English
Tulsi Vivah: Vrinda and Jalandhara
Source: Shiva Purana (Rudra Samhita, Yuddha Khanda) and Padma Purana; the tradition of the Tulsi–Shaligram marriage
Once the fire of anger from Lord Shiva's third eye fell into the ocean. From it a radiant boy was born, who was named Jalandhara. He grew up to become a mighty king of the asuras.
Jalandhara married Vrinda, daughter of the asura Kalanemi. Vrinda was very beautiful, but more than that she was a supreme devotee of Lord Vishnu and utterly devoted to her husband. Such was the power of her fidelity that as long as it stayed unbroken, no one could defeat Jalandhara.
On the strength of this power Jalandhara defeated the gods and seized heaven. His arrogance kept growing, and at last he went to war against Lord Shiva himself.
The battle was fierce, but protected by Vrinda's chastity Jalandhara escaped every time. The gods understood that as long as Vrinda's vow was unbroken, Jalandhara could not be ended. In distress they went to Lord Vishnu for refuge.
To protect dharma, at the gods' plea, Lord Vishnu took on the form of Jalandhara and came to Vrinda. Vrinda took him for her husband and welcomed him with joy.
In that very moment Vrinda's vow was broken… and far away on the battlefield, Jalandhara fell at the hands of Lord Shiva.
Then the truth dawned on Vrinda. She looked closely at the one standing before her and asked in a trembling voice, “You are not my husband. Tell me the truth: who are you?”
Lord Vishnu appeared in his true form. Even with her beloved Lord before her, Vrinda's heart filled with pain. Her husband was gone, and her vow had been broken by deception.
In grief and anger Vrinda cursed the Lord. In popular tradition and the stories linked to the Padma Purana the curse is: “May you turn to stone.” In the Shiva Purana Vrinda says that just as she was parted from her husband, he too would one day, in another incarnation, suffer separation from his wife, which came true as Rama's separation from Sita.
Lord Vishnu accepted his devotee's curse with bowed head. He came to be worshipped in the form of the Shaligram stone.
Then Vrinda entered the fire and gave up her body. Lord Vishnu was deeply grieved and moved by her devotion and purity. Where Vrinda left her body, a sacred plant sprang up: Tulsi.
The Lord granted her a boon: “Vrinda, your purity will be immortal. As Tulsi you will always be worshipped with me. I will accept no offering without a Tulsi leaf, and in the form of the Shaligram I will marry you.”
That is why worship of Vishnu is considered incomplete without Tulsi, and the name of Vrindavan in Braj is also held to come from Vrinda, that is, Tulsi.
Every year on Devutthana Ekadashi, when Lord Vishnu wakes from his yogic sleep, Tulsi is married to the Shaligram with great celebration. Tulsi is draped in a red chunari, a wedding canopy is decorated, and every wedding rite is performed, including the giving away of the bride.
With this wedding the season of marriages and other auspicious ceremonies begins again.
What this story teaches
Vrinda's purity and faith were so great that the Lord himself made her worthy of worship beside him forever. True devotion is never in vain.
Tulsi Vivah is performed on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi (Devutthana) or Dwadashi; the Tulsi plant is dressed as a bride and married to a Shaligram or an image of Vishnu. The story has several versions: in the Shiva Purana the curse is separation from his wife, while in the folk tellings linked to the Padma Purana it is becoming stone (the Shaligram); in the Devi Bhagavata and Brahmavaivarta Purana the story of Tulsi is tied to Shankhachuda. The deception in the story is understood as a sorrowful episode undertaken to protect dharma, for which the Lord atoned by giving Vrinda the highest honour.
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