पंथानं समतीत्य दुस्तरमिमं दूरादवीयस्तरं क्षुद्र व्याघ्रतरक्षुकंटकफणिप्रत्यार्थिभिः संकुलम् । आगत्य प्रथमव्ययं कृपणवाग्याचेज्जनः । कर्परीश्रीमद्वारिगदाधर प्रतिदिनं त्वां द्रष्टुमुत्कंठते
Having crossed this exceedingly difficult path, more distant still, filled with petty dangers from tigers, thieves, thorns, and serpents as adversaries, a person arrives at the first expense and, with pitiful words, begs: O Lord of Karpara, O glorious Gadadhara, I long each day to see you.
सर्वात्मन्निजदर्शनेन च गयाश्राद्धेन वै देवताः प्रीणन्विश्वमनीहवत्कथमिहौदासीन्यमालंबसे । किं ते सर्वदनिर्दयत्वमधुना किं वा प्रभुत्वं कलेः किं वा सत्वनिरीक्षणं नृषु चिरं किं वास्य सेवारुचिः
O All-pervading One, by your own appearance and by the shraddha at Gaya, the gods are pleased and the whole world is satisfied—how then do you here display indifference? Is it now utter mercilessness in you, or is it the power of Kali, or is it a long-standing disregard for virtue in people, or perhaps a lack of delight in service?
गदाधर मया श्राद्धं संचीर्णं त्वत्प्रसादतः । अनुजानीहि मां देव गमनाय गृहं प्रति
O Gadadhara, I have performed the shraddha by your grace; permit me, O Lord, to return home.
चतुर्णां देवतानां च स्तोत्रं स्वर्गार्थदायकम् । श्राद्धकाले पठेन्नित्यं स्नानकाले तु यः पठेत्
The hymn to these four deities, which bestows the reward of heaven—whoever recites it daily at the time of shraddha, or at the time of bathing,
सर्वतीर्थसमं स्नानं श्रवणात्पठनाज्जपात् । प्रयागस्य च गंगाया यमुनायाः स्तुतेर्द्विज । श्रवणेन विनश्यंति दोषाश्चैव तु कर्मजाः
Bathing becomes equal to all sacred waters by hearing, reciting, or muttering the praise of Prayaga, Ganga, and Yamuna, O twice-born; by hearing it, the faults born of karma are destroyed.
महादेवउवाच- शृणु नारद वक्ष्यामि माहात्म्यं तुलसीभवम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा मुच्यते पापादाजन्ममरणांतिकात्
Mahadeva said: Listen, O Narada, I will tell you the greatness of the origin of Tulasi; by hearing which, one is freed from sin, from birth to death.
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं मूलं शाखा त्वक्स्कंधसंज्ञितम् । तुलसी संभवं सर्वं पावनं मृत्तिकादिकम्
The leaf, flower, fruit, root, branch, bark, and stem—all that arises from Tulasi, including the earth around it, is purifying.
शरीरं दह्यते येषां तुलसीकाष्ठवह्निना । दत्वा च तुलसीकाष्ठं सर्वांगेषु मृतस्य वै
Those whose bodies are burned with Tulasi wood as fuel, and when Tulasi wood is placed on all parts of the body of the deceased,
पश्चाद्यः कुरुते दाहं सोऽपि पापात्प्रमुच्यते । मरणे यस्य संप्राप्तं कीर्तनं स्मरणं हरेः
Afterwards, whoever performs the cremation is also freed from sin; and at death, if the name or remembrance of Hari is present,
तुलसीदारुणा दाहो न तस्य पुनरावृतिः । यद्येकं तुलसीकाष्ठं मध्ये काष्ठशतस्य हि
If the cremation is done with Tulasi wood, there is no return to birth; even if only one piece of Tulasi wood is among a hundred pieces of wood,
दाहकाले भवेन्मुक्तिः कोटिपापायुतस्य च । गंगांभसाभिषेकेण यांति पुण्यानि पुण्यताम्
At the time of burning, there is liberation, even for one with millions and tens of millions of sins; by bathing with Ganga water, merits become most meritorious.
तुलसीकाष्ठमिश्राणि यांति दारूणि पुण्यताम् । तुलसीकाष्ठसंमिश्रा यावत्प्रज्वलते चिता
Logs mixed with Tulasi wood become supremely meritorious; as long as the funeral pyre burns with Tulasi wood mixed in,
दह्यंति तस्य पापानि कल्पकोटिकृतानि वै । दह्यमानं नरं दृष्ट्वा तुलसीकाष्ठवह्निना
The sins committed over millions of kalpas are burned away; seeing a man being burned with Tulasi wood,
नयंति तं विष्णुदूता न च वै यमकिंकराः । जन्मकोटिसहस्रैस्तु मुक्तो याति जनार्दनम्
The messengers of Vishnu take him, and not the servants of Yama; he is liberated from thousands of millions of births and attains Janardana.
