Songs and prayers

Sri Tulasi-kirtana

2
je tomara sarana loy, tara vancha purna hoy
krpa kori' koro tare brndavana-basi

3
mor ei abhilas, bilas kunje dio vas
nayane heribo sada jugala-rupa-rasi

4
ei nivedana dharo, sakhir anugata koro
seva-adhikara diye koro nija dasi

5
dina krsna-dase koy, ei jena mora hoy
sri-radha-govinda-preme sada jena bhasi

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

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

(3) 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.

(4) 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.

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

Being himself an eternal resident of Vrindavana, Srila Prabhupada naturally wanted his followers to gain entrance into Vrindavana, and therefore he introduced the worship of Tulasi-devi in ISKCON. Every morning, all over the world, ISKCON devotees gather around Tulasi-devi at 5 a.m. and sing that bhajan.

Sri Tulasi Pranama

vrndayai tulasi-devyai
priyayai kesavasya ca
krsna-bhakti-prade devi
satyavatyai namo namah

vrndayai--unto Vrnda; tulasi-devyai--unto Tulasi-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.

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 Pradaksina Mantra

yani kani ca papani
brahma-hatyadikani ca
tani tani pranasyanti
pradaksinah 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.

Sri Tulasi-arati

by Candrasekhara Kavi

1
namo namah tulasi maharani,
vrnde maharani namo namah
namo re namo re meiya namo narayani

2
jako darase, parase agha-nasa-i
mahima beda-purane bakhani

3
jako patra, manjari komala
sri-pati-carana-kamale lapatani
dhanya tulasi meiya, purana tapa kiye,
Sri-salagrama-maha-patarani

4
dhupa, dipa, naivedya, arati,
phulana kiye varakha varakhani
chapanna bhoga, chatrisa byanjana,
bina tulasi prabhu eka nahi mani

5
siva-suka-narada, aura brahmadiko,
dhurata phirata maha-muni jnani
candrasekhara meiya, tera jasa gaowe
bhakati-dane dijiye maharani

(1) O Tulasi Maharani! O Vrnda! O mother of devotion! O Narayani, I offer my obeisances to you again and again.

(2) By seeing you or even by touching you, all sins are destroyed. Your glories are described in the Vedas and Puranas.

(3) Your leaves and soft manjaris are entwined at the lotus feet of Narayana, the Lord of Laksmi. O blessed mother Tulasi, you performed successful austerities and have thus become the chief consort and queen of Sri Shalagrama-sila.

(4) You engladden and shower your rain of mercy upon one who offers you some incense, a ghee lamp, naivedya, and arati. The Lord does not care for even one of fifty-six varieties of cooked food or thirty-six different curries offered without tulasi leaves.

(5) Lord Siva, Sukadeva Gosvami, Devarsi Narada, and all the jnanis and great munis, headed by Lord Brahma, are circumambulating you. O mother! O Maharani, Candrasekhara thus sings your glories. Please bestow upon him the gift of pure devotion.

Asta-Nama-Stava from the Padma Purana The Eight Names of Vrinda-devi

Vrindavani, vrinda, visvapujita, pushpasara, nandini, Krishna-jivani, visva-pavani, tulasi

• VRINDAVANI - One who first manifested in Vrindavan.
• VRINDA - The goddess of all plant and trees ( even if one Tulasi plant is present in a forest it can be called Vrindavana.)
• VISHVAPUJITA - One whom the whole universe worships.
• PUSHPASARA - The topmost of all flowers, without whom Krishna does not like to look upon other flowers.
• NANDINI - Seeing whom gives unlimited bliss to the devotees.
• KRISHNA-JIVANI - The life of Sri Krishna.
• VISHVA-PAVANI - One who purifies the three worlds.
• TULASI - One who has no comparison.
  

Anyone while worshiping Tulasi-devi chants these eight names will get the same results as one who performs the Ashvamedha sacrifice. And one who on the full-moon day of Kartika (Tulasi-devi's appearance day) worships Her with this Mantra will break free from the bonds of this miserable world of birth and death, and very quickly attains Goloka Vrndavan. On the full moon-day of Kartik Lord Sri Krishna Himself worships Srimati Tulasi-devi with this Mantra.

One who remembers this Mantra will very quickly attain devotion to Lord Krishna's Transcendental Lotus Feet.

SRI VRNDADEVY-ASTAKA Eight Prayers Glorifying Sri Vrinda-devi
by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura

gangeya-campeya-tadit-vinindi-
rocih-pravaha-snapitatma-vrnde
bandhuka-bandhu-dyuti-divya-vasu
vrnde namas te caranaravindam

gangeya -- golden; campeya -- campaka flower; tadit -- lightning; vinindi -- chastising; rocih --splendor; pravaha -- with rivers; snapita -- bathed; atma -- own; vrnde -- multitude; bandhuka -- of the bandhuka flower; bandhu -- friend; dyuti -- splendor; divya -- transcendental; vasah -- garments; vrnde -- O Vrnda-devi; namah -- I offer respectful obeisances; te -- to your; carana -- feet; aravindam - the lotus flower.

You are bathed by streams of splendor that rebuke gold, lightning, and the campaka flower. Your splendid garments are friend to the bandhuka flower. O Vrnda, I bow to your lotus feet.

bimbadharoditvara-manda-hasya-
nasagra-mukta-dyuti-dipitasye
vicitra-ratnabharana-sriyadhye
vrnde namas te caranaravindam

bimba -- bimba fruits; adhara -- lips; uditvara -- extraordinary; manda -- gentle; hasya -- smile; nasa -- of the nose; agra --on the tip; mukta -- pearl; dyuti -- by the splendor; dipita -- illuminated; asye -- face; vicitra -- amazing and colorful; ratna -- jewels; abharana -- and ornaments; sriya -- with the beauty; adhye -- enriched.

