Shaligram Tulsi Jal Daan – Tap every opportunity to increase service

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Hare Krishna.
On the occasion of the beginning of Tulsi and Shaligram Jaladaan, let us try to understand the significance of this festival. Essentially, this festival involves offering water to Tulsi Devi. So, normally Tulsi Devi is cultivated in a pot and people offer water to Tulsi Devi regularly.
When we do puja also, we offer water to Tulsi. So, the idea is that devotional service is rendered according to time and place circumstance. So, when we are, say, for example, serving Krishna’s manifestation as prasad, the way we serve prasad is by offering obeisance, offering prayers, and then we chew it.
That is the appropriate way. We are reciprocating with Krishna’s mercy in a particular way. So, when the Lord manifests through his associate, Tulsi Devi, Tulsi Devi is manifesting as a plant.
So, then we offer obeisances, we do aarti, we do circumambulation, and we also serve in the appropriate way by offering water. So, individual worshippers offer water to Tulsi after doing Tulsi aarti or at other times whenever they take darshan of Tulsi. And of course, there is the devotee who is responsible for Tulsi care, who offers water regularly.
So, the spiritual, the transcendental and the material are combined together in a very wonderful way. So, what is materially appropriate is also transcendentally potent. So, normally, in the hot seasons, in summer, the plants require more water.
So, somebody might see this materially, Tulsi also requires more water. So, I will offer more water. But devotees understand that there may be things happening at the material level, but there is also transcendental significance and transcendental opportunity in those things.
So, the devotees see this, there is an opportunity to increase our service to Tulsi Devi. So, Tulsi, we can offer more water to Tulsi Devi. And the idea is that because it’s hot, more water will be required and we can do more seva.
So, devotees don’t just see this as a seasonal phenomena. Okay, hot season requires more water. You see, this is an opportunity for increasing our service.
So, often, a pot is kept on top of the Tulsi pot and it has some small holes and it’s filled with water and then Jaladaan is done. The water sprinkles down and that way Tulsi is abundantly nourished. Now, of course, if somebody is doing Tulsi Daan in the southern hemisphere, when the summer is not summer, Tulsi may get overwatered.
So, one has to be careful. One has to understand the principle. The principle is that wherever the service is required, take that opportunity and maximize the service that one can offer.
So, the underlying essential mood is the mood of devotion. The Lord has manifested an opportunity to serve Him through the manifestation of His associate as Tulsi Devi and we can serve Tulsi Devi. Now, this is one month that this Jaladaan is done and this period is also called as Keshava Vrata and those who have an inclination for austerity, they can actually take some Vrata specifically to intensify some devotional service.
This Vrata is not as well known as Kartika Vrata, but any opportunity devotees want, they can try to increase their devotional service. This is also an opportunity. So, essentially, just as a materialistic person always sees the opportunity either to earn money or to get some gratification, a devotee always tries to see where is the opportunity to increase my service to Krishna, increase my connection with Krishna.
So, the Bhakti Samarasindhu described that Lauliyam is the prize. Greed is the prize for attaining Krishna and the Jaladaan is an opportunity to render this, to express this Lauliyam or to show Krishna our desire for that Lauliyam by increasing our service in a way that is appropriate. Now, the Lord can manifest in many forms.
So, when Krishna is there, Radharani is there. So, when Radharani is in a, through a series of expansions manifesting as Tulsi Devi, then Krishna manifests as Shaligram. So, when we water Tulsi Devi, those who are worshipping Shaligram, they can water Shaligram also and so the consort of the Lord and the Lord both can be served.
But this is the opportunity to maximize devotional service. Thank you. Hare Krishna.