Let’s get the hidden message out of Ganesh-Tulsi episode!
By Vivek Sharma
We had a very ecstatic Ganesh Chaturthi at the centre this time—Pujas, Prasadam, Bhajans, Namsankirtanam and Satsang.
A very curious question came up during the interactive session from a housewife. This seemed to be a popular question as everybody joined in as a questioner.
The housewife had asked, “Why had we offered tulsi with modakam to Lord Ganesh? This is prohibited.”
Tulsi Vs Ganesh
She recounted one story, she quoted it was mentioned in the Puranas. The story said tulsi was a beautiful woman. She was infatuated with handsome Ganeshji and wanted to marry Him. But, Ganeshji denied her offer. This enraged tulsi who cursed Ganeshji that he would instead have two wives now. Ganeshji too turned tulsi into a shrub. Humbled by it, tulsi asked for mercy. Ganeshji then told her that she would be a favourite in Vishnu Pujas and those of others. “Because, there has been this strained relationship between the two, it is said tulsi shouldn’t be offered to Ganeshji.”
And I asked her, “ Are we all observing this?” She said, “Yes.” I asked her whether she would listen to my side of the story now,” she said, “Yes.”
The gist of my story is. That tulsi itself has been produced by the nectar. It is known to remove all obstacles —physical and spiritual. Ganeshji too removes all obstacles and gives you spiritual and material welfare. Isn’t it? Where is the clash then? I asked. She said, “ Ganeshji Himself has prohibited her use in His prasadam.”
So you want to say, Ganeshji is still angry with her, despite having punished her for her “his-understood” violation? Isn’t it crazy? Why don’t you people use your brains? It is as good as saying that even after you have been punished by me you will not be forgiven by me for “your crime” and your presence shall continue to be taken as upsetting to me?! This is against Sanatan ideology. Isn’t it? Do you think Ganeshji is so dumb? Isn’t He intelligent enough to know that God, whether Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, Krishna, Ram, Ramkrishna or He Himself are one. So why should He be still angry with her. This is very male-chauvinistic on part of Ganeshji (no ill intended) to dislike tulsi despite her being punished. I am just trying to provoke your thinking faculty a bit. I am not against your Ganeshji. I just want to highlight, if there is any such story, you have missed its real meaning. I will come to that later. But, first get rid of this skewed sense of Ganeshji hating tulsi. If you are worshiping Lord Vishnu and offer tulsi in prasadam, then Ganesh, who is worshipped first in every pujas, will hate it and Vishnu Ji accept it? Wow! What a logic we have which has made God’s manifestations as paradoxical as they can get ?
And the final question—Do we offer tulsi as a woman who wants to marry Ganeshji against His will or a shrub made sacred by Ganesh’s curse? Of course, as a divine shrub purified further by Ganesha’s curse. Isn’t it?
The Real Meaning
Actually, this story talks about how tulsi gradually evolved as a body balancer—regulating vat, Pitt and cough doshas in the body and increasing immunity and energy levels in the body. Latest researches have proved that there are certain compounds in the tulsi leaf which if taken in a concentrated form may work as aphrodisiacs. But, strangely, they are now found in a very balanced form and work as stress relievers, energisers and immunity boosters.
But, the story of Ganeshji and tulsi is a very significant episode in nature which balanced this ‘sex booster’ element in the shrub. When the story mentions that tulsi, in her raw form, when she had come out of the samudra manthan, that is the churning of the universe, the creative process, had huge quantities of nectar (energy compounds), which didn’t have the balance. It was like a huge dose of energy. When you have huge unused energy, you often waste it through sexual channels. This is when tulsi as a female offers to marry Ganeshji. But, Ganeshji, as vighnavinayak He is, balanced tulsi’s energies so that it could be consumable by humans and could benefit the whole humanity. Don’t you know, Ganeshji is a principle, set in motion by Almighty Shiva? He is responsible for maintaining everything in balance on the earth with His intelligence. That is why He is known by the name vighnaharta, vighnakarta and gananayak. The law which creates and uncreates obstacles and applies to the entire humanity.This is the power of this principle. So this natural principle, turned the super-charged tulsi (with undigested supreme energy), into a balanced dose of benefiting energy compounds and hence the story of Ganesh cursing her into a beneficial shrub. But, don’t forget what super-charged tulsi did to the vighnvinayak principle? She with her supreme energy gave this principle two powers—riddhi and siddhi! Riddhi, the power of material success and siddhi, the power of spiritual success. Now understand closely. The vighnvinayak principle is coupled by the riddhi and siddhi principles by tulsi alone—in her super-charged state straight after the samudra manthan. Imagine obstacle remover without these two! It will be as harsh as an acid.
Now you say don’t offer this balanced tulsi to Ganesh? Foolish! Whatever tulsi shrubs we have today have the balance of energy which can balance any imbalance—physical, mental or intellectual. As because, tulsi has already become prasadam of Ganeshji, you may not or may use it in the prasadam. But, Ganeshji’s sake, don’t misread the story and take tulsi offered to Ganesh as blasphemous. It is not. Can you say Ganesh, who was beheaded by Shiva, cannot be named in front of Shiva? No. He is very much part of the Shiva parivar. Because, He too was purified and made intelligent by Shiva who changed His head and called him Ganesh. So, I request you people, to read such stories as a message. For the rishis had hidden these messages in order to help us all and save the information from the one who could misuse it. Misinterpretations only keep such principles hidden. But, a time comes when such misinterpretations have to be pealed off and the real diamond hidden therein is offered to the public use! I hope you all will understand the scientific principle hidden behind the Ganesh Tulsi episode.