Shri Tulsi Stotram: Sanskrit Text, Meaning & Benefits
Shri Tulsi Stotram — Sanskrit Text
जगद्धात्रि नमस्तुभ्यं विष्णोश्च प्रियवल्लभे ।
यतो ब्रह्मादयो देवाः सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकारिणः ॥१॥
नमस्तुलसि कल्याणि नमो विष्णुप्रिये शुभे ।
नमो मोक्षप्रदे देवि नमः सम्पत्प्रदायिके ॥२॥
तुलसी पातु मां नित्यं सर्वापद्भ्योऽपि सर्वदा ।
कीर्तितापि स्मृता वापि पवित्रयति मानवम् ॥३॥
नमामि शिरसा देवीं तुलसीं विलसत्तनुम् ।
यां दृष्ट्वा पापिनो मर्त्या मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषात् ॥४॥
तुलस्या रक्षितं सर्वं जगदेतच्चराचरम् ।
या विनिहन्ति पापानि दृष्ट्वा वा पापिभिर्नरैः ॥५॥
नमस्तुलस्यतितरां यस्यै बद्ध्वाञ्जलिं कलौ ।
कलयन्ति सुखं सर्वं स्त्रियो वैश्यास्तथाऽपरे ॥६॥
तुलस्या नापरं किञ्चिद् दैवतं जगतीतले ।
यथा पवित्रितो लोको विष्णुसङ्गेन वैष्णवः ॥७॥
तुलस्याः पल्लवं विष्णोः शिरस्यारोपितं कलौ ।
आरोपयति सर्वाणि श्रेयांसि वरमस्तके ॥८॥
तुलस्यां सकला देवा वसन्ति सततं यतः ।
अतस्तामर्चयेल्लोके सर्वान् देवान् समर्चयन् ॥९॥
नमस्तुलसि सर्वज्ञे पुरुषोत्तमवल्लभे ।
पाहि मां सर्वपापेभ्यः सर्वसम्पत्प्रदायिके ॥१०॥
इति स्तोत्रं पुरा गीतं पुण्डरीकेण धीमता ।
विष्णुमर्चयता नित्यं शोभनैस्तुलसीदलैः ॥११॥
तुलसी श्रीर्महालक्ष्मीर्विद्याविद्या यशस्विनी ।
धर्म्या धर्मानना देवी देवीदेवमनःप्रिया ॥१२॥
लक्ष्मीप्रियसखी देवी द्यौर्भूमिरचला चला ।
षोडशैतानि नामानि तुलस्याः कीर्तयन्नरः ॥१३॥
लभते सुतरां भक्तिमन्ते विष्णुपदं लभेत् ।
तुलसी भूर्महालक्ष्मीः पद्मिनी श्रीर्हरिप्रिया ॥१४॥
तुलसि श्रीसखि शुभे पापहारिणि पुण्यदे ।
नमस्ते नारदनुते नारायणमनःप्रिये ॥१५॥
Transliteration (Roman/IAST)
jagaddhātri namastubhyaṃ viṣṇośca priyavallabhe |
yato brahmādayo devāḥ sṛṣṭisthityantakāriṇaḥ ||1||
namastulasi kalyāṇi namo viṣṇupriye śubhe |
namo mokṣaprade devi namaḥ sampatpradāyike ||2||
tulasī pātu māṃ nityaṃ sarvāpadbhyo'pi sarvadā |
kīrtitāpi smṛtā vāpi pavitrayati mānavam ||3||
namāmi śirasā devīṃ tulasīṃ vilasattanum |
yāṃ dṛṣṭvā pāpino martyā mucyante sarvakilbiṣāt ||4||
tulasyā rakṣitaṃ sarvaṃ jagadetaccarācaram |
yā vinihanti pāpāni dṛṣṭvā vā pāpibhirnaraiḥ ||5||
namastulasyatitarāṃ yasyai baddhvāñjaliṃ kalau |
kalayanti sukhaṃ sarvaṃ striyo vaiśyāstathā'pare ||6||
tulasyā nāparaṃ kiñcid daivataṃ jagatītale |
yathā pavitrito loko viṣṇusaṅgena vaiṣṇavaḥ ||7||
tulasyāḥ pallavaṃ viṣṇoḥ śirasyāropitaṃ kalau |
āropayati sarvāṇi śreyāṃsi varamastake ||8||
tulasyāṃ sakalā devā vasanti satataṃ yataḥ |
atastāmarcayelloke sarvān devān samarcayan ||9||
namastulasi sarvajñe puruṣottamavallabhe |
pāhi māṃ sarvapāpebhyaḥ sarvasampatpradāyike ||10||
iti stotraṃ purā gītaṃ puṇḍarīkeṇa dhīmatā |
viṣṇumarcayatā nityaṃ śobhanaistulasīdalaiḥ ||11||
tulasī śrīrmahālakṣmīrvidyāvidyā yaśasvinī |
dharmyā dharmānanā devī devīdevamanaḥpriyā ||12||
lakṣmīpriyasakhī devī dyaurbhūmiracalā calā |
