Healing Aspects of Tulasi? -

I often heard from devotees that Tulasi-leaves have actual healing effect. Anyone knows if this is based on any experience or facts? Anyone ever got cured of some sickness by the means of Tulasi-leaves?

In South India where Tulasi, especially the Krsna kind, the dark one, grows in abundance, it is widely used as medicine, also in standard preparations sold in stores. Tualsi has a strong cleansing effect, and gives strength in general. Just eating one leave can cause a change in one's physical feeling. I feel it when I do not feel well, like at the first sensations of a cold. With a Tulasi leaf there is an immediate change in the bio-chemical situation of the body. Tulasi is also adviced as single remedy (i.e. not combined with other herbs) in prevention and cure of cancer in Siddha medicine.

Tulasi is also helpful in keeping moskitos away, when grown outside an entrance or a window.

thank you nabadip for that comment.

I have often pondered the homeopathic potency of Tulasi
(from the fallen leaves)
as a remedy for liver malaise and damage.
Have you researched this,
given that liver problem is often implicated in the systemic
background for cancer?


(BTW folks Tulasi is pronounced
toolsi (harvard-kyoto: tUlasi)
and not
talaasi, tulaasi, shytania etc etc )

Isn't it tulasI, not tUlasi? The legitimate pronounciation depends largely on whether you pronounce in Hindi, Bengali or Sanskrit, or perhaps in some other Indian language. Each of the languages has its way of pronouncing the word, and when the word appears amidst English discussion, who is to say which one is correct? Of course something like "talshi" would be inappropriate by all standards.

This is the perception of Tulasi in Ayurveda


As far as homeopathy is concerned, you have to remember that homeopathic dilution and potency cures that in a sick person which the remedy causes in a healthy person (similia similibus curantur). It would have to be found out first, what symptoms it causes. The homeopathic form is not necessarily useful for that which it is useful for in unpotentized form. I am sure it would be great for the above mentioned symptoms, and other unknown ones also, in the form of Mother Tincture, which is the basis for homeopathic dilution.

There is a homeopathic pharmacy in Delhi which produces Mother Tinctures from herbs common in India, such as Ashvaganda etc. I did not check whether they have Tulasi MQ.

Yes Madhava you are right.
I got the Harvard-Kyoto transcription for that wrong.
However my pronunciation is correct
The plain fact is there is no long "a" in tulasI and there is no cogent reason why any speaker of any Indo-European language should have a problem with enunciating a short "a" as this phoneme occurs in all Indo-European languages.

I can understand English first language speakers
being unable to pronounce the dental "t" in tulasI
properly and I would not be too demanding on that point
but there is no excuse for "a".

Just like the pronunciation of Chaitanya (Caitanya)
is not Shytania. There is absolutely no cogent reason
for people who can pronounce church, chat, choose,
chai etc to pronounce Chaitanya as Shytania.

This is exactly my point, my friend.
You are on the right track.
If I recall correctly excess doses
from the ocimum genus are hepatotoxic.
Ergo my suggestion to you regarding its homeopathic usage.
Why not check it out?

The main problem is of course getting to the source, the supply of leaves from so many Tulasi plants that are not receiving worship. Most Western devotees do not live in an area where Tulasi grows in abundance. I have lived in a place in Tamil Nadu where it was almost considered a weed, Tulasi grew that much there. It was near the beach of the Bay of Bengal, which makes me wonder, what the climatic condition must have been like in Vrindavan, the Tulasi forest, that it grew there that much that that name applied to the place. The climate must have been much less dry than it is today. Does anyone know whether Tulasi grows in Vraja out in the open without human interference? (Vrinda Kunj does not count.)

Also I wonder: Where does all the Tulasi-mala material come from?

Thanks for the suggestion. However, it is not the plant itself that in high quantity is toxic but the methyl chavicol that basil contains, also known as estragole - which is considered to have both hepatotoxic and carcinogenic effect in high doses in mice. Studies were done in mice on the isolated chemical compound. It is the ocimum basilicum, the widely used herb of Western cuisine, present for instance in Italian Pestos, that contains the most of Estragole among the large Basil family. Ocimum sanctum, our Tulasi, has negligable amounts of it compared to other basils.

