नारद उवाच ततस्तु हृष्टाः सुरसिद्धसंघाः प्रगृह्य बीजानि विचिक्षिपुस्ते 2.4.22.
Nārada said: Then, delighted, the hosts of gods and siddhas took the seeds and cast them.
धात्री च मालती चैव तुलसी च नृपोत्तम
Dhātrī, Mālatī, and Tulasī, O best of kings—
धात्र्युद्भवा स्मृता धात्री माभवा मालती स्मृता
Dhātrī is said to have arisen from the dhātrī seed, Mālatī from the mālatī seed.
स्त्रीरूपिण्यौ वनस्पत्यौ दृष्ट्वा विष्णुस्तदा नृप
Seeing these two, who were trees in the form of women, Viṣṇu beheld them, O king.
दृष्ट्वा च याचते मोहात्कामासक्तेन चेतसा
And seeing them, overcome by delusion and desire, he asked for them with a mind attached to longing.
यच्च लक्ष्म्या पुरा बीजमीर्ष्ययैव समर्पितम्
And the seed that was once offered by Lakṣmī out of jealousy—
अतः सा बर्बरीत्याख्यामवापाऽध विगर्हिताम्
Therefore, she obtained the name Barbarī, which is considered low and reproached.
ततो विस्मृतदुःखोऽसौ विष्णुस्ताभ्यां सहैव तु
Then, forgetting his sorrow, Viṣṇu remained together with them.
कार्तिकोद्यापने विष्णोस्तस्मात्पूजा विधीयते
For this reason, the worship of Viṣṇu is prescribed during the Kartika festival.
तुलसीकाननं राजन्गृहे यस्याऽवतिष्ठते
O King, in whose house a grove of Tulasī is established,
सर्वपापहरं नित्यं कामदं तुलसीवनम् 2.4.23.
The Tulasī grove always removes all sins and grants desires.
दर्शनं नर्मदायास्तु गंगास्नानं तथैव च
The sight of the Narmadā, and likewise bathing in the Gaṅgā,
रोपणात्पालनात्सेकाद्दर्शनात्स्पर्शनान्नृणाम्
By planting, caring for, watering, seeing, and touching it,
तुलसीमंजरीभिर्यः कुर्याद्धरिहराऽर्चनम्
Whoever worships Hari and Hara with Tulasī flowers,
पुष्कराद्यानि तीर्थानि गंगाद्याः सरितस्तथा
The holy places like Puṣkara and the rivers like Gaṅgā,
तुलसीमंजरीयुक्तो यस्तु प्राणान्विमुंचति
Whoever departs this life adorned with Tulasī flowers,
विष्णोः सायुज्यमाप्नोति सत्यं सत्यं नृपोत्तम
Attains union with Viṣṇu—this is true, true, O best of kings.
तद्देहं न स्पृशेत्पापं क्रियमाणमपीह यत्
Sin does not touch that body, even if committed here.
तत्र श्राद्धं प्रकर्तव्यं पितॄणां दत्तमक्षयम्
There, one should perform śrāddha for the ancestors; the offering becomes imperishable.
जलैः स्नाति नरस्तस्य गंगास्नानफलं स्मृतम्
When a man bathes there with water, it is regarded as equal to bathing in the Gaṅgā.
सुवर्णमणिमुक्तौघैरर्चनस्याप्नुयात्फलम् ।। 2.4.23.
He attains the fruit of worship with heaps of gold, jewels, and pearls.
नित्यं धात्रीं समाश्रित्य तिष्ठंत्यर्के तुलास्थिते
Always relying on the dhātrī tree, they remain when the sun is in Libra.
लुनाति स नरो गच्छेन्निरयानतिगर्हितान् न समर्थो भवेद्वक्तुं यथा देवस्य शार्ङ्गिणः
If a man cuts it, he goes to hell, most condemned; he is not able to speak as the god Śārṅgin does.
धात्रीतुलस्युद्भवकारणं यः शृणोति यः श्रावयते च भक्त्या
Whoever hears or devoutly causes others to hear the origin of dhātrī and tulasī,
तत्पुनर्ब्रूहि माहात्म्यं केन चीर्णमिदं शुभम्
Now tell me again, by whom was this auspicious act performed, and what is its greatness?
ब्राह्मणो धर्मवित्कश्चिद्धर्मदत्तेति विश्रुतः
There was a certain Brahmin, known as Dharmadatta, who was learned in righteousness.
विष्णुव्रतकरः सम्यग्विष्णुपूजारतः सदा
He faithfully observed vows dedicated to Vishnu and was always devoted to Vishnu's worship.
रात्र्यां तुर्यावशेषायां जगाम हरिमन्दिरम्
During the last quarter of the night, he went to the temple of Hari.
तेन दृष्टा समायाता राक्षसी भीमदर्शना
There, he saw a rakshasi approaching, terrifying in appearance.
पूजोपकरणैः सर्वैः पयोभिश्चाहनद्भयात् तेन वै हतमात्रे तु पापं तस्या ह्यगाल्लयम्
Out of fear, he struck her with all the worship materials and with water; at the moment she was killed, her sin departed.