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
الکشمی (بدبختی)، ناشنی، گھورنا اور ڈاکنی وغیرہ ماں رُوحیں—صرف تلسی کا ایک پتا دیکھتے ہی سب سکڑ کر پیچھے ہٹ جاتی ہیں۔
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.