यः पुनस्तुलसीमालां कण्ठे कृत्वा जनार्दनम् । पूजयेत्पुण्यमाप्नोति प्रतिपुष्पं गवायुतम्
Whoever, having placed a tulasi garland on his neck, worships Janardana, obtains for each flower the merit of giving ten thousand cows.
धारयन्ति न ये मालां हैतुकाः पापबुद्धयः । नरकान्न निवर्तंते दग्धाः कोपाग्निना हरेः
Those with wicked minds who do not wear the garland, out of reasoning, do not escape the hells, burned by the fire of Hari's wrath.
न जह्यात्तुलसीमालां धात्रीमालां विशेषतः । महापातकसंहर्त्रीं धर्मकामार्थदायिनीम्
One should never abandon the tulasi garland, especially the dhatri garland, which destroys great sins and bestows righteousness, desire, and wealth.
स्पृशेच्च यानि लोमानि धात्रीमाला कलौ नृणाम् । तावद्वर्षसहस्राणि वसते केशवालये
As many hairs as are touched by the dhatri garland on men in the Kali age, for that many thousands of years one dwells in the abode of Keshava.
निवेद्य केशवे मालां तुलसीकाष्ठसंभवाम् । वहते यो नरो भक्त्या तस्य वै नास्ति पातकम्
Whoever, having offered a garland made of tulasi wood to Keshava, wears it with devotion, truly has no sin.
तुलसीकाष्ठमालां तु प्रेतराजस्य दूतकाः । दृष्ट्वा नश्यन्ति दूरेण वातोद्धूतं यथा दलम्
When the messengers of the lord of the dead see a garland of tulasi wood, they flee far away, just as a leaf is blown by the wind.
तुलस्या विपिने धात्र्याश्छायासु यो नरोत्तमः । पिण्डं ददाति पितरो मुक्तिं यान्ति द्विजोत्तम
O best of twice-born, the excellent man who gives offerings to his ancestors in a tulasi grove or in the shade of a dhatri tree, his ancestors attain liberation.
पाणौ मूर्ध्नि गले चैव कर्णयोश्च मुखे द्विज । धात्रीफलं यस्तु धत्ते स विज्ञेयो हरिः स्वयम्
O Brahmin, whoever holds the dhatri fruit in his hand, on his head, neck, ears, or mouth, should be known as Hari himself.
धात्रीपत्रैः फलैर्विप्र श्रीहरिं चार्चयेद्द्विज । कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं पूजया नश्यति सकृत्
O Brahmin, by worshipping Śrī Hari with the leaves and fruits of the dhātrī tree, even a single act of such worship destroys the sins accumulated over millions of births.
यज्ञादेवाश्च मुनयस्तीर्थानि कार्तिके द्विज । धात्रीवृक्षं समाश्रित्य तिष्ठन्ति कार्तिके सदा
O twice-born, in the month of Kārtika, the gods of sacrifice, sages, and holy places always reside near the dhātrī tree.
धात्रीपत्रं कार्तिके च द्वादश्यां तुलसीदलम् । चिनोति यो नरो गच्छेन्निरयं यातनामयम्
If a person, during Kārtika on the twelfth day, offers a dhātrī leaf or a tulasī leaf, he does not go to the hell full of torments.
धात्रीछायासु यो विप्र चान्नं भुनक्ति कार्तिके । अन्नसंसर्गजं पापमावर्षं तस्य नश्यति
O Brahmin, whoever eats food in the shade of the dhātrī tree during Kārtika, all the sins arising from contact with food for a year are destroyed for him.
तुलसीवनमध्ये च धात्रीमूले च कार्तिके । कुर्याद्धर्यर्चनं विप्र वैकुण्ठं याति स ध्रुवम्
O Brahmin, one who worships Hari in the middle of a tulasī grove or at the root of a dhātrī tree during Kārtika surely attains Vaikuṇṭha.
तुलसीमूलदेशेऽपि स्थितं वारि द्विजोत्तम । गृह्णाति मस्तके भक्त्या पापी याति हरेर्गृहम्
O best of twice-born, even a sinner who devoutly takes water placed at the root of the tulasī plant upon his head attains the abode of Hari.
तुलसीपत्रगलितं यस्तोयं शिरसावहेत् । सर्वतीर्थेषु स स्नातश्चांते याति हरेर्गृहम्
Whoever pours water, fallen from a tulasī leaf, upon his head is considered to have bathed at all holy places and, at the end, goes to the house of Hari.
