Muktinath – Legends
The Devi Bhagavata Purana regards Tulsi as an manifestation of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and principal consort of Vishnu. Once upon a time, King
Vrishadhvaja, a devotee of the
god Shiva, banned worship of all other deities except for that of
his patron god. An agitated sun god Surya cursed him that he would be abandoned by Lakshmi
will. Upset, Shiva pursued Surya, who fled, finally seeking shelter with
Vishnu. Vishnu said to the deities that years had passed on earth. Vrishadhvaja
and also his heirs (sons) were dead and his grandchildren, Dharmadhvaja and Kushadhvaja, were now worshiping Lakshmi to gain her favor.
Lakshmi rewarded their efforts by being born as their
daughters Tulsi to Dharmadhvaja and Vedavati to Kushadhvaja respectively. In time, Tulsi gave
up all her royal comfort and went to Badrinath to perform penance to gain Vishnu as her husband.
Lord Brahma was pleased with
her penance but told her that she would have to marry the demon Shankhachuda before she could marry Vishnu. Sudama, a part-incarnation of Krishna (an avatar of
Vishnu) was born on earth as the demon (Shankhachuda) due to a curse.
Shankhachuda, who also pleased Brahma with his penance, was granted the Vishnu-Kavacha (armour of Vishnu) and blessed that as long as his
wife's chastity was retained and Vishnu-Kavacha was on his body,
no one could slay him. Shankhachuda and Tulsi were soon married. Shankhachuda
was filled with pride and terrorized the beings of the universe. To rescue the
universe, Lord Shiva challenged Shankhachuda to war, while Vishnu went to Tulsi
to break her chastity.
Vishnu assumed the form of Shankhachuda and compelled
Tulsi to have coitus. With her chastity broken, Shankhachuda was killed and
Sudama was freed of his curse. In the middle of their lovemaking, Tulsi
recognized the impersonator. Vishnu appeared in his true form and urged Tulsi
to abandon her earthly body and return to his celestial abode as Lakshmi, his
wife. Tulsi's mortal remains decayed and became the Gandaki
River, while her hair transformed into
the sacred Tulsi plant.
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