What is Tulsi Aarti in ISKCON?

Tulsi Aarti ISKCON is one of the most cherished daily rituals in the Vaishnava tradition. Performed twice every day — once during the early morning Mangala Aarti programme and again at sunset — this prayer is sung in honour of Tulsi Devi, the sacred basil plant revered as a divine goddess in Vaishnava philosophy.

Whether you have visited an ISKCON temple or simply heard the gentle melody drifting from a devotee's home at dusk, the Tulsi Aarti holds a very special place in  Vaishnava bhakti. It is sung while a devotee offers incense, a ghee lamp, and flowers before the Tulsi plant — the same way one would offer aarti to any deity.

The aarti is formally known as Sri Tulasi Kirtana. It was composed in Bengali by the great Vaishnava poet-saint Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami, and its five heartfelt verses carry a single, unified message: a devotee's longing to serve Shri Shri Radha and Krishna through the grace of Tulsi Devi.

 

Quick Facts

Sung at: ISKCON temples worldwide, Vaishnava homes

Timing: 5:00–5:15 AM (after Mangala Aarti) & sunset

Composed by: Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami

Language: Bengali (transliterated) + Sanskrit mantras

Verses: 5 verses + Pradakshina Mantra + Pranama

 

 

Who is Tulasi Devi? The Sacred Significance

Before diving into the Tulsi Aarti lyrics with meaning, it helps to understand who Tulsi Devi actually is — because this is not simply a prayer to a plant.

In Vaishnava scripture, Tulasi Devi is a divine personality. Her sacred name is Vrinda, and the divine land of Vrindavana — where Lord Krishna performed his eternal pastimes — takes its name directly from her. She is described in texts as krishna-preyasi: the most beloved of Lord Krishna. No offering of food to Lord Vishnu or Krishna is accepted without a Tulsi leaf placed upon it.

She is also known as Satyavati — she who embodies the highest truth — and as a bestower of Vishnu bhakti: devotional service to God. This is why ISKCON temples worship her every single day without exception.

 

"Whoever worships Tulasi Devi with a sincere heart is said to receive what no amount of tapasya or penance can grant — the mercy of Radha and Krishna."

 

 

Tulsi Aarti ISKCON Lyrics with Meaning —

Verse 1 

namo namaḥ tulasī kṛṣṇa-preyasi namo namaḥ
rādhā-kṛṣṇa-sevā pābo ei abilāṣī

 

namo namaḥ — bowing again and again  |  tulasī — O Tulasī  |  kṛṣṇa-preyasī — O beloved of Kṛṣṇa

rādhā-kṛṣṇa-sevā — the service of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa  |  pābo — I will obtain

ei — this  |  abhilāṣī — I am desirous of

 

"O Tulasī, beloved of Kṛṣṇa, I bow before you again and again. My only desire is to obtain the service of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa."

 

This opening verse sets the entire mood of the aarti. The devotee does not ask for wealth, health, or even liberation. The one and only wish — stated from the very first line — is seva, devotional service. This is the essence of Vaishnava philosophy: pure, selfless love expressed through service.

 

Verse 2 

ye tomāra śaraṇa loy, tara vāñchā pūrṇa hoy
kṛpā kori' koro tāre vṛndāvana-vāsi

 

ye — whoever  |  tomāra śaraṇa loy — takes shelter of you

tāra vāñchā pūrṇa hoy — his desires are fulfilled  |  kṛpā kori' — being merciful

koro tāre — you make him  |  vṛndāvana-vāsī — a resident of Vṛndāvana

 

"Whoever takes shelter of you has all their wishes fulfilled. Bestowing your mercy upon them, you make them a resident of Vṛndāvana."

 

For a Vaishnava, becoming a vrndavana-vasi — a resident of Vrindavana — is the highest possible destination. Not heaven, not moksha. Vrindavana, where Radha and Krishna's eternal pastimes never cease. Tulasi Devi is said to have the power to grant this to whoever sincerely seeks her shelter.

 

Verse 3 

mora ei abhilāṣa, vilāsa kuñje dio vāsa

nayana heribo sadā yugala-rūpa-rāśi

 

mora ei abhilāṣ — my desire  |  vilāsa kuñje — in the pleasure groves  |  dio vāsa — please give a residence

nayane heribo — I will behold with my eyes  |  sadā — always

yugala-rūpa-rāśī — the waves of the Divine Couple's beauty

 

"My desire is that you give me a residence in the pleasure groves of Śrī Vṛndāvana-dhāma, so that my eyes may always behold the beautiful form and pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa."

