Significance of the Tulasī plant

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: I have one last question, regarding Śrīmatī Tulasī-devī. Is there a separate jīva in each Tulasī plant? If so, how do we…?

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Each plant is a manifestation of Tulasī devī. Tulasī devī can manifest anywhere, just as Kṛṣṇa and Rādhikā manifest everywhere. Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhikā manifest in unlimited universes as well as in mūrti forms. Similarly, Śrīmatī Tulasī devī manifests in unlimited universes and in unlimited places in the form of a plant.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: I mean to say that in a normal tree there is a jīva soul. So, since there are so many tulasī plants, are there…

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: We can understand from the example of the śālagrāma-śila. There are so many śālagrāma-silas, but this does not mean that Nārāyaṇa is different in each śila. He is not like the jīvas. In the same way, Tulasī is one. All the Tulasī plants are the same Tulasī; they are not separate.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: These are not jīvas?

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: No, certainly not.

There are so many pieces of Govardhana silas–hundreds of millions of silas–and in each śila Govardhana is fully present. As the silas are not different Govardhanas, Tulasī is one.

In Kṛṣṇa’s Vṛndāvana pastimes we see that Vṛndā devī is a separate personality and Tulasī Māñjarī is a separate personality; and there is another Tulasī, who is a duti (messenger) of Vṛndā devī. Also, here in this world, Tulasī (the plant) is a manifestation of Vṛndā devī.

Sometimes the name Tulasī Māñjarī is used for Rati Māñjarī, that is, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī has two names in his siddha form: Tulasī Māñjarī and Rati Māñjarī.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Is this the same person?

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: The same.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī is Tulasī Māñjarī? She is under Vṛndā devī? She is a duti of Vṛndā?

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: No, Tulasī is a separate personality. Tulasī Māñjarī is one personality, and Tulasī is another. Tulasī is a duti (messenger), not a māñjarī. Later on, you will know. By and by, you will learn everything. How are you?

Śrīpāda Satsvarūpa dāsa Gosvāmī: Glad to be here.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: Bhurijana said we should select the days on which we will do some parikramā.

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: We can select on another day. I have a very little something…

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: A feeling in your heart?

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Yes, yesterday night, for half a minute. The doctor said, “You māy have these symptoms for the next three months, so don’t fear.”

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: So tomorrow you will take rest. We will not come tomorrow.

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Yes, at least one day there should be rest. The subject we discussed today is enough for you.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: More than enough; and there will be many tomorrows.

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: You can think about what we discussed.

Śrīpāda Girirāja Mahārāja: The day after tomorrow is Sunday.

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: No problem.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: This is no problem for you? Many people do not come on Sunday morning?

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: They come, but you will come at this time in the morning.

Śrīpāda Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja: We will try to come by 9:30 sharp. Sunday will not be a problem for you?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: You can come like they come.