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 Tulasi of effulgent beauty, you were born from nectar, during the churning of the milk ocean. You are always very dear to Lord Kesava. Now, in order to worship Lord Kesava, I am collecting your leaves and manjaris. Please bestow your benediction on me that my worship will obtain success."
Take
special care to avoid causing Srimati Tulasi-devi any pain. If when picking
Tulasi leaves one breaks the branches, Vishnu 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 kshama-prarthana-mantra, begging her pardon:
cayanodbhava-duḥkhaṁ ca / yad hṛdi tava vartate
tat
kṣamasva jagan-mātaḥ / vṛndā-devī namo ’stu te
O Tulasi-devi, I offer my respectful obeisance’s 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 Tulasi 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.
PLUCKING TULASI 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)
nac chindat tulasim vipra
dvādaśyaṁ
vaiṣṇavaḥ kvacit
"Oh brahmanas, a Vaisnava never picks Tulasi leaves on Dvadashi, (the day after Ekadashi)."
Why
should we avoid plucking Tulasi leaves on Dvadasi?
Srimati
Tulsi Maharani, the pure devotee of the Lord, keeps fasting on the whole
Ekadashi and takes rest on Dwadashi. So the devotee in order to not to disturb
or hurt her, don't pluck leaves on that day.
Then what to do to get the Tulasi leaves for offering on Dwadashi and other purposes?
Follow
advance savings. Keep some advance Tulsi leaves for Dwadashi for offering
purposes. Or , one may pick the leaves fallen on the ground around the pot and
then after thoroughly washing it, can use it for offering.
Mantra when offering Tulasī leaves to Lord Kṛṣṇa
etat
tulasī patram klīṁ kṛṣṇāya namaḥ.
Hare Krishna
Namasivayam.C
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