दह्यंते ये नरा लोके तुलसीकाष्ठवह्निना । तान्विमानस्थितान्देवाः क्षिपंति कुसुमांजलिम्
Those men who are burned in this world with Tulasi wood as fuel—the gods, standing in their aerial chariots, shower handfuls of flowers upon them.
नृत्यंत्यप्सरसः सर्वा गीतं गायंति गायकाः । जायंते वीक्ष्य तं विष्णुः संतुष्टः शंभुना सह
All the apsaras dance, the singers sing songs; seeing him, Vishnu is pleased together with Shambhu.
गृहीत्वा तं करे शौरिर्गृहं नीत्वास्य चांगतः । मार्जयेत्सर्वपापानि पश्यतां त्रिदिवौकसाम्
Having taken it in his hand, Śauri leads it home and, touching his body with it, removes all sins in the sight of the dwellers of heaven.
महोत्सवं कारयित्वा जयशब्दपुरःसरम् । ज्वलते यत्र चाज्येन तुलसीकाष्ठपावकः
Having arranged a great festival, with cries of victory at the forefront, where the fire of Tulasī wood blazes with ghee.
अग्न्यगारे श्मशाने वा दह्यते पातकं नृणाम् । होमं कुर्वंति ये विप्रास्तुलसीकाष्ठवह्निना । सिक्ते सिक्ते तिले वापि अग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत्
In the fire chamber or in the cremation ground, the sin of men is burned; those brāhmaṇas who perform homa with Tulasī wood fire, whether with sprinkled sesame or not, obtain the fruit of an Agniṣṭoma sacrifice.
यो ददाति हरेर्धूपं तुलसीकाष्ठसंभवम् । शतक्रतुसमं पुण्यं लभते गोशतं फलम्
Whoever offers incense to Hari made from Tulasī wood attains merit equal to a hundred sacrifices of Indra and the fruit of giving a hundred cows.
नैवेद्यं पच्यते यस्तु तुलसीकाष्ठवह्निना । मेरुतुल्यं भवेद्दत्तं तदन्नं केशवस्य हि
He who cooks food as an offering with Tulasī wood fire—such food given to Keśava is equal to Mount Meru in value.
तुलसीपावकेनाथ यो दीपं कुरुते हरेः । दीपलक्षसहस्राणां पुण्यं स लभते फलम्
And whoever lights a lamp for Hari with Tulasī wood fire attains the merit of a hundred thousand lamps.
न तेन सदृशो लोके वैष्णवो भुवि दृश्यते । यः प्रयच्छति कृष्णस्य तुलसीकाष्ठचंदनम्
No Vaiṣṇava is seen on earth equal to him who offers Tulasī wood sandal to Kṛṣṇa.
स जायते कृपापात्रं विष्णोर्वाडवसत्तम
He becomes an object of Viṣṇu’s compassion, O best of horses.
तुलसीदारुजातेन चंदनेन कलौ हरिम् । विलिप्य भक्तितो नित्यं रमते हरिसन्निधौ
By anointing Hari daily with sandal made from Tulasī wood, with devotion, one delights in the presence of Hari.
तुलसीपंकलिप्तांगः कुरुते विष्णुपूजनम् । पूजाशतदिनैकाह्ना लभ्यते गोशतं फलम्
He who worships Viṣṇu with his body anointed with Tulasī paste obtains in one day the fruit of a hundred days of worship—a hundred cows.
विलेपार्थे तु कृष्णस्य तुलसीकाष्ठचंदनम् । मंदिरे तिष्ठते यावत्तावत्पुण्यफलं शृणु
As long as Tulasī wood sandal for Kṛṣṇa’s anointing remains in the temple, listen to the merit obtained.
तिलप्रस्थाष्टकं दत्वा यत्पुण्यं प्राप्नुयान्नरः । तत्फलं जायते पुंसां प्रसादाच्चक्रपाणिनः
The merit a man obtains by giving eight measures of sesame is the same fruit granted 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 made with Tulasī attains satisfaction for them for a hundred years with each leaf.
तुलसीमूलमृत्स्नैव स्नानं कुर्याद्विशेषतः । तेन तीर्थे कृतं स्नानं यावच्चांगे च मृत्तिका
One should especially bathe with earth from the root of Tulasī; as long as that clay remains on the body, it is as if one has bathed at a sacred ford.