Service to Tulasi

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj,
Speaking online to devotees in Caracas, part 4
22 July 2012

Question: I have an opportunity to have Tulasi in my house but I am afraid because I am thinking I can commit offence and not worship or serve her properly. What should I do?

Why will you make offence? You must know how to serve Tulasi. Tulasi is now in a tree form but actually Tulasi is dearmost of Krishna. It is easy to serve Tulasi, and it is good to keep Tulasi in the house. Why not? Everybody can serve Tulasi. After you cook something, you can offer it with Tulasi leaves and take that prasad, you can give water to Tulasi, etc. If you can take care of your children, why can you not take care of Tulasi?

"Tulasi dekhi' judaya prana madhava-tosani jani': seeing Tulasi Devi soothes my soul, for I know she pleases Madhava." If you see Tulasi once, your heart, you mind will become cool and all kinds of bad elements will be removed.

Tulasi is the dearmost of Krishna, she always fulfils Krishna's desires, and if we serve her, it is good for everybody—even if a non-devotee wears Tulasi mala or serves her, it is good for them too. It is necessary to serve Tulasi—service to Tulasi is our line.

You think some offence will come... Suppose you have Deities in your room. You think, "Oh, I will make an offence," so you do not feed the Deities, do not cook for Them—you only sleep and eat everything yourself. This is not right. Krishna knows everything, He is merciful, and He will remove your offence, but you must always cry, "Prabhu, I do not know how to serve You! I am doing what I can, and if it is Your wish, You can take my service..." This is the service mood.

Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is a senior member of your house. Tulasi is also a senior member of your house. If you serve Tulasi properly—you water her, you take care of her—it is good for you. Otherwise, if you keep Tulasi but do not serve her properly, it is not good. You must keep Tulasi and serve Tulasi also, both.

One time, there was Deities' inauguration at a temple in Prabhupad's time. Prabhupad is the Guru at that time, and he was supposed to do the Deity inauguration according to the viddhi-marga and archan-puja rules, but at that time Srila Sridhar Maharaj did that service and everybody criticised him, "The Guru, Prabhupad, should have done this! Why did Sridhar Maharaj do it?" Srila Sridhar Maharaj felt he had made an offence, "I did that service, but perhaps the Guru should do it, and everybody is saying I did wrong..." He came to Prabhupad and said, "Prabhupad, please forgive my offence. I did that service—you were supposed to do it, but I did it before you. I think I made an offence, please forgive my offence." But Prabhupad replied, "You did good. There is no offence for a surrendered soul."

— • :: • —

{ 2001  |   2002  |   2003  |   2005  |   2009  |   2010  |   2011  |   2012 }
{ 2013  |   2014  |   2015  |   2016  |   2017  |   2018  |   2019  |   2020  |   2021 }

• Download (1.2 Mb)