Hear now the wondrous glories of Tulasī, as revealed in the sacred dialogue. If a person’s cremation is performed with Tulasī wood—even if only a single piece is placed among a hundred logs—such a soul is freed from the cycle of rebirth. At the very moment the body is consigned to the flames, liberation is granted, no matter how many millions of sins may have been accumulated. Just as bathing in the holy Gaṅgā increases one’s merit, so too does the use of Tulasī wood sanctify the funeral pyre. When the logs are mingled with Tulasī wood, the entire rite becomes supremely meritorious. As long as the fire burns with Tulasī, the sins amassed over countless ages are consumed in the flames. Even to witness the burning of a body with Tulasī wood is a sight of immense spiritual power. In that moment, the attendants of Viṣṇu descend to receive the soul, and the servants of Yama do not approach. Freed from countless births, the soul journeys to Janārdana Himself. As the fire blazes with Tulasī wood, the gods, seated in their celestial chariots, shower flowers in celebration. The apsarās dance, the heavenly singers raise their voices in song, and Viṣṇu, together with Śaṃbhu, is deeply pleased to behold this soul. Śauri, the Lord Himself, takes the devotee by the hand and leads him home, removing all his sins before the assembly of the gods. Wherever Tulasī wood burns with clarified butter, a great festival arises, with cries of victory resounding. Whether in the fire chamber or the cremation ground, the sins of men are utterly destroyed. Brāhmaṇas who offer oblations into a Tulasī wood fire, or who sprinkle sesame seeds upon it, earn the merit of the great Agniṣṭoma sacrifice. Whoever offers incense made from Tulasī wood to Hari attains the merit of Indra and the fruit of gifting a hundred cows. If food is cooked for offering with Tulasī wood, that food, when given to Keśava, becomes as valuable as Mount Meru itself. Lighting a lamp for Hari with Tulasī fire brings the merit of a hundred thousand lamps. No Vaiṣṇava on earth can equal the one who offers Krishna sandalwood made from Tulasī wood, for such a devotee becomes the object of Viṣṇu’s compassion. By daily anointing Hari with Tulasī sandalwood, with devotion, one delights in the presence of the Lord. Worshipping Viṣṇu with one’s body anointed with Tulasī paste bestows the merit of gifting a hundred cows in a single day, and that is equal to a hundred days of worship. As long as Tulasī sandalwood remains in Krishna’s temple for anointing, the merit gained continues to accrue. The merit of giving eight measures of sesame is equaled by the grace of the discus-bearing Lord to one who offers such service. Offering ancestors a ball containing Tulasī leaves brings satisfaction to each ancestor, leaf by leaf, lasting a hundred years. Bathing with earth from the root of Tulasī is as meritorious as bathing at a sacred tīrtha, for as long as that earth remains on the body. Worship performed with a cluster from the Tulasī plant, adorned with various flowers, endures as long as the sun and moon exist. In any house where a Tulasī grove stands, merely seeing or touching it destroys all sins—even those as grave as the killing of a brāhmaṇa, O Nārada. Then Mahādeva spoke: "Now I shall tell you something most secret; listen with a focused mind, O best of sages. This has not been revealed to anyone before. Wherever Tulasī is found—whether in a house, a village, or a forest—there the Lord of the Universe, delighted, takes up residence. In such a house, there is no poverty, no calamity from relatives, no suffering, no fear, and no disease. Tulasī is sacred everywhere, especially at holy places. By planting Tulasī in the presence of the deity on earth, one assures a place in Viṣṇu’s abode. Worshipping Tulasī with devotion brings peace, removes severe diseases and inauspicious omens, and pleases Hari. Wherever the wind carries the fragrance of Tulasī, all ten directions are purified, along with all beings. O best of sages, in any house where the soil from the root of Tulasī is present, there dwell the deities, Śiva, and Hari. Wherever the shade of a Tulasī grove falls, offerings made to the ancestors there become inexhaustible. At its root dwells Brahmā, in the middle Janārdana, and on the flower Rudra resides—thus, Tulasī purifies all. If one performs purification at twilight without Tulasī, all that merit is seized by demons and leads to hell. But whoever pours water that has touched Tulasī leaves upon his head attains the merit of bathing in the Gaṅgā and receives the fruit of gifting a hundred cows. Planting Tulasī in a temple of Śiva brings heavenly reward for each seed sown, with a stay in heaven for as many ages. Long ago, Uma herself planted a hundred Tulasī trees in the Himalayas for Śaṅkara; I bow to them with reverence. Whoever plants Tulasī on festival days, in the month of Śrāvaṇa, or on the day of the sun’s transit, gains great merit. He who worships Tulasī daily, though poor, becomes a lord, and Krishna, the giver of all accomplishments, bestows fame. Wherever the Śālagrāma stone is found, there Hari is present, and bathing and giving charity there yields a hundred times the merit of Vārāṇasī. In Kurukṣetra, Prayāga, and Naimiṣa forest, worship of the Śālagrāma stone brings merit a crore times greater. Thus, O sage, are the boundless glories of Tulasī, sanctifying all who honor her with devotion.