HOW TO PLUCK & USE TULSI LEAVES FOR OFFERINGS TO KRISHNA

HOW TO PLUCK & USE TULSI LEAVES FOR

OFFERINGS TO KRISHNA

One should be clean before touching or plucking Tulasi. The Vayu Purana says that one who picks Tulasi without having bathed and then performs worship is an offender, and all his activities becomes useless.

With your right hand, carefully pick the tulasi leaves or soft tulasi-manjaris, along with their stems-one at a time-while repeatedly chanting the tulasi-cayana-mantra:

tulasy amṛta-janmāsi / sadā tvaṁ keśava-priyā

keśavārthaṁ cinomi tvāṁ varadā bhava śobhane

"O Tulasī of effulgent beauty, you were born from nectar, during the churning of the milk ocean. You are always very dear to Lord Keśava. Now, in order to worship Lord Keśava, I am collecting your leaves and mañjarīs. Please bestow your benediction on me that my worship will obtain success."

Take special care to avoid causing Śrīmatī Tulasī-devī any pain. If when picking Tulasi leaves one breaks the branches, Visnu feels pain in His heart. Pluck her leaves with your right hand while holding the branch in your left, taking care not to break it. Do not use scissors or a knife to cut the leaves from the plant. When finished, recite the ksama-prarthana-mantra, begging her pardon:

cayanodbhava-duḥkhaṁ ca / yad hṛdi tava vartate

tat kṣamasva jagan-mātaḥ / vṛndā-devī namo ’stu te

O Tulasī-devī, I offer my respectful obeisances unto you. Kindly forgive me if I have caused you pain by picking your leaves and manjaris, O mother of the universe.

Do not pluck Tulasī leaves in the morning before daylight or in the evening after dark, nor at any time on Dvadasi-tithi, the day following Ekadasi. Even if the tulasi leaves have become dry because they were cut on the previous day or in the morning, they may still be used in Deity worship.

AVOID PLUCKING TULSI LEAVES ON DWADASI

Tulasi should not be plucked on dvadasi. The Visnu Dharmottara says, Vaisnavas should never pick Tulasi on dvadasi tithi.

samkranty Adau ni Siddho'pi tulasyavacayah smrtau

param zrI viznu bhaktastu dvadazyam eva nesyate

"It is generally forbidden to pluck Tulasi on Sankranti, (Purnima, Amavasya, Dvadashi, Sunday) etc., according to the strict rules of the Smritis, but the most important rule (according to Shrila Sanatana Goswami) which the Vaishnava devotees should certainly follow is to not pluck Tulasi leaves on Dvadashi." (From Hari Bhakthi Vilasa 7.353)