Different Names

In Sanskrit, Bengali, Gujarati and Marathi it is known as Tulsi. Moreover, in Sanskrit Tulsi is also known as Maiyarika and in Bengali it is also known as Babultulsi. Marathi and Orivan often refer it as Tulasa and in Punjabi it is called Babri. In Telangana they call it Bhutulsi, however sometimes in Andhra it is known as Tirunapatchi. Tulsi is also called as Sabza in Maharashtra.

Bhakti Gopi - Connecting 8 Gopas and 8 Gopis

Bhakti Gopi(Tulsi Devi) is Wearing Green Dress

Tulsi Gopi Messenger of Radha to Krishna

One day Srimati Radharani had nicely decorated the kunja with the help of Her maidservants. With great anticipation, they are expecting Krsna to come and arrive at the planned rendezvous time. However, Krsna does not show up. They wait and wait, but still no Krsna. Radha is beginning to go into Her sulky mood, and also beginning to cry, so a messenger[dyuti] is sent out to find Him. Along the way, the dyuti encounters one of Candravali's servants who pleasurably reports that Krsna is over there in that kunja. When the dyuti returns, she of course gives a prompt report to Lalita and Visaka, who in turn relay the news to Srimati Radharani. At that point, Radha's leftist sulky mood reaches it's peak, and She forbids that Krsna can enter Her kunja. And She is crying, crying, crying.

Radharani says, "I don't want Krsna to come. Don't allow Him to come to My kunja. Entrance is forbidden!"

When Krsna finally does arrive some time later, Lalita and Visaka are standing guard at the entrance, and stop Him. They block His entry and sharply tell Him to "Get out of here". He pleads for entry to the kunja, but there is no permission. Visakha, who is harder than Lalita, is especially tough on Him at this point. He must turn away and leave.

So Krsna went away to the banks of the Yamuna. Morose and disappointed, Krsna could not understand what to do. He had gone to Candravali's kunja only to heighten the leftist mood of Radhika, the mood which brings Him so much pleasure. He wanted an opportunity to have Her association while She was in that heightened leftist mood, but His plan firmly backfired. Now, what to do, what to do?

In the meantime, Vrndadevi learns of Krsna's predicament, so She comes to Him with a solution.

She tells Him that He must completely change His appearance, take up the position of a begging Sannyasi, and sing a special song. She tells Him that He must get rid of all that black hair and shave His head, discard the dress of a cowherd boy and wear sannyas cloth, refrain from the 3-fold bending form, give up the flute and the peacock feather, and learn the song that She will teach Him,.... and then there may be some hope.

When Vrnda said this, immediately that form appeared there. Krsna became that sannyasi form--shaved head, and His complexion was of molten gold. No peacock feather, no flute, no three places curved form. In sannyasi form He immediately appeared there. Vrnda then taught Him to sing a beautiful song in glorification of Radha, the last line of which is,

"Today Kanu, Krsna, is moving from door to door begging radha-prema, radha-prema, radha-prema".

So Krsna, singing, goes back to the kunja where Lalita and Visaka become very happy to see such a blissful sannyasi singer, and very happy to hear such a wonderful song. When they ask Him what He wants, The sannyasi answers, "I have nothing, I am a beggar. I've come here to get radha-prema, radha-prema. I am a prema-bhikhari. I am a beggar of prema."

So Visakha takes the sannyasi into the kunja. She requests Him, "Will You please again sing that nice song You were singing before?"

Then Krsna sang that song in glorification of Radha. "Today Kanu is a bhikari, He is a beggar, moving from door to door begging radha- prema."

When Radharani heard that last line, She responded thus:

"aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam
adarsanan marma-hatam karotu va
yatha tatha va vidadhatu lampato
mat-prana-nathas tu sa eva naparah"

I know no one but Krsna as my Lord, and He shall remain so even if He handles me roughly by His embrace or makes me brokenhearted by not being present before me. He is completely free to do anything and everything, for He is always my worshipful Lord unconditionally. It is the expression of a very deep mood of Srimati Radhika.

Soon after, the sannyasi obtains the audience of Radhika, and upon seeing Radha, immediately Krsna's form came, tri-bhanga-lalita. That sannyasi form disappeared.

Tulsi Devi Taking Care of Radha In Seperation of Krishna

As Tulsi Sings Krishna Plucks Lotus for Radha

Suka & Sari - Pet male & female parrots of Vrnda-devi

Mahaprabhuji saw a suka and sari sitting on two opposite branches. A prema-kalaha (loving quarrel) glorifying Sri Sri Radha-Krsna Yugala was taking place between them.

Suka: My Krsna is madana-mohana, the enchanter of the mind of Cupid.

Sari: Yes. He is, as long as my Radha is at His left side; otherwise He is only Madana.

Suka: My Krsna held Giriraja on His finger.

Sari: Because my Radha transmitted sakti into Him, otherwise how could He have done so?

Suka: My Krsna is the life of the whole universe.

Sari: My Radha is the life of that life.

Suka: My Krsna's head is decorated with peacock-feather.

Sari: Only because my Radha's name is marked on that feather.

Suka: The peacock-feather on my Krsna's head leans to the left.

Sari: Because it wants to bow down to my Radha's feet.

Suka: My Krsna is the moon.

Sari: My Radha is the trap to capture that moon.

Suka: There is no need to quarrel uselessly. Let both of us together glorify Yugala Kisora.

