Shri Tulasi Shodashakanam Stotram: Sixteen Names, Meaning & Benefits
Shri Tulasi Shodashakanam Stotram - Sanskrit Text
॥ श्रीतुलसीषोडशकनामस्तोत्रं नामावलिश्च ॥
तुलसी श्रीमहालक्ष्मीर्विद्याऽविद्या यशस्विनी ।
धर्म्या धर्मानना देवी देवीदेवमनःप्रिया ॥
लक्ष्मीप्रियसखी देवी द्यौर्भूमिरचला चला ।
षोडशैतानि नामानि तुलस्याः कीर्तयेन्नरः ॥
लभते सुतरां भक्तिमन्ते विष्णुपदं लभेत् ॥
तुलसी षोडश नामावलिः (the sixteen names):
ॐ तुलस्यै नमः ।
ॐ श्रीमहालक्ष्म्यै नमः ।
ॐ विद्यायै नमः ।
ॐ अविद्यायै नमः ।
ॐ यशस्विन्यै नमः ।
ॐ धर्म्यायै नमः ।
ॐ धर्मावनासक्तायै नमः ।
ॐ पद्मिन्यै नमः ।
ॐ श्रियै नमः ।
ॐ हरिप्रियायै नमः ।
ॐ लक्ष्मीप्रियसख्यै नमः ।
ॐ देव्यै नमः ।
ॐ दिवे नमः ।
ॐ भूम्यै नमः ।
ॐ अचलायै नमः ।
ॐ चलायै नमः ॥
Transliteration (Roman/IAST)
tulasī śrī-mahālakṣmīr vidyā'vidyā yaśasvinī |
dharmyā dharmānanā devī... |
ṣoḍaśaitāni nāmāni tulasyāḥ kīrtayen naraḥ |
labhate sutarāṃ bhaktim ante viṣṇu-padaṃ labhet ||
oṃ tulasyai namaḥ | oṃ śrī-mahālakṣmyai namaḥ | oṃ vidyāyai namaḥ | oṃ avidyāyai namaḥ |
oṃ yaśasvinyai namaḥ | oṃ dharmyāyai namaḥ | ... | oṃ acalāyai namaḥ | oṃ calāyai namaḥ ||
Meaning
This short stotra lists the sixteen sacred names of the holy Tulasi (sacred basil) plant: Tulasi, Shri Mahalakshmi, Vidya (knowledge), Avidya, Yashasvini (the renowned), Dharmya (the righteous), Dharma-protectress, Padmini, Shri, Hari-priya (beloved of Vishnu), the dear friend of Lakshmi, Devi, Dyau (the heaven), Bhumi (the earth), Achala (the steadfast) and Chala (the moving). The phalashruti promises: “Whoever recites these sixteen names of Tulasi attains supreme devotion and, in the end, the abode of Vishnu (Vishnu-pada).”
About this Stotra
The Tulasi Shodashakanam Stotram is a Puranic hymn of the sixteen names of the Tulasi plant, revered in the Vaishnava tradition as a goddess and as the most beloved of Vishnu. Tulasi is worshipped daily in countless Hindu homes, and her leaves are essential in the worship of Vishnu and Krishna. The stotra functions both as a stuti (praise) and a namavali (list of names with “namah”), making it suitable for short daily recitation while watering or circumambulating the Tulasi plant.
Significance & Spiritual Benefits
Recitation of these sixteen names is said to bestow deep devotion (bhakti) and, ultimately, Vishnu-pada - the highest spiritual abode. Tulasi worship is held to purify the home, ward off negativity, support health (the plant is medicinally revered), and please Vishnu and Lakshmi together, since Tulasi is named both Hari-priya and Lakshmi’s dear friend. The hymn is a simple, daily way to invite auspiciousness, righteousness and divine grace into family life.
Astrological Relevance
Tulasi, as a form of Lakshmi and the beloved of Vishnu, is connected with Jupiter (Guru) - the great benefic of dharma, devotion and well-being - and with Venus and the Moon for domestic harmony and auspiciousness. Daily Tulasi worship is a gentle, widely-prescribed remedy to strengthen Jupiter, to enhance the auspicious significations of the home, and to support overall positivity in the chart. Because Tulasi is also called Vishnu-priya, her worship is favoured for Vaishnava devotees seeking the grace of the great benefics.
How to Chant (Vidhi)
Bathe and, in the morning or evening, stand before the Tulasi plant (commonly kept in a courtyard or on a Tulasi-vrindavan platform). Offer water, light a ghee or sesame lamp, and recite the verse followed by the sixteen names with “namah,” circumambulating the plant if possible. Women traditionally water and worship Tulasi at dusk by lighting a lamp at its base. Recite with devotion and cleanliness.
Best Day & Time
Tulasi is worshipped daily, with dusk being especially traditional for lighting the lamp. Thursdays (sacred to Vishnu and Jupiter), Ekadashi, Kartik month, and Tulasi Vivah are particularly auspicious for her worship.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the sixteen names of Tulasi?
They are Tulasi, Shri Mahalakshmi, Vidya, Avidya, Yashasvini, Dharmya, Dharma-protectress, Padmini, Shri, Hari-priya, Lakshmi’s dear friend, Devi, Dyau, Bhumi, Achala and Chala - as listed in the stotra.
What does the stotra promise its reciter?
The phalashruti states that one who recites these sixteen names attains supreme devotion (bhakti) and ultimately reaches Vishnu-pada, the abode of Lord Vishnu.
When should Tulasi be worshipped?
Tulasi is worshipped daily, especially by lighting a lamp at her base at dusk. Thursdays, Ekadashi and the month of Kartik are considered most auspicious.
Sixteen names, one sacred plant, infinite grace
The Tulasi plant stands at the very heart of Vaishnava household worship, and the Shri Tulasi Shodashakanam Stotram - the hymn of her sixteen sacred names - gives devotees a way to honour her as a goddess before the practical acts of watering, circumambulation, or plucking leaves for puja. Each name in the namavali carries a specific significance: some recall her mythological origins, others describe her fragrance, her medicinal sanctity, her role as Vishnu's beloved, and her power to purify the home and the one who tends her. Reciting these names while standing before the Tulasi plant is traditionally understood to transform an ordinary morning routine into a genuine act of devotion, making the household sacred space a site of continuous divine presence.
The stotram is typically recited at dawn, just before sunrise, when the Tulasi is watered and lit with a small lamp. Ekadashi, the eleventh lunar day sacred to Vishnu, is considered especially auspicious for this practice, as is the period of Kartik month when Tulasi vivah is celebrated. In the Jyotish tradition, Tulasi is connected with Jupiter (Brihaspati), the planet governing wisdom, auspiciousness, and devotion, and her worship is believed to strengthen Jupiterian blessings in the home - promoting harmony, learning, and spiritual growth. Devotees believe that a home where Tulasi is tended with these names has an atmosphere of grace that extends to every member of the family.