तुलसीदलजां मालां कण्ठस्थां वहते तु यः । विष्णूच्छिष्टां विशेषेण स नमस्यो दिवौकसाम्
Whoever wears a garland made of tulasi leaves around his neck, especially one offered to Vishnu, is to be honored by the gods.
यः पुनस्तुलसीमालां कण्ठे कृत्वा जनार्दनम् । पूजयेत्पुण्यमाप्नोति प्रतिपुष्पं गवायुतम्
Whoever, having placed a tulasi garland on his neck, worships Janardana, attains the merit of ten thousand cows for each flower.
धारयन्ति न ये मालां हैतुकाः पापबुद्धयः । नरकान्न निवर्तंते दग्धाः कोपाग्निना हरेः
Those who, out of wicked intent, do not wear a garland, do not return from hell, burned by the fire of Hari's wrath.
न जह्यात्तुलसीमालां धात्रीमालां विशेषतः । महापातकसंहर्त्रीं धर्मकामार्थदायिनीम्
One should never abandon a tulasi garland, especially a 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 a dhatri garland on people in Kali Yuga, 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, has no sin at all.
तुलसीकाष्ठमालां तु प्रेतराजस्य दूतकाः । दृष्ट्वा नश्यन्ति दूरेण वातोद्धूतं यथा दलम्
The messengers of the lord of the dead, upon seeing a garland of tulasi wood, 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 Brahmins, if an excellent man offers a rice ball to his ancestors in a grove of tulasi or under the shade of a dhatri tree, the ancestors attain liberation.
पाणौ मूर्ध्नि गले चैव कर्णयोश्च मुखे द्विज । धात्रीफलं यस्तु धत्ते स विज्ञेयो हरिः स्वयम्
O Brahmin, whoever holds dhatri fruit in his hand, on his head, neck, ears, or mouth, should be recognized as Hari himself.
धात्रीपत्रैः फलैर्विप्र श्रीहरिं चार्चयेद्द्विज । कोटिजन्मार्जितं पापं पूजया नश्यति सकृत्
O Brahmin, one who worships Shri Hari with dhatri leaves and fruits, even once, destroys the sin accumulated over millions of births.
यज्ञादेवाश्च मुनयस्तीर्थानि कार्तिके द्विज । धात्रीवृक्षं समाश्रित्य तिष्ठन्ति कार्तिके सदा
O Brahmin, sacrifices, gods, sages, and holy places, in the month of Kartika, always reside near the dhatri tree.
धात्रीपत्रं कार्तिके च द्वादश्यां तुलसीदलम् । चिनोति यो नरो गच्छेन्निरयं यातनामयम्
Whoever, in Kartika, on the twelfth day, collects dhatri leaves and tulasi leaves, goes to a hell full of torments.
धात्रीछायासु यो विप्र चान्नं भुनक्ति कार्तिके । अन्नसंसर्गजं पापमावर्षं तस्य नश्यति
O Brahmin, whoever eats food in the shade of an emblic tree during Kārtika, all sin arising from contact with food is destroyed for him for a year.
तुलसीवनमध्ये च धात्रीमूले च कार्तिके । कुर्याद्धर्यर्चनं विप्र वैकुण्ठं याति स ध्रुवम्
O Brahmin, one who worships Hari in the middle of a grove of holy basil or at the root of an emblic tree during Kārtika certainly attains Vaikuṇṭha.
तुलसीमूलदेशेऽपि स्थितं वारि द्विजोत्तम । गृह्णाति मस्तके भक्त्या पापी याति हरेर्गृहम्
O best of twice-born, even a sinner who, with devotion, takes water placed at the root of holy basil and touches it to his head, goes to the abode of Hari.
तुलसीपत्रगलितं यस्तोयं शिरसावहेत् । सर्वतीर्थेषु स स्नातश्चांते याति हरेर्गृहम्
He who pours on his head water that has dripped from a basil leaf is considered as one who has bathed at all sacred fords, and at the end, he goes to the house of Hari.
पुरा कश्चिद्द्विजश्रेष्ठो द्वापरेऽभून्महामुने । स्नात्वैकदा तुलस्यै स वनं दत्वा गृहं गतः
Once, O great sage, in Dvāpara Yuga, there was a certain excellent Brahmin who, after bathing, gave a grove of holy basil and then went home.
आदित्यो वर्चसा नाम्ना मार्त्तंड इव पुण्यतः । तृषार्तो भक्षकः कश्चिदागतो बहुकल्मषः
He was named Āditya, radiant like the sun and pure in merit; then a certain hungry, sinful man named Bhakṣaka came, tormented by thirst.
तुलस्यामूलतस्तोयं पीत्वा चासौ हतांहसः । त्वरयाप्यागतो व्याधो नाम्ना यश्चासिमर्द्दनः
Drinking water from the root of the basil 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, 'Having eaten the food and broken the vessel, why did you go? You came after cooking my food, O cruel one.'
विव्याध तं गतप्राणं नेतुं वै शमनाज्ञया । आगताः किंकराः क्रुद्धाः पाशमुद्गरपाणयः
He struck him, and when his life had departed, by the command of Yama, angry servants arrived, holding nooses and maces, to take him away.
बद्ध्वा नेतुं मनश्चक्रुरागता विष्णुकिंकराः । तदा छित्त्वा चर्मपाशं स्यंदने तं मनोहरे
Binding 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 respect, asked, 'O virtuous ones, by what merit is this person being taken?'
ऊचुस्तेऽसौ पुरा राजा पुण्यं बहुतरं कृतम् । अकरोद्धरणं कांचित्सुंदरीं चांगनामयम्
They replied, 'Formerly, this one was a king who performed much merit; he once rescued a beautiful woman from distress.'
अनेन चांहसा राजा गतो वै शमनक्षयम् । तत्रक्लेशं तु युष्माभिर्दत्तं वै शमनाज्ञया
Because of that 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 woman, he engaged in play and slept; on a heated iron bed, the king suffered torment for his deed.
तप्तायोभीषणं तप्तं लोहस्तंभं यमाज्ञया । ततः स्थितः समालिंग्य भुक्त्वा दुःखं चिरं नृपः
By Yama's order, he embraced a dreadful, heated iron pillar and remained there, enduring suffering for a long time, O king.
सिक्तः क्षारांबुधाराभिरन्यैर्वै शमनालये । ततो नरकशेषे च पापयोनौ मुहुर्मुहुः
He was sprinkled with streams of caustic water by others in the abode of Yama; then, repeatedly, he was cast into the remaining hells, into sinful wombs.
जन्मासाद्य चिरं दुःखमनुभूतं स्वकर्मणा । तुलसीमूलकं वारि पीत्वा याति हरेर्गृहम्
Having obtained birth, he experienced long-lasting suffering due to his own actions; by drinking water from the root of holy basil, he goes to the house of Hari.
इदानीं तद्वचः श्रुत्वा गतादूता यथागताः । तेन सार्द्धं विष्णुदूता गता वैकुंठमंदिरम्
Now, hearing those words, the messengers of Yama departed as they had come; together with him, the messengers of Viṣṇu went to the mansion of Vaikuṇṭha.