Vrindastaka / Worship of Tulasi -

Eight Prayers Glorifying Sri Vrinda Devi (Tulasi Devi) ]



Text One



gangeya-campeya-tadid-vinindi-
rocih-pravaha-snapitatma-vrinde
bandhuka-bandhu-dyuti-divya-vaso
vrinde namas te caranaravindam



You are bathed by streams of splendour that rebuke gold, lightning, and the campaka flower. Your splendid garments are friend to the bandhuka flower. O Vrinda, I bow to your lotus feet.



Text Two



bimbadharoditvara-manda-hasya-
nasagra-mukta-dyuti-dipitasye
vicitra-ratnabharana-sriyadhye
vrinde namas te caranaravindam



Your face is splendid with a pearl decorating the tip of Your nose and a wonderful gentle smile on your bimba-fruit lips. You are decorated with wonderful jewel ornaments. O Vrinda, I bow to your lotus feet.



Text Three



samasta-vaikuntha-siromanau sri-
krishnasya vrindavana-dhanya-dhamni
dattadhikare vrsabhanu-putrya
vrinde namas te caranaravindam



Vrishabhanu's daughter Radha made you guardian of Krishna's opulent and auspicious abode of Vrindavana, the crest jewel of all Vaikuntha planets. O Vrinda, I bow to your lotus feet.



Text Four



tvad-ajnaya pallava-puspa-bhrnga-
mrgadibhir madhava-keli-kunjah
madhv-adibhir bhanti vibhusyamana
vrinde namas te caranaravindam



By Your order the groves where Madhava enjoys pastimes are splendidly decorated with blossoming flowers, bumble-bees, deer, honey and other things. O Vrinda, I bow to your lotus feet.



Text Five



tvadiya-dutyena nikunja-yunor
atyutkayoh keli-vilasa-siddhih
tvat-saubhagam kena nirucyatam tad
vrinde namas te caranaravindam



Because you became their messenger the eager and youthful divine couple enjoyed the perfection of transcendental pastimes in the forest. O Vrinda, I bow to your lotus feet.



Text Six



rasabhilaso vasatis ca vrinda-
vane tvad-isanghra-saroja-seva
labhya ca pumsam krpaya tavaiva
vrinde namas te caranaravindam



By your mercy the people attain residence in Vrindavana, the desire to serve your masters' lotus feet, and the desire to assist in the rasa dance. O Vrinda, I bow to your lotus feet.



Text Seven



tvam kirtyase satvata-tantra-vidbhir
lilabhidhana kila krishna-saktih
tavaiva murtis tulasi nri-loke
vrinde namas te caranaravindam



They who are learned in the Satvata-tantra glorify you. You are Krishna's pastime-potency. The tulasi plant is your form in the world of men. O Vrinda, I bow to your lotus feet.




Text Eight



bhaktya vihina aparadha-laksaih
ksiptas ca kamadi-taranga-madhye
krpamayi tvam saranam prapanna
vrinde namas te caranaravindam



O merciful one, they who have no devotion and they whom millions of offenses have thrown into the waves of lust and other vices take shelter of you. O Vrinda, I bow to your lotus feet.



Text Nine



vrindastakam yah srnuyat pathed va
vrindavanadhisa-padabja-bhrngah
sa prapya vrindavana-nitya-vasam
tat-prema-sevam labhate krtarthah



A person who is like a bumble bee at the lotus feet of Vrindavana's king and queen, and who reads or hears this Vrindastaka, will eternally reside in Vrindavana and attain loving service to the divine couple.

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I have found this prayer on the web. I have two questions: does anybody know where it is from? Does anybody knows some melody for singing it?

Thanks.

This is a classic metre which is very familiar, the second most common in Bhagavad Gita. Jagat and others know the names and details, but I find this metre the easiest to sing in a melody popular in North India.

The beat goes:

1-2, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3,
1-2, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3,

Musical notes are:

G-C, C-D-E, D-E-F, F-E-D,
D-D, C-D-E, F-E-D, E-D-C,
G*-G*, F-G*-G*, A*-G*-F, F-E-D,
D-D, C-D-E, F-E-D, E-D-C.

Sorry that's all I know.

If memory serves, this is from Visvanatha's Stavamrita-lahari.

Thank you.