Estragole is also used as additive in common foods and beverages, just that people do not get the idea that our Tulasi is highly toxic. On the contrary, studies have shown a hepatoprotective action of Tulasi.

see:
http://www.ijp-online.com/archives/1992/02...0163-0165ra.pdf

Once again nabadip thank you for the latest informative post
which is more to the point of my first question to you earlier.

So Tulsi Devi can now be spared the indignity
of soaking in ether for a capricious homeopathic experiment.

BTW, given your interest in ca. therapy, have you researched the
possibility of a hom. potency of ocimum basilicum (ie shrine ocimum)
for liver damage?

Homeopathy in general is not an avenue I am looking at. For ca. you need really powerful ammunition. Tulasi MQ would be a possibility for the liver-involvement. When treating people homeopathically, you have to look at the overall symptoms, and cannot at the same time give other remedies; neither homeopaths are willing to test the use of homeo remedies, when other remedies are given, nor ca.-patients are willing to use solely homeopathy, that would be foolish.

And: Most ca. patients open for alternative treatments are so after they have finished the allopathic options, and the ca. is in advanced stage. In India they are called spoiled cases, because untreated ca. if not in final stage is relatively easily to cure with a really effective, tested natural treatment. In a spoiled case you can forget about homeopathy altogether; there is so much toxicity present that that won't bring much.

In addition, I think it is wise to not speak in a derogatory way of using also Tulasi in a medical way. If Tulasi has that specific quality, it certainly can also be used in the service of suffering mankind.

Nothing in my posts suggested the exclusive use of homeopathy.
Rather I was asking questions about the possibility of homeopathic
usage of Tulsi in the context of wholistic therapy.
I, myself, have succesfully been involved in a wholistic
(including conventional surgery) therapy for ca.
which involves homeopathy.
I refused chemotherapy in preference for complementary therapies.

If I were to employ ocimum sanctum for therapy,
either as a manufacturing herbalist or as a patient,
I would prefer to employ the homeopathic modality
because, in that way, more of the herb goes a longer way
than if used in the leaf form.I would not support the large
scale exploitation of the herb
when a more conservative usage option is available.

Please consider ........

To establish the efficacy of the remedy it would have to be used exclusively. Otherwise you never know what did what. For you as a patient this does not matter. But for the establishing facts part it does.

As to Tulasi: it is not about large scale exploitation, because there are only few patients, and even less doctors, interested in this kind of treatment possibility. In many Western countries it could also not be made legal. There is an increasing crunch on non-conventional remedies; efficacy has to be proved on chemical compound basis, which will never be possible for a complex plant. No natural source ca-remedy stands any chance to be newly introduced in markets whose regulation is mirroring pharmaceutical standards. Homeopathy has no credibility in the industry, little scope for positive evaluation.

As a patient you have the choice to select the treatment options you like from amongst those available to you. Homeopathy can be one of them. That is a different issue.

Also: The type Tulasi used in South India is not the one worshiped by bhaktas.

This appears to be contradicted by your latest statement

Vaishnavas worship the lighter kind.

Another day I visited the Kali Temple in Laguna Beach, CA, and the Pujari show me another type of Tulasi that he cultivates in the backyard. He said, the name of that type was Laxmi-Tulasi and the difference is that this Tulasi was stronger ( and easer to take care) than the one we use to offer to Krishna. However, he said, we can offer to Lord Krishna. It has bigger leaves and has long manjaris.

Do you know anything about Laxmi-Tulasi Plant?

Thanks!

All I know is that there are different kinds of Tulasis with different spiritual names assigned. There is also a Rama-Tulasi which is used to make the big, huge, sized beads, because it grows such a thick stem.

I was reading the other day that to use Tulasi Devi for any reason other than worshiping Krishna, including medicinal use, is a grave offence, any comments?.

Obviously not every Tulasi plant is worshiped. And noboy would use a Tulasi that is actually worshiped (except that most bhaktas actually mistreat the worshiped Tulasis by giving them too much water all the time, by putting noxious incense sticks into her soil etc. I wonder to which hell those offences lead them...)

Vrindavan is supposed to have been the forest of Tulasis. How come you don't see any there anymore? What grave offences have the Vraja Vasis committed throughout the millennia, from generation to generation? How come they could go and build houses there where Vrinda grew?

