Shloka 46
तुलसी-शङ्खचूडोपाख्यानम् — Viṣṇu’s Disguise and the Tulasī Episode
Prelude to Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Fall
स्वर्गं मर्त्ये च पाताले तिष्ठ त्वं हरिसन्निधौ । भव त्वं तुलसीवृक्षो वरा पुष्पेषु सुन्दरी
svargaṃ martye ca pātāle tiṣṭha tvaṃ harisannidhau | bhava tvaṃ tulasīvṛkṣo varā puṣpeṣu sundarī
“In heaven, on earth, and in the nether realms, abide—ever in the presence of Hari. Become the sacred tulasī tree, O fair one, the most excellent among flowers.”
Lord Shiva (as narrator within Sūta’s account)
Tattva Level: anugraha
Shiva Form: Mahadeva
Sthala Purana: Śiva ordains Tulasī’s tri-loka presence and her perpetual proximity to Hari; it is a boon-based cosmological placement rather than a liṅga-sthala account.
Significance: Sanctifies tulasī as an ever-available devotional medium across realms; supports household worship as a portable tīrtha-like sanctifier.
Type: stotra
Role: nurturing
Offering: pushpa
Cosmic Event: tri-loka pervasion (svarga-martya-pātāla)
FAQs
The verse sanctifies tulasī as a divinely established presence across all realms, emphasizing that sincere devotion and purity can be transformed into an enduring sacred form that supports worship and dharma.
Though it names Hari, it reflects Purāṇic harmony: offerings and sacredness in Saguna worship (forms and symbols) ultimately serve devotion and purification, which Shaiva Siddhānta views as supportive to approaching Pati (Shiva) through disciplined bhakti and right conduct.
It points to bhakti through sacred offerings and purity—revering tulasī as holy, maintaining a devotional presence (sannidhi-bhāva), and integrating daily worship with mantra-japa and disciplined conduct.