यः श्राद्धसमये दूरात्स्मृतोऽपि पितृमुक्तिदः । तं गयायां स्थितं साक्षान्नमामि श्रीगदाधरम्
He who, even remembered from afar at the time of the ancestral rite, grants liberation to the ancestors—I bow to Shri Gadadhara, who dwells in Gaya.
पंथानं समतीत्य दुस्तरमिमं दूरादवीयस्तरं क्षुद्र व्याघ्रतरक्षुकंटकफणिप्रत्यार्थिभिः संकुलम् । आगत्य प्रथमव्ययं कृपणवाग्याचेज्जनः । कर्परीश्रीमद्वारिगदाधर प्रतिदिनं त्वां द्रष्टुमुत्कंठते
Having crossed this difficult path, far and even more distant, crowded with petty dangers—tigers, thieves, thorns, and serpents—one arrives and, at the first expense, begs with humble words. O Karpari, O illustrious Gadadhara by the water, every day I long to see you.
सर्वात्मन्निजदर्शनेन च गयाश्राद्धेन वै देवताः प्रीणन्विश्वमनीहवत्कथमिहौदासीन्यमालंबसे । किं ते सर्वदनिर्दयत्वमधुना किं वा प्रभुत्वं कलेः किं वा सत्वनिरीक्षणं नृषु चिरं किं वास्य सेवारुचिः
How is it that, though you are the all-pervading Self, and though the gods are pleased by the offering of śrāddha at Gayā, you remain indifferent, as if unconcerned with the world? Is it utter mercilessness on your part now, or is it the power of Kali? Or is it a long-standing observation of virtue among people, or perhaps your inclination for service?
गदाधर मया श्राद्धं संचीर्णं त्वत्प्रसादतः । अनुजानीहि मां देव गमनाय गृहं प्रति
O Gadādhara, by your grace I have completed the śrāddha. Permit me, O Lord, to return home.
चतुर्णां देवतानां च स्तोत्रं स्वर्गार्थदायकम् । श्राद्धकाले पठेन्नित्यं स्नानकाले तु यः पठेत्
One should recite the hymn for the four deities, which grants the reward of heaven, always at the time of śrāddha, and whoever recites it at the time of bathing—
सर्वतीर्थसमं स्नानं श्रवणात्पठनाज्जपात् । प्रयागस्य च गंगाया यमुनायाः स्तुतेर्द्विज । श्रवणेन विनश्यंति दोषाश्चैव तु कर्मजाः
Bathing, by hearing, reciting, and chanting, becomes equal to all holy places; O twice-born, by hearing the hymn of Prayāga, Gaṅgā, and Yamunā, faults arising from actions are destroyed.
महादेवउवाच- शृणु नारद वक्ष्यामि माहात्म्यं तुलसीभवम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा मुच्यते पापादाजन्ममरणांतिकात्
Mahādeva said: Listen, Nārada, I will tell you the greatness of the origin of Tulasī. Hearing this, one is freed from sin and from the cycle of birth and death.
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं मूलं शाखा त्वक्स्कंधसंज्ञितम् । तुलसी संभवं सर्वं पावनं मृत्तिकादिकम्
Leaf, flower, fruit, root, branch, bark, and stem—all parts of Tulasī, and even its soil, are purifying.
शरीरं दह्यते येषां तुलसीकाष्ठवह्निना । दत्वा च तुलसीकाष्ठं सर्वांगेषु मृतस्य वै
Those whose bodies are burned with fire made from Tulasī wood, and who have Tulasī wood placed on all parts of their body after death—
पश्चाद्यः कुरुते दाहं सोऽपि पापात्प्रमुच्यते । मरणे यस्य संप्राप्तं कीर्तनं स्मरणं हरेः
Afterwards, whoever performs the cremation is also freed from sin; at the time of death, if one attains the remembrance or chanting of Hari—
तुलसीदारुणा दाहो न तस्य पुनरावृतिः । यद्येकं तुलसीकाष्ठं मध्ये काष्ठशतस्य हि
If the cremation is done with Tulasī wood, there is no return for that person; even if only one piece of Tulasī wood is among a hundred pieces of wood—
दाहकाले भवेन्मुक्तिः कोटिपापायुतस्य च । गंगांभसाभिषेकेण यांति पुण्यानि पुण्यताम्
At the time of burning, liberation is attained, even for one with millions of accumulated sins; by bathing with Gaṅgā water, merits become even more meritorious.