In other words: It is common sense. Whoever said that what you read, has probably not lived in a place where Tulasi grows wild like a weed, and insted of just being pulled out and burned is used in the service of humanity. If Tulasi in all its forms is such a holy thing, this author should be happy that people get into touch with her knowingly or unknowingly.

Thanks for your input Nabadip, actually the article was written by someone who has served Tulasi devi for many years, both in the west and in India. Any sastric evidence one way or the other anyone?

Well, in Gaudiya territory Tulasi does not grow well. Certainly there one would not take her as medicine. Besides, as said above, it is not the kind of Tulasi that is worshiped by Gaudiyas, that is used in medicine.

A RECAP

Well, then discuss Tulasi-worship rather than medicinal use of the Tulasi species.

To sum up: everyone acording to his/her gusto. If someone thinks he is the ultimate ruler over what others do or do not do, then let him think that way. If he sees offence everywhere, let him be the pure one, who is above all duality and not willing to take any responsibility. But then let him also not take bath in Ganga or Yamuna, for she might be soiled by his/her excrements. Then he should also not tread the holy dust of the Dham, for the sweat oozing from his feet may soil it. His presence in sanga may also deter others, so let him stay in a solitary place forever.

One last question: Why would Krsna infuse some healing-power into this plant, and then let down those in need of that power?

Why not have the positive, encouraging view that so many get in touch with that special energy and servant of the Lord, why always entertain negative, inflicting, punishing, sectarian views, and that not only for themselves but claiming them for others as well? Where is the much-praised compassion of the vaishnavas, where their open-hearted love for the universe and all beings?

If someone for himself thinks: I am not fit to take any leaf of Tulasi, worshiped or otherwise, except accepted in Mahaprasad, fine with me, I bow to that. But to come out and claim that for the whole world and express curses for those not following his views... I feel sorry for that man.

Such rhetoric would have served well as purports for my posts at "Audarya Fellowship" on such a topic some years ago.

All the tulsis are worshippable and can be accepted for healing.

All herbs, whether worshippable or not, need to be used with care and economy.

Dear devotees,

Radhe RAdhe!

This discussion on Tulasi is fantastic. Here in Australia, at the local garden centre, they were selling a pot of what they called "sacred tulasi" and while the leaves when crushed smell exactly like the tulasi that we worship, the leaf shape is different with more pointy bits and they are generally bigger as well. This plant puts out phenomenal amounts of manjaris in spring and summer and then seems to just fade back to weather through winter again. Is there anyone here who would care to post a couple of pics of different types of tulasi?

Also, as per something nabadip said in an earlier post - seeing as how tulasi exists in different forms and species - what types is used for carving japa mala and kanti mala and where do they get supplies for the copious numbers that arebeing accessed by all Gaudiya VAishnavas, ISKCON and otherwise around the world today? I'm just curious.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts..

YS
Sudevi dasi

What about Basil? some call Tulsi Indian Basil.

All the basils (except Mr Fawlty) come under the botanical genus OCIMUM. They are all different species and sub species of OCIMUM. Mediterranean, Indian, South American - all are Ocimums.

Just like stone fruits - plums, peaches, apricots, nectarines, cherries, almonds. All of em are PRUNUS.

Why would Krishna manifest the universal form at Kuruschetra and then make it offensive to be used by a rock star for an album cover?

The ways of our Lord are most strange brother Nabadip.

Pick the true story:-

Story 1:-An old friend of mine, a veteran devotee from US, was visting Australia suffering a mortal liver related disease. I had helped him out with an array of health food products. After studying his astrology, I suggested he should take tulsi. He refused for the typical reasons. I suggested he could take the fallen leaves ground up. He refused to. He died six months or so later.

Story 2:-
A muso friend of mine was dying of a liver implicated disorder. He was putting out his last commercial CD. After consulting his chart I suggested he should put a picture of the Lord's Universal Form on the album cover. He refused to do this. He died.

Guess what: Without seeing anyone's astrology it is safe to say that with or without liver disorder and with or without worship of a Vishnu deity we are all going to die sooner or later.

And people also die although took take good remedies and chanted all the appropriate mantras.