ṣoḍaśaitāni nāmāni tulasyāḥ kīrtayannaraḥ ||13||
labhate sutarāṃ bhaktimante viṣṇupadaṃ labhet |
tulasī bhūrmahālakṣmīḥ padminī śrīrharipriyā ||14||
tulasi śrīsakhi śubhe pāpahāriṇi puṇyade |
namaste nāradanute nārāyaṇamanaḥpriye ||15||
Meaning
“Salutations to you, O sustainer of the world, dearly beloved of Vishnu, from whom Brahma and the other gods carry out creation, preservation and dissolution.” The hymn bows to Tulsi (holy basil) as Kalyani (the auspicious one), Vishnu-priya (beloved of Vishnu), giver of liberation and bestower of wealth.
It prays that Tulsi may always protect the devotee from every danger, for even to praise or remember her purifies a person. Whoever beholds her is freed from all sins; by her the entire moving and unmoving world is protected. There is no deity on earth equal to Tulsi, for through her companionship a person becomes a pure Vaishnava. A single Tulsi leaf placed on Vishnu’s head in this age of Kali bestows every blessing. Because all the gods dwell perpetually within Tulsi, by worshipping her one worships all the gods at once. The hymn closes by recalling that it was first sung long ago by the wise sage Pundarika while daily worshipping Vishnu with beautiful Tulsi leaves, and gives the sixteen sacred names of Tulsi — Tulasi, Shri, Mahalakshmi, Vidya, Avidya, Yashasvini, Dharma, Dharmanana, Devi, Lakshmi-priya-sakhi, Dyau, Bhumi, Achala, Chala, Padmini and Hari-priya — declaring that whoever recites these names gains supreme devotion and finally attains the abode of Vishnu.
About this Stotra
Shri Tulsi Stotram is a classical hymn traditionally ascribed to the sage Pundarika, preserved in Puranic literature. The Tulsi plant (Ocimum sanctum, holy basil) is the most sacred plant in the Vaishnava tradition, regarded as a goddess and the dearest devotee of Vishnu. The stotra celebrates her dual nature: a humble plant tended in every Hindu courtyard, and at the same time a great goddess identified with Lakshmi herself. Its concluding verses preserve the Shodasha-nama (sixteen names) of Tulsi, the recitation of which is itself considered a complete worship.
Significance & Spiritual Benefits
Tulsi is the plant of purity, devotion and protection. Reciting this stotra — ideally while watering or circumambulating the Tulsi plant — is believed to purify the home and mind, ward off sin and misfortune, attract Lakshmi’s prosperity, and deepen devotion to Vishnu. Because “all the gods dwell in Tulsi,” her worship is held to equal the worship of all deities. The hymn is recited daily by many households at the Tulsi-vrindavan (the sacred basil planter), and is central to the Tulsi Vivah and Kartik-month observances.
