Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.3344

c9.3344

5) Marriage of Tulasī. Due to a curse of Rādhā, Sudāmā, the cowboy, was born on earth as a demon named Śaṅkhacūḍa. He did penance sitting at Badarikāśrama and obtained Viṣṇukavaca. Another object of his was to marry Tulasī. He obtained a boon from Brahmā that his death would occur only when the Viṣṇu Kavaca was removed from his body and the chastity of his wife was lost. At that time Śaṅkhacūḍa and Tulasī met each other in the forests and were married. Śaṅkhacūḍa, brilliant and majestic, went about with Tulasī in amorous sports creating jealousy even among the devas. His arrogance gave innumerable troubles to the devas and they along with Brahmā and Śiva approached Mahāviṣṇu for a remedy. Viṣṇu then sent Śiva with his spike to kill Śaṅkhacūḍa and he himself started to molest the chastity of his wife Tulasī. Śaṅkhacūḍa took leave of Tulasī to go and fight with Śiva. When Tulasī was thus left alone, Mahāviṣṇu in the form of Śaṅkhacūḍa approached Tulasī and after some preliminary talks entered into sexual acts. Tulasī found some difference in the usual sexual methods and suspecting foul play jumped up to curse the impostor. At once Mahāviṣṇu appeared in his true form and said “You have been doing penance for a long time to get me as your husband. Your husband Śaṅkhacūḍa was the chief of Pārṣadas, Sudāmā. It is time for him to go back to Goloka getting himself released from the curse. By this time Śiva would have killed him and he would have gone to Goloka as Sudāmā. You can now abandon your body and come with me to Vaikuṇṭha to enjoy life as my wife. Your body will decay and become a holy river named Gaṇḍakī; your hair will become Tulasī plant the leaves of which will be held sacred in all the three worlds.” Tulasī then changed herself into the form of Lakṣmī and went to Vaikuṇṭha with Mahāviṣṇu. (9th Skandha, Devī Bhāgavata).