Verse 3.8.159

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 3.8.159:

সঙ্খ্যা-নাম লৈতে যে স্থানে প্রভু বৈসে তথায রাখেন তুলসীরে প্রভু পাশে ॥ ১৫৯ ॥

सङ्ख्या-नाम लैते ये स्थाने प्रभु वैसे तथाय राखेन तुलसीरे प्रभु पाशे ॥ १५९ ॥

saṅkhyā-nāma laite ye sthāne prabhu vaise tathāya rākhena tulasīre prabhu pāśe || 159 ||

sankhya-nama laite ye sthane prabhu vaise tathaya rakhena tulasire prabhu pase (159)

English translation:

(159) When the Lord would sit to chant japa, a tulasī plant would be placed next to Him.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

The phrase saṅkhyā-nāma is explained as follows: It is the injunction that one should chant the holy names a prescribed number of times on tulasī beads. In this case it is understood that the Lord chanted a fixed number of names while sitting next to a tulasī plant. Śrī Gaurasundara exhibited the pastime of associating with keśava-priyā tulasī to teach those who do not consider the association of kṛṣṇa-priyā tulasī as favorable to devotional service but rather accept her as an ordinary plant. Tulasī is tadīya, or related to Kṛṣṇa. The endeavors of those who are eager to serve Kṛṣṇa by transgressing His dear servants are futile. In this regard one should discuss the following verse:

abhyarcayitvā govindaṃ tadīyān arcayanti ye na te viṣṇu-prasādasya bhājanaṃ dambhikā janāḥ

“Proud persons who worship Lord Kṛṣṇa but do not worship the Lord’s devotees do not attain Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.”