# Śrī Tulasī-ārati
by Candraśekhara Kavi
### Text One
> namo namaḥ tulasi mahārāṇī,
> vṛnde mahārāṇī namo namaḥ
> namo re namo re meiyā namo nārāyaṇi
**Synonyms**
*namo namaḥ* — I offer my obeisances to you again and again; *tulasi mahārāṇi* — O Tulasī Mahārāṇī!; *vṛnde* — O Vṛndā!; *mahārāṇi* — O grand Queen!; *namo namaḥ* — I offer my obeisances to you again and again; *namo re* — my obeisances unto you!; *namo re* — my obeisances unto you!; *meiyā* — O mother!; *namo nārāyaṇi* — O Nārāyaṇī, wife of Lord Nārāyaṇa!
**Translation**
O Tulasī Mahārāṇī! O Vṛndā! O mother of devotion! O Nārāyaṇi, I offer my obeisances to you again and again.
### Text Two
> jāko daraśe, paraśe agha-nāśa-i
> mahimā beda-purāṇe bākhāni
**Synonyms**
*yāṅko daraśe* — whoever sees you; *paraśe* — or touches you; *agha-nāśa-i* — all sins are destroyed; *mahimā* — your glories; *veda-purāṇe* — in the Vedas and Purāṇas; *vākhāni* — are described.
**Translation**
One who sees you or even touches you has all his sins destroyed. The Vedas and Purāṇas describe your glories.
### Text Three
> jāko patra, mañjarī komala
> śrī-pati-caraṇa-kamale lapaṭāni
> dhanya tulasi meiyā, purāṇa tapa kiye,
> śrī-śālagrāma-mahā-pāṭarāṇī
**Synonyms**
*yāṅko* — whose; *patra* — leaves; *mañjarī komala* — and soft mañjarīs; *śrī-pati* — of Lord Nārāyaṇa, the husband of Lakṣmī; *caraṇa-kamale* — at the lotus feet; *lapaṭāni* — are entwined; *dhanya tulasi meiyā* — O blessed mother Tulasī!; *pūraṇa* — you successfully completed; *tapa kiye* — performing austerities; *śrī-śālagrāma* — of Śrī śālagrāma-śīlā; *mahā-pāṭarāṇī* — and have thus become the chief consort and queen.
**Translation**
Your leaves and soft new blossoms are entwined at the lotus feet of Nārāyaṇa, the Lord of Lakṣmī. O blessed mother Tulasī, you performed successful austerities and have thus become the chief consort and queen of Śrī Śālagrāma-śilā.
### Text Four
> dhūpa, dīpa, naivedya, ārati,
> phulanā kiye varakhā varakhāni
> chāppānna bhoga, chatriśa byañjana,
> binā tulasī prabhu eka nāhi māni
**Synonyms**
*dhūpa* — incense; *dīpa* — a ghee lamp; *naivedya* — edibles; *ārati* — the ārati ceremony; *phulanā kiye* — offering to you; *varakhā* — you shower; *varakhāni* — your rain of mercy; *chāppānna bhoga* — the fifty-six varieties of cooked food; *chatriśa byañjana* — or the thirty-six different curries; *vinā tulasī* — without tulasī leaves; *prabhu* — the Lord; *eka nāhi māni* — does not care for even one of them.
**Translation**
You engladden and shower your rain of mercy upon one who offers you some incense, a ghee lamp, edibles, and ārati. The Lord does not care for even one of fifty-six varieties of cooked food or thirty-six different curries offered without tulasī leaves.
### Text Five
> śiva-śuka-nārada, āur brahmādiko,
> ḍhūrata phirata mahā-muni jñānī
> candrasekhara meiyā, terā jaśa gāowe
> bhakati-dāna dījiye mahārāṇī
**Synonyms**
*śiva-śuka-nārada* — Lord Śiva, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Devarṣi Nārada; *aur* — and; *brahmādiko* — demigods headed by Lord Brahmā; *ḍh rata phirata* — are circumambulating you; *mahā-muni jñānī* — and all the wise jñānīs and great munis; *candraśekhara* — this Candraśekhara; *meiyā* — O mother!; *terā yaśa* — your glories; *gāowe* — thus sings; *bhakati-dāna* — the gift of pure devotion; *dijiye* — please bestow upon me; *mahārāṇi* — O Mahārāṇī!
**Translation**
Lord Śiva, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Devarṣi Nārada, and all the jñānīs and great munis, headed by Lord Brahmā, are circumambulating you. O mother! O Mahārāṇī, Candraśekhara thus sings your glories. Please bestow upon him the gift of pure devotion.