Let me recount to you the ancient tale as it unfolded, O King. Once, Indra, the lord of the gods, journeyed to Mount Kailāsa, accompanied by all the deities and attended by celestial nymphs, desiring to see Śiva. Upon reaching Śiva’s abode, Indra was confronted by a man of terrifying deeds, whose fangs and fierce eyes struck fear into those who beheld him. Indra approached this formidable figure and inquired, “Who are you, sir? Where has the Lord of the universe gone?” Despite repeated questioning, the man remained silent. Indra, growing angry at the lack of response, rebuked him: “Even though I am asking you, you have not given any answer. Therefore, I will strike you with my thunderbolt. Who will save you, wicked one?” With these words, Indra hurled his mighty weapon at the man. The impact of the thunderbolt caused the man’s neck to turn blue, and the weapon itself was reduced to ashes. Suddenly, Rudra blazed forth, his radiance burning like fire. Witnessing this, Bṛhaspati, Indra’s wise counselor, quickly folded his hands in reverence, while Indra bowed to the ground and began to offer praise. Bṛhaspati extolled Rudra: “Salutations to the god of gods, Tryambaka, the matted-haired one, the slayer of Tripura, to Śarva, and the destroyer of Andhaka. Salutation to Śambhu, formless yet of infinite forms, destroyer of sacrifices and giver of their fruits. Homage to him who is Death to Death, who is Time, who bears the enjoyment of Time; obeisance again and again to the slayer of Brahmā’s head, to the Brāhmaṇa.” Thus praised, Śambhu withdrew the fire from his eye, which was capable of burning the three worlds, and spoke to Bṛhaspati: “Choose a boon, O Brāhmaṇa; I am pleased by your praise. By granting life to Indra, you will attain fame while alive.” Bṛhaspati replied, “If you are pleased, O God, let this fire, born from your forehead and seeking refuge with Indra, be pacified.” Īśvara responded, “How can this fire, which has entered my forehead-eye, return again? I will cast it far away so that it does not trouble Indra.” Having spoken thus, Śiva took the fire in his hand and cast it into the salt ocean, where it fell at the confluence of the river Gaṅgā and the sea. There, the fire assumed the form of a child and began to cry so loudly that the earth trembled again and again. The heavens and the world of truth were deafened by the sound, and Brahmā, astonished, came to see what had happened. Upon the lap of the ocean, Brahmā saw the child. The ocean, seeing Brahmā approach, joined his palms in reverence, bowed his head, and placed the child on Brahmā’s lap. Brahmā asked, “Whose wondrous child is this?” The ocean replied to the Creator, saying, “O lord of rivers, from where did you obtain this mighty child, whose cry has terrified gods, demons, and great serpents?” The ocean answered, “O Brahmā, he was born in the river Gaṅgā; he is my son.” Brahmā instructed the ocean to perform the birth and other rites for the child. As the ocean spoke, the child, son of the ocean, seized Brahmā’s water-pot, shaking it again and again. Water flowed from his eyes as he shook the pot. Brahmā managed to free the pot and then addressed the ocean: “Because this water was held by him with his eyes, he shall be known by the name Jalandhara.” Brahmā declared, “Now he is a youth, accomplished in all weapons and missiles; he will be invulnerable to all beings except Rudra. He will now go to the place from which he arose.” Brahmā then summoned Śukra and installed him in the kingdom, bidding farewell to the lord of the rivers before departing. At that time, the ocean, his eyes blooming with joy, requested Vṛndā, the daughter of Kālanemi, to be his wife. The Asuras, led by Kālanemi, gladly gave their daughter to him. With these excellent friends and accompanied by Śukra, Jalandhara ruled the earth powerfully. Thus ends the ninety-sixth chapter, called “The Description of the Birth of Jalandhara,” in the dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Satyabhāmā within the Kartika Māhātmya, in the Uttara Khanda of the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa. Now, hear further. Nārada said: From the seeds that were cast there, three trees arose—the dhātrī, the mālatī, and the tulasī, O best of kings. The dhātrī is remembered as arising from Dhātrī, the mālatī from Mā, and the tulasī from Gaurī; they possess the qualities of darkness, purity, and passion. Seeing the two trees in feminine form, Viṣṇu rose in confusion, greatly enchanted by the extraordinary beauty of Vṛndā. Overwhelmed by delusion and his mind attached to desire, he beheld them; and tulasī and dhātrī, too, gazed at him with passion. The seed formerly offered by Lakṣmī through her own power gave rise to these women, and among them, one became filled with jealousy. Therefore, she was called Barbarī, greatly condemned by Mādhava; but dhātrī and tulasī always gave him delight. Forgetting his sorrow, Viṣṇu, together with those two, joyfully went to Vaikuṇṭha, honored by all the gods. Therefore, in the Kartika observance, the worship of Viṣṇu is prescribed at the root of the tulasī plant, for she is remembered as the giver of delight. O king, the house in which a tulasī grove stands becomes like a holy place; the servants of Yama do not enter there. The tulasī grove removes all sins, bestows merit, and fulfills desires; those excellent men who plant it do not see the sun god.