Introduction
Tulsi is found everywhere. People plant it around houses, gardens and temples but it grows on its own in forests. There are many varieties of Tulsi but from the point of view of quality and religion, black Tulsi is the most important and best. Generally, the leaves of Tulsi are green and black. Tulsi plant is generally 1 to 4 feet tall. Its leaves are 1 to 2 inches long, oval, rectangular, glandular and have a strong fragrance. It bears round, purple or red colored buds (flowers). Tulsi plants are usually planted in March-June and in September-October the plants are filled with fragrant buds. Its flowers come in winter which later ripen into seeds. Tulsi plant has strong electrical power which keeps flowing around it for 200 yards. The house in which there is a green Tulsi plant never faces lightning (lightning falling from the sky).
Tulsi is given great importance in Hindu religion. Tulsi is worshipped in every house and that is why Tulsi is planted in every house. According to religious beliefs, mosquitoes, snakes, scorpions and harmful insects etc. do not grow in the house where Tulsi plants are present.
Tulsi leaves should be plucked only as much as required with folded hands or with respect and reverence for Tulsi in mind. While plucking its leaves, keep in mind that plucking leaves around the bud makes the plant grow faster. Therefore, only leaves near the bud should be plucked. Tulsi leaves should not be plucked on Poornima, Amavasya, Sankrantikaal, Kartik, Dwadashi, Sunday, evening, night and around 12 o'clock in the day. Tulsi plant should not be touched without bathing after oil massage, during menstruation of women or at the time of any other impurity because due to this the plant dries up quickly. If holes start appearing in the leaves, then sprinkling the ash of cow dung cakes (chhaane) on it gives good results.
Properties
According to Ayurveda: According to Ayurveda, Tulsi is light, hot, sharp, bitter, dry and increases digestive power.
Tulsi kills insects, removes bad odour, removes phlegm and destroys gas. It removes rib pain, is beneficial for heart, cures dysuria (pain in passing urine), destroys poison and cures skin diseases. It cures hiccups, cough, asthma, headache, epilepsy, stomach worms, poison disorders, anorexia (lack of desire to eat food), blood disorders, back pain, bad breath and intermittent fever etc. It increases semen, cures vomiting, removes old constipation, heals wounds, digests swelling, cures joint pain, burning sensation in urine, pain in passing urine, leprosy and weakness etc. It destroys bacteria and prevents pregnancy.
According to Unani doctors: According to Unani doctors, Tulsi increases strength, stimulates the heart, digests swelling and cures headache. Smelling Tulsi leaves in case of unconsciousness removes unconsciousness. Chewing its leaves removes bad breath. Consumption of Tulsi cures dry cough and thickens semen. Its seeds stop mucus and blood in stools.
According to scientists: Chemical analysis of Tulsi by scientists reveals that its seeds contain a green and yellow coloured stable oil in the amount of 17.8 percent. Apart from this, the stable oil extracted from the seeds also contains some sitosterol, stearic, linoleic, palmitic, linolenic and oleic fatty acids. It also contains glycosides, tannin, sevanine and alkaloids.
Yellow and green coloured volatile oil with clove-like smell is found in Tulsi leaves and buds in the amount of 0.1 to 0.3 percent. It contains 71% eugenol, 20% eugenol methyl ether and 3% carvacrol. Its leaves also contain small amounts of 'carotene' and vitamin 'C'.
Harmful effects
According to Charak Samhita, milk should not be used with Tulsi as it can cause leprosy. Consuming Tulsi leaves with betel leaf in the month of Kartik can cause physical pain. Consuming Tulsi in excess quantity is harmful for the brain.
Treatment for various diseases
1. Fever and cold:
Cook 65 Tulsi leaves and 8 black peppers well in 250 ml water and filter it. Then add milk and sugar to it and drink it like tea. This cures fever and soothes cold.
50 grams of Tulsi leaves dried in shade, 30 grams each of violets, fennel, brahmi booti, red sandalwood, 10-10 grams each of cardamom and cinnamon. Grind all these and mix them in water to make tea and then add milk and sugar to it and drink it. Its consumption cures general fever, cold and sneezing etc.
Eating 15 basil leaves and 4 black peppers cures cold and fever.
2. Bile fever:
If the patient suffering from bile fever is feeling very nervous, then he should be given a syrup of basil leaves. This cures bile fever.
3. Fever:
Boil 25 basil leaves, 15 black peppers, 10 grams ginger and 10 cinnamon sticks in 250 ml water and drink it 3-4 times a day to cure fever.
Boil 20 basil leaves, 20 black peppers, 9 grams ginger and 2 grams cinnamon sticks in 50 ml water and make tea. Add 25 grams of sugar candy or sugar to it and give it to the patient suffering from fever 2-3 times a day. This cures normal fever.
By drinking a decoction of basil leaves, excessive sweating subsides fever.
