Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.4660

c9.4660

Once the king went to the temple and worshipped Viṣṇu by offering flowers of gold and jewels such as chalcedony and prostrated before Viṣṇu and rose up. At that time a Brahmin named Viṣṇudāsa from his own city came there to worship, with holy basil and water as offerings. He worshipped with the leaves and flower-bunches of holy basil. Because of his worship by holy basil, the king's worship by jewels, was dimmed. The emperor got angry and said, "Viṣṇudāsa, you are a poor man who does not know how to worship Viṣṇu. What merit has your worship of holy basil after mine of jewels?" Both began to contest on this point. At last the king said "Let us see who between us will get oneness with Viṣṇu first, or I"