Friday, November 11, 2016

Tulasee's Marriage

Tulasee's marriage is performed in the month of Kaarttik after Deepaavalee, on Kaarttik Shukla Ekaadashee, means Dev Uthaan or Dev Uthaanee Ekaadashee. You might have seen that mostly all Hindu households keep a Tulasee plant in their house. They water it daily twice, in the morning and in the evening, and light a Diya (lamp) at the bottom of the planr regularly.

It is especially worshipped in the  month of Kaarttik. In this month, normally from Sharad Poornimaa - Aashwin Maas Poornimaa. House women get up in the morning while it is still night, take bath and sit around the Tulasee plant. They worship it, light Diyaa and tell some stories of Tulasee. This they do the whole month of Kaarttik. Some women observe fast also.

Who is Tualsee?
Let us see who is this Tulasee who has been give so much importance in our lives? Very few people might be knowing who is Tulasee.

Once there was a Daitya (demon) named Jalandhar. He was not a very famous Daitya that is why most people do not know his name too. He had a wife who was very faithful to her husband (Pativrataa). Since she was very faithful to him he could escape from many bad Karm, so he was doing many bad Karm under the cover of her faithfulness.

Many Devtaa wanted to kill him because of his atrocities but were unable to kill him because his wife's Paativrat Dharm always saved him. Therefore Devtaa went to Vishnu to help them out of his atrocities. Vishnu promised them to help them soon.

Vrindaa and Vishnu
Once Jalandhar was out of his home to have a fight with Shiv Jee, that Vishnu went to his house in disguise of Jalandhar. Since Jalandhar was not to be expected back home soon, Vrindaa took it as a pleasant surprise and asked him as how he could he come home so soon. Vishnu in the guise of Jaandhar said - "I was missing you very much that is why I came home." Hearing this Vrindaa got very happy and she welcomed him heartily.

Vrindaa thought he was speaking truth and he was her husband so they made love, But in this process she could make out that he was not her husband. She got very angry with the man. Since Vrindaa's Paativrat was broken now Vishnu's objective was fulfilled and Jalandhar was no more protected by his wife's Paativrat armor. So Vishnu showed her His real form.

When Vrindaa came to know the real identity of the fake Jalandhar, that he was not Jalandhar but was Vishnu, she got very angry. She immediately cursed Vishnu - "You have broken my Paativrat Dharm so go and become a black stone."

Vishnu readily and happily accepted her curse and immediately turned into a black stone. That black stone came to be known as "Shaaligraam" (or Shaalgraam). Vishnu said - "Since your anger was appropriate, so you cursed me; I accept your curse but since my Darshan (sighting) does not go waste so I bestow you a boon that you will become a holy plant and will be known as Tulasee without whom my food will be incomplete. I will not accept my food without you. That is why whenever any food is offered to Vishnu, a leaf of Tulasee goes with it.

Besides, when I will appear as Krishn in Gokul in Kali Yug, you will grow abundantly in its nearby village of Mathuraa (UP) appearing there as Tulasee plant. That is why it will be called as Vrindaa Van (Vrindaa Forest) - based on your name and I will also live there for some time."

As Vrindaa's Paativrat Dharm was broken there was no problem in killing Jalandhar.
Tulasee's Raam Charit Maanas says that the same Jalandhar was born as Raavan later.

So this was Tulasee. The same Tulasee is married to that black stone (Shaalgraam) or Vishnu  on this day. Shaalgraam is called as Naaraayan Shilaa too.

Another Version
There is another version of this story. When Vrindaa had cursed Vishnu to be a black stone, Vishnu accepted it and bestowed her with the boon that she becomes a river and that He will always live in her heart (in her waters) in the form of black stone. So Vrindaa turned into Gandakee River and Shaalgraam stones are found abundantly there in her waters.


Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com