 

The prayer deepens. The devotee now asks to live within the intimate kunjas — the garden groves — where Radha and Krishna perform their most tender pastimes. The image of yugala-rupa-rasi, "waves of the Divine Couple's beauty," is strikingly poetic. Not a glimpse — always, forever, an ocean of beauty to witness.

 

Verse 4 

ei nivedana dhara, sakhīra anugata koro

sevā-adhikāra diye koro nīja dāsī

 

ei nivedana dharo — please accept this humble request

sakhīra anugata koro — make me a follower of the cowherd damsels

sevā-adhikāra — the privilege of devotional service  |  diye — bestowing  |  nija dāsī — your own maidservant

 

"Please accept this prayer and make me a follower of the cowherd damsels of Vraja. Bestow upon me the privilege of devotional service and accept me as your own maidservant."

 

In Gaudiya Vaishnava theology, the sakhis — the cowherd damsels of Vraja — represent the highest perfection of selfless service. The devotee does not ask to be a leader or a scholar. They ask only to follow — to serve in the shadow of those who already serve perfectly. This humility is the very heart of bhakti.

 

Verse 5 

dīna kṛṣṇa-dāse koy, ei yena mora hoy

śrī-rādhā-govinda-preme sadā yena bhāsi

 

dīna kṛṣṇa-dāse koy — the fallen and lowly servant of Kṛṣṇa prays

ei yena mora hoy — may all of this be mine

śrī-rādhā-govinda-preme — in ecstatic love for Śrī Rādhā and Govinda  |  sadā yena bhāsi — may I always swim

 

"This fallen and lowly servant of Kṛṣṇa — Kṛṣṇadāsa — prays: 'May all of this be mine. May I always swim in the love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Govinda.'"

 

Krishnadasa closes with his signature of humility — dina, fallen and lowly. The final image is breathtaking in its simplicity: not standing at the edge of divine love, not dipping a toe in — but swimming in it. Always. This is the Tulsi Aarti's final, soaring aspiration.

 

"The Tulsi Aarti is five verses long and takes three minutes to sing. It contains an entire philosophy of devotion."

 

 

Tulsi Pradakshina Mantra 

After singing the Tulsi Aarti, devotees perform Tulsi Pradakshina — the act of walking clockwise around the Tulasi plant. This ancient practice of circumambulation (parikrama) is found across all Hindu traditions as a form of deep reverence. As you walk, the following Sanskrit mantra is chanted:

 

yāni kāni ca pāpāni

brahma-hatyādikāni ca

tāni tāni praṇaśyanti

pradakṣiṇaḥ pade pade

 

yāni kāni ca — whatever  |  pāpāni — sins

brahma-hatya ādikāni ca — including even the killing of a brāhmaṇa

tāni tāni praṇaśyanti — all of them are completely destroyed

pradakṣiṇaḥ pade pade — at every step of circumambulation

 

"Whatever sins one has accumulated — even the gravest — are completely destroyed at every single step taken in circumambulation of Śrīmatī Tulasī Devī."

 

The reference to brahma-hatya (the killing of a brahmana) is a classical Vedic idiom for the most serious imaginable transgression. If even the heaviest sin is washed away by each step around Tulasi Devi, then there is no ordinary failure or shortcoming that her grace cannot remove.

 

 

Tulasi Pranama Mantra 

The Tulasi Pranama mantra is the formal Sanskrit obeisance offered to Tulasi Devi. It is recited three times at the beginning of the aarti while bowing before the plant. In four precise lines, it names Tulasi Devi completely — her divine name, her relationship to Krishna, her gift to devotees, and her essential nature.

 

vṛndāyai tulasī-devyai

priyāyai keśavasya ca

viṣṇu-bhakti-prade devi

satyavatyai namo namaḥ

 

vṛndāyai — unto Vṛndā  |  tulasī-devyai — unto Tulasī Devī

priyāyai keśavasya ca — who is most dear to Lord Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

viṣṇu-bhakti-prade — who bestows devotional service to Lord Viṣṇu

devi — O goddess  |  satyavatyai — unto Satyavatī, she who holds the highest truth

namaḥ namaḥ — I offer my repeated obeisances

 

"I offer my repeated obeisances unto Vṛndā, Śrīmatī Tulasī Devī, who is most dear to Lord Keśava. O goddess, you bestow devotional service to Kṛṣṇa upon all who worship you, and you embody the highest truth."

