Bring happiness home by planting a basil plant
Why planting a basil plant is considered ausipicious in sanatan dharma?
My grandmother told me that worship of Lord Vishnu is incomplete without basil leaves. Apart from t
Basil Plant
his, Lord hanuman is also worshipped with Basil leaves. During my visit to Badrinath dham, I noticed Lord Vishnu is worshipped everyday with garlands made of tons of basil leaves. Why basil (tulsi) is considered this much holy and auspicious among hindus? What is the reason behind giving importance to a tulsi plant in home? Let’s know the truth behind it –
The word basil came from basilikon, a greek term which means royal plant. It is believed that the plant has given this name for the reason that it was used for making royal perfumes in ancient times. The plant is found in multiple varieties which can be identified on the basis of their color and flavour.
In Sanatan Dharma, planting a basil plant in home is important for happy and prosperous life, especially it is considered to bring good fortune for marital life. Let’s know more about the scientific, mythological and spiritual reasons behind keeping a tulsi plant in home.
Mythological importance
Mythology says that keeping a basil plant in home is good for prosperous life. Tulsi is worshipped as a goddess in hindu religion. Tulsi is considered as holy as water of river Ganga. Thus, people put tulsi leaves in food and water at the time of solar and lunar eclipse to avoid their food from adverse effects of grahan. Similarly, the belief of tulsi leaves being holy can be evaluated by knowing that hindu people put tulsi leaves along with water of ganga river in the mouth of dead person. The reason behind this is it is considered an act which helps the dead person to reach heaven after death.
Scientific importance
Scientists find tulsi to contain an antioxidant which helps to liven up the dead cells of our body. It is helpful in treating fever, headache and malaria. Consuming tulsi leaves regularly helps in controlling the energy flow in our body; it purifies blood and lengthens the age for its anti-aging properties. Tulsi leaves reduce the adverse effects of chemicals and sedatives in our body.
Astrological importance
Many ayurvedic doctors consider basil or tulsi as an effective plant for its medicinal properties. Planting a tulsi plants help in avoiding vastudosh. According to Vastushashtra, tulsi plant should be planted in north-east direction. Also bhavishya puran says that tulsi plant should never be planted in the south direction. It comes under vastudosh.
Spiritual reason
Padmpuran says –
Ya drishta nikhilaghsanghshamni sprishta vapushpavni
Roganamabhivandita nirasni siktantaktrasini
Pratyasaktividhayini bhagwatah krishnasya sanropita
Nyasta tachcharne vimuktifalda tasyae tulasyae namah
It means – the one who destroys all the sins when seen, who purifies the body when touched, who treat diseases when bowed, who scares even yamraj (lord of death) when watered, who takes the person near lord Krishna when planted and who provides salvation when offered to the God, that Tulsi devi is being bowed and wished by me.
This shlok itself says a lot about the spiritual importance of tulsi in sanatan dharma.
Dharm-kanda’s prakriti khand in garud purana says that planting, watering, touching and worshipping tulsi plant destroys all the sins of a person’s last life (poorva janm)
Tusli ayurveda
According to brahmavart puran, drinking water of Ganga river with tulsi leaves at the time of death destroys all the sins of the person. In this puran it is also written is that seeing a tulsi plant in morning brings good fortune equal to donation of 1.25 gram of gold.
Skand puran says that Yamraj doesn’t enter the house where tulsi is planted and worship it daily. Also, stale food and stale water is avoided for worshipping the god but tulsi leaves and gangajal is not avoided even if not fresh. It means both of these things are considered holy in mythology.
Research says that a person’s aura is increased by 3 meters after revolving 21 times around a basil plant.
This is why, tulsi is worshipped in hindu religion.
