FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.15.19

मन्दारकुन्दकुरबोत्पलचम्पकार्ण- पुन्नागनागबकुलाम्बुजपारिजाता: । गन्धेऽर्चिते तुलसिकाभरणेन तस्या यस्मिंस्तप: सुमनसो बहु मानयन्ति ॥ १९ ॥
mandāra-kunda-kurabotpala-campakārṇa-
[mandaara-kunda-kurabotpala-champakaarna-]
punnāga-nāga-bakulāmbuja-pārijātāḥ
[punnaaga-naaga-bakulaambuja-paarijaataah]
gandhe ’rcite tulasikābharaṇena tasyā
[gandhe ’rchite tulasikaabharanena tasyaa]
yasmiṁs tapaḥ sumanaso bahu mānayanti
[yasmims tapah sumanaso bahu maanayanti]
mandāra — mandāra flower kunda — kunda flower kuraba — kuraba utpala — utpala campaka — campaka arṇa — arṇa punnāga — punnāga nāga — nāgakeśara bakula — bakula ambuja — lily pārijātāḥ — pārijāta gandhe — fragrance arcite — being worshiped tulasikā — tulasī ābharaṇena — with a garland tasyāḥ — of her yasmin — in which Vaikuṇṭha tapaḥ — austerity su-manasaḥ — good-minded, Vaikuṇṭha-minded bahu — very much mānayanti — glorify.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
mandāra-kunda-kurabotpala-campakārṇa-
mandāra
mandāra flower
kunda
kunda flower
kuraba
kuraba
utpala
utpala
campaka
campaka
arṇa
arṇa
punnāga-nāga-bakulāmbuja-pārijātāḥ
punnāga
punnāga
nāga
nāgakeśara
bakula
bakula
ambuja
lily
pārijātāḥ
pārijāta
gandhe ’rcite tulasikābharaṇena tasyā
gandhe
fragrance
arcite
being worshiped
tulasikā
tulasī
ābharaṇena
with a garland
tasyāḥ
of her
yasmiṁs tapaḥ sumanaso bahu mānayanti
yasmin
in which Vaikuṇṭha
tapaḥ
austerity
su-manasaḥ
good-minded, Vaikuṇṭha-minded
bahu
very much
mānayanti
glorify.
Although flowering plants like the mandāra, kunda, kurabaka, utpala, campaka, arṇa, punnāga, nāgakeśara, bakula, lily and pārijāta are full of transcendental fragrance, they are still conscious of the austerities performed by tulasī, for tulasī is given special preference by the Lord, who garlands Himself with tulasī leaves.

The importance of tulasī leaves is very clearly mentioned here. Tulasī plants and their leaves are very important in devotional service. Devotees are recommended to water the tulasī tree every day and collect the leaves to worship the Lord. One time an atheistic svāmī remarked, “What is the use of watering the tulasī plant? It is better to water eggplant. By watering the eggplant one can get some fruits, but what is the use of watering the tulasī ?” These foolish creatures, unacquainted with devotional service, sometimes play havoc with the education of people in general.

The most important thing about the spiritual world is that there is no envy among the devotees there. This is true even among the flowers, which are all conscious of the greatness of tulasī. In the Vaikuṇṭha world entered by the four Kumāras, even the birds and flowers are conscious of service to the Lord.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
In the forests of Vaikuṇṭha, on smelling the scent of tulasī used in the garlands of the Lord, the mandāra, kunda, kuraba, water lily, campaka, arṇa, punnāga, nāgakeśara, baluka, lotus and pārijāta trees, being of pure mind, give great respect to tulasī for her performance of austerity to achieve that position. Like the birds, the trees also are the greatest devotees, devoid of envy and hatred. Nāga means the nāgakeśara tree. These trees have flowers with the sweetest perfume, but when they smell the fragrance of tulasi when the Lord performs pastimes in the forest with tulasī ornaments, they offer respect to tulasī for her austerities to achieve that position, for they have not done such austerities. “You are so fortunate!” “If we know what austerities she did, then we would go to the land of Bhārata and do the same!” This is the hint from the description. Even the inhabitants of Vaikuṇṭha desire to take birth in Bhārata. It is hinted that the land of Bhārata is superior to Vaikuṇṭha. The trees respect tulasī and do not envy her, because she has a pure heart (sumanasaḥ). Or sumanasah can mean flowering trees. Mention here is made of the persons in airplanes, born from wombs, the birds born from eggs and the trees born from seeds. The fourth type of living beings born from perspiration do not worship the Lord since they are not described here.
Devotional service is named here as the central fact of spiritual life, not a hobby alongside it. The verse asks us to make the Lord the actual recipient of our daily activity rather than a polite afterthought.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is your devotional life mostly verbal, and where is it actually costing you something?
  • What would steady, unglamorous service look like for you this month?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 15