TULASI - STORY Chapter One THE APPEARANCE OF TULASI DEVI Narada Muni asked Lord Narayana, O Bhagavan! How did the pure, chaste Tulasi Devi become Your wife? Where was she born? Who was she in her previous birth? What family did she come from? And what austerities did she perform to get You as her husband--You, who are above the material energy, not subject to change, the Cosmic Self, the Supreme God, the Lord of all, omniscient, the cause of all, omnipresent, container and preserver of all. And how did Tulasi Devi, Your chief goddess, become a tree? O You who resolve all doubts, my mind is curious to know all about these points; therefore, it compels me to ask you these questions. Kindly remove these doubts from my mind. Lord Narayana then related the following account... Manu Daksa Savarni was a partial expansion of Lord Visnu. He was extremely virtuous, devoted to the Lord, and very famous for his good deeds. Daksa Savarnis son, Dharma Savarni, was also extremely virtuous. Dharma Savarnis pious son was called Visnu Savarni, and his son, who was a great Vaisnava, was known as Raja Savarni. However, Raja Savarnis son, Vrisadhvaja, was fanatically devoted to Lord Siva. Lord Siva lived in Vrisadhvajas house for three celestial yugas (ages) and loved him more than his own sons. Vrisadhvaja did not revere Lord Narayana, Goddess Laksmi or any of the demigods. He abolished the worship of Laksmi in the month of Bhadra (Aug., Sept.) and the worship of Sarasvati in the month of Magha (Jan., Feb.). He did not participate in the sacrifice and worship performed out of respect for Lord Visnu (Narayana) and criticized them rather severely. The demigods did not curse him because they feared Lord Siva. However, Surya, the sun god, no longer able to restrain his wrath, cursed him: O King, just as you are completely devoted to Lord Siva and only to Lord Siva, and just as you do not recognize any of the other demigods, I declare that you will now lose your wealth and prosperity! to be continued....
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 17:25:15 +0000