Sari: I accept it with great pleasure.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became so overwhelmed upon hearing this love-quarrel between suka and sari that He could not maintain His equilibrium and fell down on the earth in a faint. His companions somehow brought Him back to consciousness, after which He continued on His parikrama of Vraja.

The Tulasi Handbook

http://www.harekrishnamexico.com/textos/The%20Tulasi%20Handbook.pdf

Tulsi Singing For Radha and Krishna

Vivah / Sites / Significance / Ekadasi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsi_Vivah
http://blog.eaglespace.com/tulsi-vivah/
Signifies end of the monsoon and the beginning of the wedding season. The marriage of Tulsi with Vishnu/Krishna resembles the traditional Indian wedding.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prabodhini_Ekadashi

Nine Ways of Serving Tulsi

One time, desiring to know what kind of worship would please Krishna, Srimati Radhika approached Her friend Candranana, the best of the knowers of religion. After reflecting for a moment Candranana informed Srimati Radhika that Lord Krishna's association could be achieved through serving Tulasi in nine ways:

drstva sprstva tatha dhyata kirtita namita srta
ropita sevita nityam pujita tulasi subha
navadha tulasim nityam ye bhajanti dine dine
yuga koti sahasrani te vasanti harer grhe

(Hari Bhakti Vilasa 9/126,127 from Skanda Purana, conversation between Lord Brahma and Narada Muni)

1. Sees Tulasi Maharani,
2. Touches Her,
3. Mediates On Her,
4. Narrates Her History,
5. Offers Obeisances To Her,
6. Prays To Her For Her Grace,
7. Plants Her,
8. Worships Her, Or
9. Waters Her

Lives In The Abode Of Lord Hari With his Fore Fathers Eternally

http://btg.krishna.com/serving-krishna-serving-tulasi

Tulasi Jala Dan

http://www.vaisnavacalendar.info/i/tulasi-jala-dan-begins.html

Quote

sarveshaam api pushpaanaam / sahasragunam utpalam
tasmaat padmam tathaa raajan / padmaat tu shatapatrakam
tasmaat sahasrapatram tu / pundareekam tatah param
pundareeka sahasraat tu tulasi gunato 'dhikaa
(Mahabharata- Ashwamedhika Parva 14.96.15).

"Of all the flowers, O King, the bluish lotus flower (Utpalam) is thousand times more qualified for My worship. Greater than that is the red lotus (Padmam) flower. Of the red lotus, the lotus with hundred petals is more qualified. Better than that is the red lotus with thousand petals. Better than this is the white lotus flower (Pundarika). And better than white lotus flower with thousand petals is the Tulasi leaf, which is even more qualified for My worship".

Sri Tulasi Pranama

vrindayai tulasi-devyai
priyayai keshavasya cha
krishna-bhakti-prade devi
satyavatyai namo namaha

vrndayai--unto Vrnda; tulasi-devyai--unto Tulasl Devi; priyayai-- who is dear; kesavasya--to Lord Kesava; ca-and; krsna-bhakti-- devotional service to Lord Krsna, prade--who bestows; devi--O goddess; satya-vatyai--unto Satyavati; namah namah--repeated obeisances.

TRANSLATION

I offer my repeated obeisances unto Vrnda, Srimati Tulasi Devi, who is very dear to Lord Kesava. O goddess, you bestow devotional service to Lord Krsna and possess the highest truth.

Sri Tulasi Kirtana

namo namaha tulasi! krishna-preyasi
radha-krishna-seva pabo ei abhilashi

je tomara sharana loy, tara vanchha purna hoy
kripa kori' koro tare brindavana-basi

mor ei abhilash, bilas kunje dio vas
nayane heribo sada jugala-rupa-rashi

ei nivedana dharo, sakhir anugata koro
seva-adhikara diye koro nija dasi

dina krishna-dase koy, ei jena mora hoy
sri-radha-govinda-preme sada jena bhasi

TRANSLATION

O Tulasi, beloved of Krsna, I bow before you again and again. My desire is to obtain the service of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna.

Whoever takes shelter of you has his wishes fulfilled. Bestowing your mercy on him, you make him a resident of Vrndavana.

My desire is that you will also grant me a residence in the pleasure groves of Sri Vrndavana-dhama. Thus, within my vision I will always behold the beautiful pastimes of Radha and Krsna.

I beg you to make me a follower of the cowherd damsels of Vraja. Please give me the privilege of devotional service and make me your own maidservant.

This very fallen and lowly servant of Krsna prays, ''May I always swim in the love of Sri Radha and Govinda.

Sri Tulasi Pradaksina Mantra

yani kani cha papani
brahma-hatyadikani cha
tani tani pranashyanti
pradakshinaha pade pade

yani kani--whatever; ca--and; papani--sins; brahma-hatya--killing of a brahmana; adikani--and so on; ca--also, tani tani--all of them; pranasyanti--are destroyed; pradaksinah--(by) the circumambulation (of Tulasi Devi); pade pade--at every step.

By the circumambulation of Srimati Tulasi Devi all the sins that one may have committed are destroyed at every step, even the sin of killing a brahmana.

Vrnda devi is a pure devotee of Lord Krsna and is responsible for setting up the wonderful pastimes of Radha and Krsna in Vrndavana. She exists as Tulasi to benefit the fallen conditioned souls by bestowing devotional service to Krsna.

Vrindadevi Astaka