Wherever the gentle shade of a tulasi grove falls, the offerings made there to the ancestors never diminish; they become inexhaustible, blessed by the sanctity of that place. At the very root of the tulasi plant, Brahma himself dwells; in its middle, the god Janardana abides; and upon its flower, Rudra takes his seat. Thus, tulasi is revered as supremely purifying. If a person performs their daily purification at twilight without the presence of tulasi, all their merit is seized by demons and leads them to suffering in hell. But whoever pours water that has fallen from the leaves of tulasi upon their head attains the merit of bathing in the sacred Ganga and gains the fruit equal to gifting a hundred cows. Especially meritorious is the act of planting tulasi in a temple of Shiva: for every single seed sown, one dwells in heaven for as many ages. Long ago, the goddess Uma herself planted a hundred tulasi trees in the Himalayas for the sake of her beloved Shankara; to those trees, the sages bow in reverence. Whoever plants tulasi during festivals, in the auspicious month of Shravan, or on the day of the sun’s transit, receives great merit from tulasi. Whoever worships tulasi daily, even if they are poor, becomes as a lord; Krishna, the bestower of all accomplishments, grants them fame. Wherever the sacred Shalagrama stone is found, there too is Hari present; bathing and giving gifts at that place brings a hundred times the merit of even holy Varanasi. In the most sacred places—Kurukshetra, Prayaga, and the Naimisha forest—worship of the Shalagrama stone yields merit a crore times greater. Wherever a ring made from the Shalagrama is kept, all the merit of Varanasi is present there as well. No matter what sin a person may have committed—even the most terrible, such as killing a Brahmin—all is swiftly destroyed by the worship of the Shalagrama stone. Upon hearing all this, the sage Narada, filled with wonder, spoke: "By your grace, I have heard the greatness of tulasi. Now, please tell me about the three-night tulasi vow." Sadashiva replied, "Listen, O wise Brahmin, to this ancient vow. By merely hearing of it, one is freed from all sins—there is no doubt. Long ago, during the Raibhya interval of a kalpa, there lived a king named Prajapati. His wife, famed for her beauty and chastity, was a woman of great virtue. She performed this very vow, which grants all desired fruits. Her three-night observance bestowed upon her dharma, wealth, pleasure, and liberation. Blessed indeed are those who hear of the vow of Tulasi, especially on the ninth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Kartika. The votary, steadfast in discipline, sleeps on the ground, controls the senses, and for three nights remains pure and restrained in mind, observing the vow. He sleeps, after observing the prescribed disciplines, in the presence of the tulasi grove. Then, at midday, he bathes in pure water at a river or lake. Having bathed, he offers oblations to his ancestors and the gods as prescribed, and fashions an image of Janardana with Lakshmi in gold. He should not act deceitfully regarding wealth, but prepare a pair of garments, yellow or white, and perform the ritual for appeasing the nine planets as prescribed. Having cooked the sacrificial offering, he should perform a Vaishnava fire ritual, and on the twelfth day, carefully worship the Lord of gods. He should place a flawless, pure vessel, adorned with five gems and filled with leaves and medicinal herbs. Upon that, in another vessel, he should place Janardana with Lakshmi, and install them at the root of the tulasi plant, reciting mantras from the Vedas and Puranas. He should sprinkle the tulasi grove only with milk, and after bathing the Lord of gods, the teacher of the world, with the five nectars, he should pray to the infinite Lord, the form of the entire universe, who sustains the cosmic order and creates the worlds by his power, that he may be gracious. With devotion, the worshipper should recite: 'Come, O Achyuta, Lord of gods, radiant source, Lord of the world; ever destroyer of darkness, protect me from the ocean of existence.' Then, invoking the Lord: 'Bathed with the five nectars, and also with fragrant water, and with water from the Ganga and other rivers, may Ananta, thus bathed, be pleased.' As the worship continues, the devotee offers sandalwood, aloe, camphor, saffron, and other ointments with devotion, praying that the Lord, together with Lakshmi, may accept them. He anoints the Lord, offering auspicious garments, saying: 'O Narayana, rescuer from the ocean of hell, Lord of the three worlds, to you I offer these garments.' He offers the sacred thread, praying: 'O Damodara, save me from the ocean of existence; please accept this sacred thread.' He offers fragrant flowers, such as jasmine, with delight, and presents foods to be eaten and enjoyed, praying for the Lord’s acceptance. He then offers areca nuts, betel leaves, and camphor, requesting the Lord to accept this betel offering. After offering incense to the teacher with guggul mixed with ghee, he lights a lamp with ghee and prepares various kinds of lamps before Lakshmi-Narayana in the presence of the tulasi grove. There, he offers arghya to the Lord of gods, the wielder of the discus. On the ninth day, the best arghya, given with a coconut, is offered for the sake of a son. On the tenth day, a citron is offered for the attainment of righteousness, desire, and wealth; on the eleventh, a pomegranate is always given to remove poverty. With seven kinds of grains in a bamboo vessel, along with seven kinds of fruits and a leaf with areca nut, the offerings are prepared. After covering it with cloth, it is presented before the deity. O best of the twice-born, the devotee listens with focused mind to the concluding mantra, completing the sacred vow. Thus, the greatness of tulasi and the observance of her vow bring blessings unending, purifying the devotee and bestowing all desired fruits, here and hereafter.