Shloka 121
The Glory of Dhātrī (Āmalakī) and Tulasī: Ekādaśī Observance and Protection from Preta States
अलक्ष्मीर्नाशिनी घूर्णा या डाकिन्यादि मातरः । सर्वाः संकोचितां यांति दृष्ट्वा तु तुलसीदलं
alakṣmīrnāśinī ghūrṇā yā ḍākinyādi mātaraḥ | sarvāḥ saṃkocitāṃ yāṃti dṛṣṭvā tu tulasīdalaṃ
Alakṣmī (Unheil), die Vernichterin Nāśinī, Ghūrṇā und die Muttergeister wie die ḍākinīs—sie alle schrumpfen zusammen und weichen zurück, sobald sie nur ein Tulasī-Blatt erblicken.
Narratorial voice within the Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa context (speaker not explicit in this single verse excerpt)
Concept: Even the mere sight of Tulasī—Hari’s beloved—causes misfortune and malignant forces to contract and depart.
Application: Place Tulasī in the home/altar; begin worship by offering a leaf with reverence; cultivate auspicious habits that ‘shrink’ inner alakṣmī—laziness, resentment, harmful speech.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A single fresh Tulasī leaf is held up before a small Viṣṇu altar; its veins shimmer like emerald threads. From the corners of the room, personified Alakṣmī and dākinī-mātṛkās recoil—faces tightening, bodies shrinking—until they fade into the shadows, while the space fills with calm, auspicious light.","primary_figures":["Tulasī leaf (foreground)","Alakṣmī (personified)","Nāśinī","Ghūrṇā","ḍākinī-mātṛkās","devotee (optional)","Viṣṇu (altar icon or aura)"],"setting":"Domestic shrine with Viṣṇu icon, incense, lamp, and a Tulasī pot; threshold marked with rangoli and mango-leaf toran.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["emerald green","warm gold","ivory white","saffron","midnight blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: close-up devotional tableau—devotee offering a vivid green Tulasī leaf to a gold-haloed Viṣṇu icon; Alakṣmī and dākinīs rendered at the margins shrinking away; heavy gold-leaf work, rich crimson backdrop, ornate jewelry and arch motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate indoor scene with delicate lines; Tulasī leaf luminous; subtle, almost mist-like figures of Alakṣmī and dākinīs withdrawing; cool blues and soft golds, refined facial features, lyrical calm after tension.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized Tulasī leaf enlarged as sacred emblem; bold outlines; Alakṣmī and spirit-mothers in dynamic retreat; strong red-yellow-green palette with deep blue background, temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Tulasī leaf centered like a mandala motif, surrounded by lotus borders; Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu presence implied through peacock-feather patterns and conch-disc symbols; dark inauspicious figures outside the floral frame, receding; deep indigo and gold detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","incense crackle","conch shell (distant)","gentle silence","night insects fading"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अलक्ष्मीर्नाशिनी = अलक्ष्मीः + नाशिनी; यांति = यान्ति (लेखनभेद); तुलसीदलं = तुलसी + दलम्
FAQs
It presents tulasī as spiritually protective: the mere sight of a tulasī leaf is said to repel misfortune and harmful, fear-inducing entities.
Alakṣmī is personified ill-fortune (the opposite of Lakṣmī), while ḍākinīs are described as troubling spirit-beings; the verse groups them with other destructive or confusing forces that retreat before tulasī.
Tulasī is closely associated with Viṣṇu-bhakti; the verse implies that devotion-markers (like tulasī) purify the environment and protect the devotee from inauspicious influences.