Your face is splendid with a pearl decorating the tip of Your nose and a wonderful gentle smile on Your bimba-fruit lips. You are decorated with wonderful jewel ornaments. O Vrnda, I bow to your lotus feet.

samasta-vaikuntha-siromanau sri
krishnasya vrndavana-dhanya-dhamni
dattadhikare vrsabhanu-putrya
vrnde namas te caranaravindam

samasta -- all; vaikuntha -- of the Vaikuntha worlds; sirah-manau -- the crown jewel; Sri Krishna -- of Sri Krishna vrndavana -- Vrndavana; dhanya -- opulent and auspicious; dhamni -- in the abode; datta -- given; adhikare -- dominion; vrsabhanu -- of King Vrsabhanu; putrya --by the daughter (Srimati Radharani)

Vrsabhanu's daughter Radha made you guardian of Krishna's opulent and auspicious abode of Vrndavana, the crest jewel of all Vaikuntha planets. O Vrnda, I bow to your lotus feet.

tvad-ajnaya pallava-puspa-bhrnga-
mrgadibhir madhava-keli-kunjah
madhv-adibhir bhanti vibhusyamana
vrnde namas te caranaravindam

tvat -- your; ajnaya -- by the order; pallava -- blossoming; puspa -- by flowers; bhrnga -- by bumble-bees; mrga -- by deer; adibhih -- and others; Madhava -- of Lord Madhava; keli -- for performing pastimes; kunjah -- groves; madhu -- with springtime; adibhih -- and the other seasons; bhanti -- appears very splendid; vibhusyamanah -- being decorated.

By Your order the groves where Madhava enjoys pastimes are splendidly decorated with blossoming flowers, bumble-bees, deer, honey, and other things. O Vrnda, I bow to your lotus feet.

tvadiya-dutyena nikunja-yunor
atyutkayoh keli-vilasa-siddhih
tvat-saubhagam kena nirucyatam tad
vrnde namas te caranaravindam

tvadiya -- your; dutyena -- because of the message; nikunja-yunoh -- of Radha and Krishna who perform pastimes in the groves (of Vrndavana); ati-utkayoh -- very enthusiastic (to perform pastimes); keli -- amorous; vilasa -- pastimes; siddhih -- perfection; tvat -- your; saubhajam -- good fortune; kena -- by whom?; nirucyatam -- may be described; tat -- therefore.

Because you became Their messenger the eager and youthful divine couple enjoyed the perfection of transcendental pastimes in the forest. O Vrnda, I bow to your lotus feet.

rasabhilaso vasatis ca vrnda-
vane tvad-isanghri-saroja-seva
labhya ca pumsam krpaya tavaiva
vrnde namas te caranaravindam

rasa -- the rasa dance; abhilasah -- the desire; vasatih -- residence; ca -- and; vrndavane -- in Vrndavana; tvat -- your; isa -- of the Lord (Krishna); anghri -- feet; saroja -- of the lotus flower; seva -- service; labhya -- is attainable; ca -- and; pumsam -- by the living entities; krpaya -- by the mercy; tava -- your; eva -- indeed.

By your mercy people attain residence in Vrndavana, the desire to serve your masters' lotus feet, and the desire to assist in the rasa dance. O Vrnda, I bow to your lotus feet.

tvam kirtyase satvata-tantra-vidbhir
lilabhidhana kila krishna-saktih
tavaiva murtis tulasi nr-loke
vrnde namas te caranaravindam

tvam -- you; kirtyase -- are glorified; satvata-tantra-vidbhih -- by those who know the Satvata-tantra; lila -- pastimes; abhidhana -- by the name; kila -- indeed; Krishna -- of Lord Krishna; saktih -- the potency; tava -- your; eva -- indeed; murtih -- form; tulasi -- Tulasi; nrloke --in human society.

They who are learned in the Satvata-tantra glorify you. You are Krishna's pastime-potency. The Tulasi plant is your form in the world of men. O Vrnda, I bow to your lotus feet.

bhaktya vihina aparadha-laksaih
ksiptas ca kamadi-taranga-madhye
krpamayi tvam saranam prapanna
vrnde namas te caranaravindam

bhaktya -- of devotional service; vihinah -- devoid; aparadha -- of offenses; laksaih -- with thousands; ksiptah -- thrown; ca -- and; kama -- of lust; adi -- and other inauspicious qualities; taranga -- of the waves; madhye -- in the midst; krpamayi -- O merciful one; tvam -- you; saranam -- shelter; prapannah -- attain.

O merciful one, I have no devotion and have committed millions of offenses. I am drowning in the turbulent ocean of lust. Thus I take shelter of you. O Vrinda, I bow to your lotus feet.

vrndastakam yah srnuyat pathed va
vrndavanadhisa-padabja-bhrngah
sa prapya vrndavana-nitya-vasam
tat-prema-sevam labhate krtarthah

vrinda -- glorifying Vrnda-devi; astakam -- eight verses; yah -- who; srnuyat -- may hear; pathet -- may read; va -- or; vrndavana -- of Vrndavana; adhisa -- of the monarchs (Radha and Krishna); pada -- feet; abja -- at the lotus flowers; bhrngah -- a bumble-bee; sah -- he; prapya -- attaining; vrndavana -- at Vrindavana; nitya -- eternal; vasam -- residence; tat -- of Lord Krishna; prema -- in pure love of Godhead; sevam -- devotional service; labhate -- attains; krita-arhah -- and his spiritual desires are satisfied.

A person who is like a bumblebee at the lotus feet of Vrindavana's king and queen, and who reads or hears this Vrindastaka, will eternally reside in Vrindavana and attain loving service to the divine couple.

108 names of Tulasi-devi