Astrological Relevance
Tulsi worship is one of the most accessible and powerful domestic remedies in Vedic astrology. As a form of Lakshmi (“Tulasi Shri Mahalakshmi”), her stotra strengthens the 2nd and 11th houses of wealth and gains, and being a Vishnu-priya remedy it fortifies Jupiter (Guru), the karaka of fortune and dharma. The Tulsi plant is also prescribed to purify the home’s subtle atmosphere and to counter Ketu-related and pitru-dosha disturbances; offering water to Tulsi each morning is a classic upaya for general well-being, removal of negativity, and harmony in the 4th house (home and peace of mind). Caring for a Tulsi plant is itself said to attract steady, righteous prosperity.
How to Chant (Vidhi)
After a morning bath, approach the Tulsi plant (or an image of Tulsi-Devi) with a lamp and water. Offer water, a flower and kumkum, light a ghee lamp, and recite the stotra with devotion, dwelling especially on the sixteen names. Many devotees circumambulate the Tulsi-vrindavan while chanting. Recitation in the evening with a lamp at the Tulsi planter is also traditional. Women in particular keep this as a daily practice for the welfare of the family.
Best Day & Time
Daily morning worship is ideal; Tuesdays and Fridays, the Kartik month, Tulsi Vivah (Kartik Shukla Ekadashi/Dwadashi) and Ekadashi tithis are especially auspicious. Lighting a lamp at the Tulsi plant at dusk during Kartik is considered highly meritorious. Avoid plucking Tulsi leaves on Sundays, Ekadashi and after sunset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the Shri Tulsi Stotram?
The stotra is traditionally attributed to the sage Pundarika, who is said to have sung it while worshipping Lord Vishnu daily with Tulsi leaves, as stated in its eleventh verse.
What are the sixteen names of Tulsi?
They are Tulasi, Shri, Mahalakshmi, Vidya, Avidya, Yashasvini, Dharma, Dharmanana, Devi, Lakshmi-priya-sakhi, Dyau, Bhumi, Achala, Chala, Padmini and Hari-priya. Reciting them is regarded as complete worship of the Goddess.
Why is Tulsi so sacred in Hindu tradition?
Tulsi is revered as the most beloved devotee of Vishnu and a form of Goddess Lakshmi. It is believed that all the gods dwell within her, so worshipping Tulsi is equal to worshipping all deities, bringing purity, prosperity and protection.
Tulsi as a living presence: why this stotra is more than a plant prayer
The Shri Tulsi Stotram attributed to the sage Pundarika is one of the most theologically rich of all Tulsi-related devotional texts, because it does not merely praise Tulsi as an auspicious herb or a symbol of purity; it addresses her as a cosmic personality in her own right, a manifestation of the divine feminine who is the very beloved of Vishnu. The opening salutation, Jagaddhatri namastubhyam, recognises her as the upholder of the universe, placing Tulsi in the highest register of divine address. The stotra's enumeration of her sixteen holy names is a practice rooted in the ancient understanding that the name, when spoken with devotion, makes present the essence of the being named - so that reciting Tulsi's sixteen names is itself a form of sacred encounter with her.
Devotees traditionally recite this Tulsi Stotram during the daily Tulsi puja performed in the early morning hours, and especially on Ekadashi, Kartik month (which is considered Tulsi's sacred month), and on the day of Tulsi Vivah - the festival celebrating the ceremonial marriage of Tulsi to Shaligram (Lord Vishnu). In many households, the Tulsi plant in the courtyard is not merely a medicinal herb but the living spiritual heart of the home, and this stotra is a way of acknowledging that sacred identity. In the Jyotish tradition, Tulsi is associated with Jupiter and with Vishnu's grace more broadly, and devotees who seek blessings for liberation, family harmony, and purification of the home and spirit find in this stotra a devotional companion across the seasons of life.