Why is the holy basil plant grown and worshipped in Hindu homes?
The Significance of the Tulsi (Holy Basil) Plant
Describing the importance of the Tulsi plant, the Padma Purana states that a home where Tulsi is grown becomes equivalent to a sacred pilgrimage site, and the messengers of Yama (the god of death) do not enter such a house. It is also said that if the land of a house is coated or purified with soil taken from beneath a Tulsi plant, disease-causing germs cannot enter that home.
According to religious scriptures, a person who consumes Tulsi leaves three times a day attains a level of purity equal to the merit earned through many Chandrayana vows. One who bathes in water infused with Tulsi leaves gains the same spiritual benefit as bathing at all holy pilgrimage sites and becomes worthy of participating in sacred rituals and yajnas. By worshipping Tulsi every evening and lighting a lamp beneath the plant, one naturally receives the grace of Sati Vrinda, and Lord Vishnu Himself protects the devotee.
According to one belief, the devotion of Sati Vrinda and her complete surrender to Lord Vishnu are embodied in the fragrance and leaves of the Tulsi plant.
The sacred fragrance of Tulsi purifies the air, and all living beings in the direction where its fragrance spreads become pure and free from impurities. Wherever even a single Tulsi plant is present, it is believed that Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh (Shiva), along with all sacred pilgrimage sites such as Pushkar and holy rivers like the Ganga, reside there. Thus, worshipping the Tulsi plant yields the spiritual merit of worshipping all gods, pilgrimage sites, and sacred rivers.
Planting Tulsi during the month of Kartik holds special significance. According to the Skanda Purana, for every Tulsi plant a person plants during this month, they are freed from the sins of an equal number of past births. During Kartik, merely touching, seeing, planting, watering, or meditating upon Tulsi destroys the accumulated sins of many lifetimes.
Tulsi bestows prosperity and eliminates physical and mental ailments. Religious rituals performed without Tulsi are considered incomplete and do not yield full results. Charity offered along with Tulsi brings immense merit. Performing ancestral rites (Shraddha) in the shade of a Tulsi grove provides special satisfaction to one’s ancestors. On Somvati Amavasya, performing 108 circumambulations of the Tulsi plant is believed to eliminate poverty.
Highlighting the greatness of Tulsi, the Brahma Vaivarta Purana states:
“Even bathing Lord Vishnu with thousands of pots of nectar does not give Him as much satisfaction as offering a single Tulsi leaf.”
It is further stated that one who worships Lord Vishnu daily by offering even one Tulsi leaf receives the spiritual merit equivalent to performing one hundred thousand Ashwamedha yajnas. Another verse in the same Purana declares that if even a single drop of water containing Tulsi enters a person’s mouth at the time of death, that person certainly attains Vishnu Lok (heaven).
From a scientific perspective as well, Tulsi holds great importance. The Tulsi plant is extremely beneficial for both physical and mental health, and its consumption helps in preventing and curing many serious diseases. Tulsi is also highly effective in purifying contaminated water.
Reference: You may also be interested to read “What Is the Significance of Worshipping Trees in Sanatan Dharma?“