पुरा कश्चिद्द्विजश्रेष्ठो द्वापरेऽभून्महामुने । स्नात्वैकदा तुलस्यै स वनं दत्वा गृहं गतः
Long ago, O great sage, there was a foremost Brahmin in the Dvāpara age; once, after bathing, he offered a forest to Tulasī and went home.
आदित्यो वर्चसा नाम्ना मार्त्तंड इव पुण्यतः । तृषार्तो भक्षकः कश्चिदागतो बहुकल्मषः
A man named Āditya, radiant and virtuous like Mārtaṇḍa, who was tormented by thirst and burdened with many sins, came there seeking food.
तुलस्यामूलतस्तोयं पीत्वा चासौ हतांहसः । त्वरयाप्यागतो व्याधो नाम्ना यश्चासिमर्द्दनः
After drinking water from the root of the tulasī plant, his sins were destroyed; then, a hunter named Asimardana arrived there in haste.
उवाच भुक्तं चान्नं च भुक्त्वा भग्नं गतः किमु । कृत्वा मे पाकभांडस्थं चागतो हिंसकस्य ते
He said, 'The food has been eaten and, after eating, it is gone; what remains? You have come after preparing it in my cooking vessel, O cruel one.'
विव्याध तं गतप्राणं नेतुं वै शमनाज्ञया । आगताः किंकराः क्रुद्धाः पाशमुद्गरपाणयः
He struck him, and when his life had departed, the angry servants of Yama arrived, holding nooses and maces, to take him away by the order of Yama.
बद्ध्वा नेतुं मनश्चक्रुरागता विष्णुकिंकराः । तदा छित्त्वा चर्मपाशं स्यंदने तं मनोहरे
Having bound him to take him away, the servants of Viṣṇu arrived; then, cutting the leather noose, they placed him on a beautiful chariot.
तूर्णमारोहयामासुः पप्रच्छुर्विनयान्विताः । तेऽपि पुण्येन भोः संतः केन वै नीयतेऽप्यसौ
Swiftly they made him ascend and, with humility, asked, 'O virtuous ones, by what merit is this person being taken away?'
ऊचुस्तेऽसौ पुरा राजा पुण्यं बहुतरं कृतम् । अकरोद्धरणं कांचित्सुंदरीं चांगनामयम्
They replied, 'He was formerly a king who performed much merit; he rescued a beautiful woman from distress.'
अनेन चांहसा राजा गतो वै शमनक्षयम् । तत्रक्लेशं तु युष्माभिर्दत्तं वै शमनाज्ञया
Because of this sin, the king went to the abode of Yama; there, by Yama's command, you inflicted suffering upon him.
ताम्रमय्यास्त्रियासार्द्धं क्रीडां सुप्त्वा चकार सः । तप्तायां लोहशय्यायां वैक्लव्यं कर्मणा नृप
With a copper-bodied woman, he engaged in play and slept; on a burning iron bed, the king suffered the consequences of his actions.
तप्तायोभीषणं तप्तं लोहस्तंभं यमाज्ञया । ततः स्थितः समालिंग्य भुक्त्वा दुःखं चिरं नृपः
By Yama's command, he embraced a dreadful, burning iron pillar and remained there, enduring great suffering for a long time.
सिक्तः क्षारांबुधाराभिरन्यैर्वै शमनालये । ततो नरकशेषे च पापयोनौ मुहुर्मुहुः
Sprinkled with streams of alkaline water by others in the house of Yama, then again and again he enters the remaining hells, born of sin.
जन्मासाद्य चिरं दुःखमनुभूतं स्वकर्मणा । तुलसीमूलकं वारि पीत्वा याति हरेर्गृहम्
After obtaining birth, he experiences long-lasting suffering due to his own actions; but by drinking water from the root of the tulasi plant, he goes to the abode of Hari.
इदानीं तद्वचः श्रुत्वा गतादूता यथागताः । तेन सार्द्धं विष्णुदूता गता वैकुंठमंदिरम्
Now, having heard those words, the messengers of Yama departed as they had come; together with him, the messengers of Vishnu went to the mansion of Vaikuntha.
माहात्म्यं कथितं ब्रह्मन्तुलस्याः पापनाशनम् । कुर्वंति सेवां ये भक्त्या न जाने किं भवेन्मुने
O Brahman, the greatness of tulasi, destroyer of sins, has been described; those who serve her with devotion—I do not know what they might not attain, O sage.