O Narada, listen with devotion to the wondrous glory of Tulasi, as revealed by Mahadeva himself. If one bathes with earth taken especially from the root of the Tulasi plant, it is as if he has bathed at a sacred pilgrimage site, and this sanctity endures as long as that sacred earth remains upon his body. When worship is performed with a cluster from the Tulasi plant, that worship outlasts the ages, enduring for as long as the sun and moon shine in the heavens. In any home where there grows a grove of Tulasi, simply seeing or touching the plant destroys even the gravest of sins, such as the killing of a Brahmin. So potent is its presence, O Narada, that mere sight of Tulasi brings liberation from sin. Mahadeva then confided a secret never before revealed: wherever Tulasi is found—be it in a house, a village, or a forest—the Lord of the universe himself, pleased at heart, chooses to dwell there. In such a house, poverty, misfortune, suffering, fear, and disease find no place; all these are banished by the presence of Tulasi. Tulasi is sacred everywhere, but most especially in holy places. By planting Tulasi before the deity on the earth, one ensures a place in Vishnu’s abode. Worshipping Tulasi with devotion draws Hari’s grace, who brings peace and removes even the most severe diseases and inauspicious omens. Wherever the wind carries the fragrance of Tulasi, all ten directions are purified, along with all four kinds of beings. O best of sages, in any house where the soil from Tulasi’s root is present, there always dwell the gods, Shiva, and Hari. Wherever the shade of a Tulasi grove falls, offerings made to the ancestors there become inexhaustible. At Tulasi’s root resides Brahma, in the middle dwells Janardana, and upon its flower, Rudra himself abides; thus, Tulasi purifies all. If one performs purification at twilight without Tulasi, all that merit is seized by demons and leads to hell. But whoever pours water that has touched Tulasi leaves upon his head gains the merit of bathing in the Ganga and the fruit of gifting a hundred cows. Especially meritorious is planting Tulasi in a temple of Shiva; for each seed sown, one enjoys heavenly bliss for as many ages as there are seeds. Long ago, the goddess Uma herself planted a hundred Tulasi trees in the Himalayas for Shankara, and Mahadeva bows in reverence to those trees. Whoever plants Tulasi during festivals, in the sacred month of Shravan, or on the day of the sun’s transit, gains immense merit. He who worships Tulasi daily, even if poor, becomes a lord; Krishna, the bestower of all accomplishments, grants him fame. Wherever the Shalagrama stone is found, Hari is present there; bathing and giving charity in such a place yields a hundred times the merit of Varanasi. In holy places like Kurukshetra, Prayaga, and Naimisha forest, worship of the Shalagrama stone bestows merit a crore times greater. Wherever a ring made of Shalagrama is kept, all the merit of Varanasi is present. Whatever sins a person may have committed, even the gravest, are swiftly destroyed by worship of the Shalagrama stone. Hearing these teachings, Narada, filled with wonder, asked, “By your grace, I have come to know the greatness of Tulasi. Please, tell me now of the three-night Tulasi vow.” Sadashiva replied, “Listen, O wise Brahmin, to this ancient vow, which, when heard, frees one from all sins. In the Raibhya interval of a kalpa, there lived a king named Prajapati. His wife, renowned for her chastity and radiant as the moon, performed this vow. Through it, she attained dharma, wealth, pleasure, and liberation. Blessed indeed are those who have heard of the Tulasi vow, especially on the ninth day of the bright fortnight in Kartika. The votary, steadfast in discipline, sleeps on the ground, controls his senses, and for three nights remains pure and restrained in mind. He sleeps, having followed the prescribed discipline, in the presence of the Tulasi grove. At midday, he bathes in pure water at a river or lake, then offers oblations to ancestors and gods according to the proper method. He fashions an image of Janardana with Lakshmi in gold. One seeking welfare must not act with deceit regarding wealth. He prepares a pair of garments, yellow or white, and performs the ritual for appeasing the nine planets as prescribed. After cooking the sacrificial offering, he performs a Vaishnava fire ritual and, on the twelfth day, carefully worships the Lord of gods. A flawless, pure vessel is placed, adorned with five gems and filled with leaves and medicinal herbs. Upon this, in another vessel, Janardana with Lakshmi is placed and installed at the root of Tulasi, with mantras from the Vedas and Puranas. The Tulasi grove is sprinkled only with milk, and after bathing the Lord of gods, the teacher of the world, with the five nectars, the devotee prays for grace from the eternal God, the sustainer and creator of the universe. He recites: ‘Come, O Achyuta, Lord of gods, radiant source, Lord of the world; ever destroyer of darkness, protect me from the ocean of existence.’ He invokes: ‘Bathed with the five nectars and with fragrant water, and with water from the Ganga and other rivers, may Ananta, thus bathed, be pleased.’ He bathes the Lord, saying: ‘Sandalwood, aloe, camphor, saffron, and other ointments, offered by me with devotion, O Lord, together with Lakshmi, please accept.’ And he anoints the deity, praying: ‘O Narayana, salutations to you, rescuer from the ocean of hell; Lord of the three worlds, to you I offer these auspicious garments.’ Thus, O Narada, is the ancient and sacred vow of Tulasi, which bestows all blessings and liberation upon those who observe it with devotion.