तुलसीकाष्ठमिश्राणि यांति दारूणि पुण्यताम् । तुलसीकाष्ठसंमिश्रा यावत्प्रज्वलते चिता
Logs mixed with Tulasī wood become meritorious; as long as the funeral pyre burns with Tulasī wood mixed in—
दह्यंति तस्य पापानि कल्पकोटिकृतानि वै । दह्यमानं नरं दृष्ट्वा तुलसीकाष्ठवह्निना
The sins accumulated over millions of ages are burned away; seeing a person being burned with Tulasī wood fire—
नयंति तं विष्णुदूता न च वै यमकिंकराः । जन्मकोटिसहस्रैस्तु मुक्तो याति जनार्दनम्
The attendants of Viṣṇu take him, and not the servants of Yama; freed from thousands of millions of births, he goes to Janārdana.
दह्यंते ये नरा लोके तुलसीकाष्ठवह्निना । तान्विमानस्थितान्देवाः क्षिपंति कुसुमांजलिम्
Those people who are burned in this world with Tulasī wood fire—the gods, seated in their celestial vehicles, shower them with handfuls of flowers.
नृत्यंत्यप्सरसः सर्वा गीतं गायंति गायकाः । जायंते वीक्ष्य तं विष्णुः संतुष्टः शंभुना सह
All the apsarās dance, the singers sing; seeing that person, Viṣṇu is pleased together with Śaṃbhu.
गृहीत्वा तं करे शौरिर्गृहं नीत्वास्य चांगतः । मार्जयेत्सर्वपापानि पश्यतां त्रिदिवौकसाम्
Taking him by the hand, Śauri leads him home, and, in the presence of the dwellers of heaven, removes all his sins.
महोत्सवं कारयित्वा जयशब्दपुरःसरम् । ज्वलते यत्र चाज्येन तुलसीकाष्ठपावकः
A great festival is held, with cries of victory, wherever the fire of Tulasī wood burns with clarified butter.
अग्न्यगारे श्मशाने वा दह्यते पातकं नृणाम् । होमं कुर्वंति ये विप्रास्तुलसीकाष्ठवह्निना । सिक्ते सिक्ते तिले वापि अग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत्
Whether in the fire chamber or in the cremation ground, the sins of men are burned; those brāhmaṇas who perform oblations with Tulasī wood fire, or with sesame seeds sprinkled, obtain the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice.
यो ददाति हरेर्धूपं तुलसीकाष्ठसंभवम् । शतक्रतुसमं पुण्यं लभते गोशतं फलम्
Whoever offers to Hari incense made from tulasi wood attains merit equal to that of Indra and gains the fruit of giving a hundred cows.
नैवेद्यं पच्यते यस्तु तुलसीकाष्ठवह्निना । मेरुतुल्यं भवेद्दत्तं तदन्नं केशवस्य हि
If one cooks food for offering using a fire of tulasi wood, that food, when given to Keshava, becomes as valuable as Mount Meru.
तुलसीपावकेनाथ यो दीपं कुरुते हरेः । दीपलक्षसहस्राणां पुण्यं स लभते फलम्
Whoever lights a lamp for Hari with fire from tulasi wood obtains the merit of a hundred thousand lamps.
न तेन सदृशो लोके वैष्णवो भुवि दृश्यते । यः प्रयच्छति कृष्णस्य तुलसीकाष्ठचंदनम्
No Vaishnava on earth is seen to be equal to the one who offers Krishna sandalwood made from tulasi wood.
स जायते कृपापात्रं विष्णोर्वाडवसत्तम
He becomes an object of Vishnu's compassion, O best of horses.
तुलसीदारुजातेन चंदनेन कलौ हरिम् । विलिप्य भक्तितो नित्यं रमते हरिसन्निधौ
By anointing Hari daily with sandalwood made from tulasi wood, with devotion, one delights in the presence of Hari.
तुलसीपंकलिप्तांगः कुरुते विष्णुपूजनम् । पूजाशतदिनैकाह्ना लभ्यते गोशतं फलम्
He who worships Vishnu with his body anointed with tulasi paste obtains the fruit of giving a hundred cows in a single day, which is equal to a hundred days of worship.
विलेपार्थे तु कृष्णस्य तुलसीकाष्ठचंदनम् । मंदिरे तिष्ठते यावत्तावत्पुण्यफलं शृणु
As long as sandalwood made from tulasi wood remains in the temple for Krishna's anointing, listen to the merit obtained during that time.
तिलप्रस्थाष्टकं दत्वा यत्पुण्यं प्राप्नुयान्नरः । तत्फलं जायते पुंसां प्रसादाच्चक्रपाणिनः
The merit a man gains by giving eight measures of sesame is the same fruit bestowed by the grace of the discus-bearing Lord.
यो ददाति पितॄणां तु पिंडे तुलसिसंभवम् । दलं संजायते तृप्तिः पत्रे पत्रे शताब्दिका
Whoever offers to the ancestors a ball containing tulasi attains satisfaction for each ancestor leaf by leaf, lasting a hundred years.