Introduction
Vrinda is the wife of the Asura king Jalandhara, celebrated for her chastity and devotion, and is identified in Puranic tradition as the origin of the tulsi (holy basil) plant, one of the most widely worshipped plants in Hinduism, especially in Vaishnava households.
This article follows the Puranic tradition. Where a detail differs between texts, the article says so.
Family
- Husband: Jalandhara
Protector of Jalandhara
Vrinda's unbroken chastity and devotion to her husband gave him invulnerability in battle, so that as long as she remained true, Jalandhara could not be killed.
Deceived by Vishnu
To end Jalandhara's threat to the gods, Vishnu took on his exact appearance and came to Vrinda, who, not recognising the deception, treated him as her husband. This broke, without her knowledge or consent, the purity of devotion that had protected Jalandhara, and he was killed shortly after.
Curse and transformation
On learning what had happened, Vrinda cursed Vishnu to become an inanimate stone, which tradition connects to the origin of the Shaligrama, a stone found in the Gandaki river in Nepal that is worshipped as a self-manifest form of Vishnu. Vrinda then entered a funeral fire; from her remains, or by Vishnu's own grace in atonement, the tulsi plant grew.
Worship
Every part of Vaishnava household worship traditionally includes tulsi: it is planted in a special pot (Tulsi Vrindavan) at the centre of the courtyard in many Hindu homes, its leaves are offered to Vishnu and used in his worship, and it is understood that no worship of Vishnu is considered complete without her. The Tulsi Vivah, the ceremonial marriage of the tulsi plant to Vishnu (usually as Shaligrama), is celebrated in the month of Kartika.