Kartik Mahatmya Adhyay 22: How Tulsi Arose from Vrinda's Ashes

This page retells chapter 22 of the Kartik Mahatmya from the Padma Purana. It tells what happened to Vishnu after the Vrinda episode, and how tulsi, amla and malati appeared on the ground where Vrinda's pyre had been.

Listen in the video: hear this chapter in Hindi on our YouTube channel. The full list is on the Kartik Mahatmya Katha page.

संक्षेप में: वृंदा के त्याग से शोक में डूबे भगवान विष्णु, तीन देवियों के बीज और चिता-भूमि से तुलसी, आँवले और मालती के प्राकट्य की कथा। पूरा लेख हिंदी में पढ़ें →

The story

King Prithu asks Narada what Vishnu did after the events with Vrinda, and where he went. Narada takes up the story from the moment the devas finished their praise of Shiva. Shiva tells them that Jalandhar was a part of himself. He did not kill him for their sake, he says. It was his own play. Then he asks them to speak truly: are they happy?

The devas bow and tell him the whole account of Vrinda. Because of that great sati's sacrifice, they say, Vishnu has sunk into deep grief. He wanders from forest to forest with the ash of her pyre on his forehead. They ask Shiva to counsel him.

Shiva answers that this too is the play of maya. Only Mahadevi Uma, the root Prakriti, can remove such a delusion, so the devas should go to her. They go and sing her praise. A voice from the sky replies. Through the three gunas, it says, she exists in three forms: Gauri, Lakshmi and Saraswati. If they go to these goddesses, their wish will be fulfilled.

The three goddesses appear and give the devas some seeds. Take these and sow them, they say, and all your work will be accomplished.

The devas put the seeds into the ground of Vrinda's pyre. From Saraswati's seed came the amla tree, also called dhatri. From Lakshmi's seed came the malati. From Gauri's seed came tulsi.

Vishnu saw them and got up. Dhatri and tulsi became dearest of all to him. Forgetting all his sorrow, he returned to Vaikuntha and turned his mind to Shiva. The narration says this is why a Vishnu puja is still considered incomplete without tulsi and amla.

The narration also points out that tulsi arose from Vrinda's ashes. That is why one of tulsi's names is Vrinda, and why Vrindavan is known by her name. The sati who gave everything for dharma became the Lord's beloved for all time.

The teaching of this chapter

One who gives something up for the sake of dharma is not erased. Vrinda's pyre looks like an ending, but on that same ground tulsi appears, and she is worshipped in a new form from then on.

The chapter also shows that even the deepest attachment can be lifted by the Mother's grace. Vishnu's grief does not end through argument. It ends after the devas go to the Goddess and her seeds are sown.

A simple Kartik practice

The narration of this chapter asks devotees to keep two small observances with tulsi during Kartik:

• Offer water to Tulsi ji every morning.
• Light a lamp near her every evening.

Frequently asked questions

Why was Vishnu in such grief?
The devas tell Shiva that the sacrifice of the great sati Vrinda left Vishnu in deep sorrow. He was wandering from forest to forest with the ash of her pyre on his forehead.

Why did Shiva send the devas to Mahadevi?
Shiva said Vishnu's state was the play of maya, and that only Mahadevi Uma, the root Prakriti, could remove this delusion.

Which goddess gave which plant?
Saraswati's seed gave the amla or dhatri tree, Lakshmi's seed gave the malati, and Gauri's seed gave tulsi.

Where were the seeds sown?
The devas put them into the ground of Vrinda's pyre, which is why the three plants appeared there.

Why is tulsi also called Vrinda?
The narration says tulsi arose from Vrinda's ashes, so Vrinda became one of her names, and Vrindavan is known by that name.

Why are tulsi and amla important in Vishnu puja?
According to this katha, dhatri and tulsi became dearest of all to Vishnu, and for that reason a Vishnu puja is considered incomplete without them.

Previous chapter: Adhyay 20 and 21: The End of Jalandhar