 

 

Benefits of Performing Tulsi Aarti Daily

Devotees who practice the Tulsi Aarti daily — whether at an ISKCON temple or at home — speak of both spiritual and practical changes in their lives. According to Vaishnava scripture and the lived experience of practitioners, regular Tulsi Aarti is said to:

 

•  Purify the home environment and remove negative energies from the household

•  Deepen one's connection to Radha and Krishna through daily devotional practice

•  Fulfill sincere wishes, as described directly in the second verse of the aarti itself

•  Grant vrndavana-vasa — spiritual residence in the abode of Krishna — to sincere devotees

•  Destroy accumulated sins through the Pradakshina circumambulation at every step

•  Bring peace, clarity, and focus to the mind through the daily rhythm of prayer

•  Create a sacred atmosphere in the home, transforming the space into a place of worship

 

Beyond the spiritual benefits, keeping a Tulasi plant and honouring it daily also has well-documented environmental and health benefits. Tulasi (Holy Basil) is one of the most medicinal plants known, releasing oxygen nearly 24 hours a day and purifying indoor air naturally.

 

 

How to Perform Tulsi Aarti at Home

You do not need to be in an ISKCON temple to offer Tulsi Aarti. This is a practice that belongs in the home — on the veranda, in the courtyard, on a balcony. Here is a simple, step-by-step guide:

 

1.  Clean the area around the Tulasi plant. Offer a little fresh water at her base. This act of care is itself a form of worship.

2.  Light a ghee lamp (diya) or an incense stick. The warmth of the flame represents the devotee's sincere offering of heart and attention.

3.  Begin with the Tulasi Pranama mantra — recite it three times while bowing before the plant.

4.  Sing or recite the Tulsi Aarti — all five verses. If you know the melody used in ISKCON, sing it. If not, reading the words with understanding and sincerity is equally powerful.

5.  Perform Tulsi Pradakshina — walk clockwise around the Tulasi plant at least three times while chanting the Pradakshina mantra.

 

Best times: Early morning before sunrise (Brahma Muhurta) and at sunset. The month of Kartika (October–November) is especially auspicious for Tulasi worship, as is the occasion of Tulasi Vivah.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Tulsi Aarti ISKCON

 

Q: What is the meaning of "namo namah tulasi krishna preyasi"?

Namo namah tulasi krishna preyasi translates to "I bow again and again to Tulasi, the beloved of Krishna." It is the opening line of the Tulsi Aarti and the most widely known phrase from the song. The repetition of namo namah (bow again, and again) emphasises the depth of the devotee's surrender and reverence before Tulasi Devi.

 

Q: Who wrote the Tulsi Aarti?

The Tulsi Aarti — formally called Sri Tulasi Kirtana — was composed in Bengali by the revered Vaishnava saint Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami, the author of Chaitanya Charitamrita. He signs his composition humbly in the fifth verse, calling himself a "fallen and lowly servant of Krishna."

 

Q: What time is Tulsi Aarti in ISKCON temples?

In most ISKCON temples, Tulsi Aarti is performed between 5:00 AM and 5:15 AM, immediately following the Mangala Aarti programme. A second Tulsi Aarti is offered in the evening, just before Sandhya Aarti at sunset. Timings may vary slightly by temple.

 

Q: Can Tulsi Aarti be performed at home without a priest?

Absolutely. Tulsi Aarti is one of the most accessible Vaishnava practices and is traditionally performed at home by any devotee — man, woman, or child — with a sincere heart. No priest is required. All that is needed is a Tulasi plant, a lamp or incense, and willingness to bow and pray.

 

Q: What is the difference between Tulsi Aarti and Tulasi Pranama?

The Tulsi Aarti (or Sri Tulasi Kirtana) is the five-verse Bengali devotional song sung while offering a lamp before the Tulasi plant. The Tulasi Pranama is a short Sanskrit mantra recited three times at the very beginning of worship, before the aarti begins. Think of the Pranama as the greeting, and the Aarti as the song of devotion that follows.

 

 

 

The Tulsi Aarti takes about three minutes to sing.

Devotees have returned to it, twice a day, for centuries.

Namo namaḥ.