step the third foot on?"  Bali Raja offered his own head for the third foot to step on."  Gigantic Vishnu stepped on the head of Bali Raja and pushed him to another world.

Realizing his mistake and having compassion for Bali Raja, Lord Vishnu said, "O! Pious monarch, I am pleased with you for keeping your words.  Now, tell me, what do you want from me?" With clasped hands in prayer, Bali Raja said to Lord Vishnu, "O! Lord, thank you for your kind offer. Here, in this world I have to live in darkness.  I, therefore, want your company."

Lord Vishnu said to Bali Raja, "I cannot remain with you in this world for ever, however, I will guard your entrance for four months a year."  Thus, Lord Vishnu needed to be in the company of Bali Raja in another world for four months during which he reincarnated in a basal plant on the earth.

Another legend has it that Lord Vishnu made love with Brinda by deceit. Brinda was a beautiful woman. Her beauty attracted even Lord Vishnu. One day while her spouse Jallandhar was out for a long hour purification bath in a nearby river, Lord Vishnu took the guise of Jallandhar and went to Brinda. The early return of the spouse surprised her because he was supposed to take a long bath. She, however, was glad to have her spouse back. Again, to her utmost astonishment her spouse made advances to her at such an unusual time of a day. She, however, could not resist the temptation of her husband. When Lord Vishnu in disguise was about to leave Brinda, her real spouse arrived causing great embarrassment to Brinda and the spouse. Brinda being furious with Lord Vishnu at the deceit immediately cast a spell on Him to be a plant. Lord Vishnu realizing his mistakes begged Brinda to revoke the spell. Brinda, however, could not annul the spell but she reduced it to four months a year. Thus, Lord Vishnu needed to reincarnate in a basal plant for four months a year to atone for His sin.

July 20, 2013