BTW, could you please tell me about the worship of Tulasidevi from your Masters' point of view? Do they suggest that devotees should keep Her at their homes? Does that require any special qualification (initiation, etc.)? Or can anybody simply worship Her by offering love, devotion and some water every day?

I've never taken this up with my guru, but considering that he never brought it up either, I don't suppose it is a compulsory daily practice. We once had Tulasi growing in our house, but because of the cold climate here, she unfortunately didn't last. We have brought a big container of dried tulasi-leaves from Vraja for our daily arcana of Giridhari.

There should be no obstacle for keeping her at your home, provided that you are really committed to her service. One who takes up the service of Tulasi must keep it going. It is a big commitment. You have to consider many things prior to starting Tulasi-seva in your home. If you wish to travel to Vraja, you cannot carry her with you like you could a Govardhan-sila for example. Is there someone who can take care of her in your absence? All of this you need to consider.

Visvanatha Cakravarti divides all devotional practices into five categories in accordance with their connection with attaining the desired devotional feelings of Vraja-bhava. They are:

(1) svabhista-bhavamayi - filled with the desired feeling, such as dasya (servitude) and sakhya (friendship);

(2) svabhista-bhava-sambandhi - connected with the desired feeling, direct causes for its attainment, such as hearing, chanting and remembering;

(3) svabhista-bhava-anukula - favorable for the desired feeling, such as wearing neckbeads, applying tilaka and serving Tulasi;

(4) svabhista-bhava-aviruddha - neutral practices, such as hearing narrations from other Puranas aside the Bhagavata;

(5) svabhista-bhava-viruddha - contrary practices, such as worshiping the Queens of Dvaraka, identifying oneself with the object of worship, and so forth.

Considering the above, we must set our priorities. Whatever is higher in the hierarchy above should be given more preference, and the others may be adopted as far as possible, but not to the extent that they would compromise with the more essential practices.

Here is an excerpt from Pandit Sri Ananta Das Babaji's tika on Raga-vartma-candrika, something on Tulasi-seva.

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Serving Sri Tulasi, circumambulations and paying of obeisances are all practices that favor the desired feelings. There are nine kinds of service rendered to Tulasi: drsta sprsta tatha dhyata kirtita namita sruta, ropita sevita nityam pujita tulasi subha – “Seeing Tulasi, touching her, meditating on her, singing her holy name in congregation, offering obeisances to her, hearing about her glories, planting a Tulasi-tree, sprinkling her with water, cleaning her place, and offering her scents and flowers – these are the nine most auspicious services that can be rendered.”

The Vaisnavas serve Visnu-priya Tulasi by arcana, by circumambulating her, by offering obeisances to her, by eating Tulasi-manjaris and so, by wearing Tulasi-beads and sandalpaste and wearing tilaka made of the earth around her root, so that they can please the Lord, who is very dear to Tulasi. As a result of serving Tulasi, who is the presiding deity of the Vaisnavi sakti, human beings can easily and swiftly become blessed by attaining Sri Visnu bhakti. In the scriptures we can find Tulasi’s glorification sung as follows:

yA dRSTA nikhilAgha saGgha zamanI spRSTA vapuH pAvanI
rogAnAm abhivanditA nirasanI siktAntaka trAsinI
pratyAsattir vidhAyinI bhagavataH kRSNasya saMropitA
nyastA tac caraNe vimukti phaladA tasyai tulasyai namaH

“I offer my obeisances unto Tulasi-devi, whose mere sight destroys all sins, whose mere touch purifies the body, who destroys all diseases of anyone who praises her, who destroys the fear of death of anyone who simply sprinkles her with water, who brings anyone who plants her closer to Sri Krsna, and who bestows prema-bhakti on anyone who places her at Sri Krsna’s lotus feet.”

This statement proves that the service of Tulasi is extremely favorable for attaining the desired feelings.

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Thanks, Madhava.
You mentioned shilas. What are the requirements for worshipping shilas in one's home?

Yes, generally it is a Govardhan-shila that we worship. To begin with, you have to receive diksa. At the time of diksa, the guru will generally instruct you in the details of arcana and give you a shila to worship.

To receive this initiation one has to travel to India, right? Those masters do not give initiation by mail as Prabhupada did, do they?

Yes, to India or to wherever the guru may be. No initiations by e-mail, snail-mail, phone, SMS or internet chat. It must be in person.

What must one do if this unfortunate incident occurs?

When birthday of Tulasi devi?