Listen now to the sacred glories of Tulasī and Amalaki, as revealed in the Purāṇas. Whoever, filled with deep devotion, bows before the revered Tulasī, finds an increase in lifespan, strength, fame, wealth, and progeny. Even the mere remembrance of Tulasī is enough to destroy all sins; by touching her sacred leaves, the diseases that trouble people are dispelled. If one eats the auspicious leaf of Tulasī, which is renowned for removing all sins, then whatever sin resides within the body is destroyed at that very moment. A person who wears a garland made from the wood of Tulasī carries no sin in his body—this is an eternal truth. Whoever respectfully places on his head water that has touched Tulasī leaves surely attains the merit equal to bathing in the holy Gaṅgā; there can be no doubt about this. If one worships the auspicious Tulasī with dūrvā grass, unbroken flowers, and other offerings, all with devotion, he attains the same fruit as worshiping Lord Viṣṇu himself. O Brāhmaṇas, if someone has ever worshiped the divine Tulasī with offerings, flowers, incense, and lamps of ghee—acts that bestow the highest rewards of dharma, wealth, desire, and immortality—what further need does he have for other worship at Viṣṇu’s feet? Wherever Tulasī, so dear to Hari, is planted in a pure and faultless place and served by hosts of gods, there Hari, the Lord of the three worlds and destroyer of Mura, is quickly pleased and grants the supreme abode to the devotees. Whatever sacrifice, vow, ancestor worship, worship of Acyuta, charity, or other auspicious act is performed on the pure ground of Tulasī, all these become inexhaustible in merit. Yet, O best of twice-born, any righteous act performed without the dearest Tulasī of Nārāyaṇa becomes fruitless; even Viṣṇu, the Lord of gods, is not pleased. During pilgrimages, if a person beholds the auspicious and pure Tulasī with devotion, then by Hari’s grace, he quickly attains all the fruits of pilgrimage—this is a firm promise. The Lord of the worlds, even abandoning fragrant flowers such as mandāra, kunda, and lotus, accepts with delight the virtuous Tulasī leaf, even if dry, for she is endowed with good qualities and destroys abundant sin. But those who, with sinful intent, uproot Tulasī and cast her to the ground—she who is like the nectar-creeper and source of immortality—find that Narahari, fond of Tulasī, unknowingly takes away their prosperity forever. This is the truth. Even those who constantly defile the ground where Tulasī grows with impurities such as urine or filth, Hari swiftly removes the accumulated wealth of such sinners from the abode of the gods. For the worship of Nārāyaṇa, I gather you, O Tulasī—obeisance to you! Even with flowers like pārijāta and with sweet fragrances, Keśava is worshiped. Yet without you, O auspicious one, satisfaction is not attained; therefore I gather you. Without you, greatly fortunate one, all action is fruitless. Therefore, O goddess Tulasī, I gather you—be gracious! Whatever pain arises in your heart from being plucked, O goddess—please forgive that, O Tulasī, O Lord of the universe; I bow to you. With joined palms and these mantras, the Vaiṣṇava gathers your leaves. When gathering a Tulasī leaf with both palms joined, O best of twice-born, the branch does not tremble. But if, in gathering, the branch of the goddess Tulasī is broken, pain arises in the heart of Viṣṇu, Lord of Tulasī. Yet even an old leaf that has fallen to the ground from the tip of a branch is fit for worshiping Govinda, the slayer of Madhu and Kaitabha. Whoever worships the infallible Lord with tender Tulasī leaves quickly obtains whatever he desires in his heart. Hearing this, Jaimini inquired: “O foremost of twice-born, is there any tree equal to the Tulasī tree? I wish to know this; please tell me, O son of Satyavatī.” Vyāsa replied: “Just as Tulasī is always most dear to Viṣṇu, so too is the Amalaki tree, which destroys all sins. O best of twice-born, the deities who dwell near the Tulasī tree also reside beneath the Amalaki tree. All holy places, such as the Gaṅgā, are present wherever the pure Amalaki, most dear to Viṣṇu, stands. Whatever action—auspicious or inauspicious—is performed by men beneath the Amalaki tree, that surely becomes true and imperishable. Whoever worships Hari with fresh, pure leaves of the Amalaki is freed from the net of sin and attains union with Hari. O Jaimini, wherever the Amalaki and Tulasī goddess do not dwell, that place is impure and no fruit of action is obtained there. Where the auspicious Amalaki and Tulasī do not reside in an āśrama, all actions performed there certainly become fruitless. The dwelling where Amalaki and Tulasī are absent is afflicted by misfortune and sin, and is favored by Kali. The place where neither Amalaki nor Tulasī are found should be understood by the wise as equal to a cremation ground. Where Amalaki and Tulasī are present, all the gods dwell; but where there are no Amalaki or Tulasī leaves, all sin is found. The wise person who wears a garland of Amalaki fruits, which remove sin, is always accompanied by Viṣṇu and Śrī, who dwell upon his body. The intelligent man who wears a garland made from Amalaki wood has all the deities residing upon his body. Whatever action a man performs while holding a garland of Amalaki fruits, all of it is declared to be imperishable, whether auspicious or inauspicious. He who eats the fruit of the dhātrī tree, knowing all the truths, has all sin residing within his body destroyed. Whoever wears a garland made of dhātrī fruit, O best among twice-born, hear from me its greatness: it is supreme, removing all sin. Even if death comes to him in a cremation ground by fate, he certainly attains the merit of dying by the Ganges—there is no doubt. Moreover, seeing such a person, all sinners are instantly released from their dreadful nets of sin, even those accumulated over hundreds of millions of births.” Thus are the supreme glories of Tulasī and Amalaki, the beloveds of Lord Viṣṇu, revealed for the benefit of all.