Boil 8-10 basil leaves, half a teaspoon of cloves, half a teaspoon of dry ginger powder and 1 teaspoon of black pepper powder in 1 glass of water. When half the water is left, filter it and add a little sugar and drink 3-3 teaspoons of it 3-4 times a day, this cures fever.
Boil 10 basil leaves, 3 grams of dry ginger, 5 cloves, 21 black peppers and sugar as per taste. When half the water is left, filter it and give it to the patient 3-4 times. This gives quick relief from fever.
4. Smallpox (Badi Mata):
Grind parsley with basil leaves and consume it daily, this cures smallpox fever.
Mix new neem leaves and basil leaves and make a powder and mix this powder with honey or sugar candy and give it to the patient in the morning. This reduces smallpox rashes and calms the burning sensation. It is beneficial to give the patient suffering from smallpox fever a mixture of basil seeds and washed celery.
Giving the patient half a teaspoon of basil leaf juice in the morning is beneficial in smallpox.
5. Pneumonia (fever due to cold):
Pneumonia is cured by grinding 20 basil leaves and 5 black peppers and mixing them in water.
20 basil leaves, 5 black peppers, 3 cloves, 2 pinches of turmeric and a piece of ginger. Boil all these in equal quantities in a cup of water and when half a cup of water is left, filter it and give it to the patient suffering from pneumonia. Pneumonia is cured by consuming it twice a day for about 10 days.
Consuming basil leaves juice, dry ginger, black pepper and peepal powder is beneficial in pneumonia.
6. Intermittent fever:
Grind 10 leaves of basil and half to 1 gram of mace and mix it with honey and make the patient lick it, it gives relief in intermittent fever.
Make a decoction by taking black basil, wild basil and mint in equal quantity and give this decoction to the patient suffering from intermittent fever 3 times a day for 3 to 7 days. This reduces the fever and gives relief from the disease.
7. Intermittent fever:
Mixing black pepper powder in the juice of basil leaves and consuming it gives relief in intermittent fever.
8. Sheetla (Masurika) fever:
By grinding the juice of basil leaves and carom seeds and applying it on the body, the suppressed smallpox (mata) comes out.
9. Sannipaat fever:
Grind 25 grams of fresh basil leaves and 1 gram black pepper with water, make small pills and dry them in the shade. Consuming 1 pill each with water in the morning and evening provides relief in Sannipaat fever.
10. Hiccups:
Hiccups are cured by mixing 2 teaspoons of basil leaves juice and 1 teaspoon of honey and consuming it 3 times a day.
11. Ear ache:
By lightly heating the juice of basil leaves and adding a little camphor and pouring 2-3 drops in the ear, the ear ache ends.
If there is pus flowing from the ear or ear ache, then warm the juice of basil leaves and put it in the ear continuously for a few days. This cures the ear ache and the pus stops flowing.
12. Ear swelling and lump:
Mix Tulsi leaves and fresh soft castor leaves in equal quantity and grind them. Then add a little salt to it and apply it behind the ear. This removes ear swelling and cures lumps. It is also used in the disease called konfeda.
13. Method of making Tulsi oil:
Take the whole Tulsi plant along with its roots. Then wash it and clean the soil etc. Then grind it and mix half a kilo of water and half a kilo of sesame oil and cook it on low flame. When the water evaporates and oil remains, rub it, filter it and keep it safe. This is Tulsi oil.
14. Deafness (low hearing):
Heating the juice of Tulsi leaves and applying it in the ear daily cures deafness.
15. Konfeda:
Grind Tulsi leaves, new castor leaves and a little salt together and apply it. Applying this paste cures ear boils.
16. Ringworm:
Mixing basil leaves juice and lemon juice in equal quantity and applying it on ringworm 2 to 3 times a day cures ringworm. Its use cures skin diseases like itching, acne, black spots, freckles etc.
A patient suffering from ringworm should drink basil leaves juice in the amount of 12 ml daily.
Applying basil leaves juice on ringworm cures ringworm.
Mix 100 basil leaves and a quarter teaspoon of salt and grind them. Squeeze half a lemon in it and apply it on ringworm. This cures ringworm and itching.
Grinding 100 basil leaves and 5 cloves of garlic together and applying it on ringworm cures ringworm.
Cleaning the ringworm and grinding basil leaves and applying it on ringworm cures ringworm in 15 days.
17. Vomiting:
Mixing basil leaves juice and honey in equal quantity and drinking it stops vomiting.
Giving basil leaves juice stops vomiting. If vomiting occurs due to worms in the stomach, then the child should be given the juice of basil leaves.
Dizziness and vomiting stops by licking the juice of basil leaves mixed with honey.
Vomiting stops by drinking the juice of basil, mint and fennel mixed together.
Grind 10 grams of basil leaves with 1 gram of cardamom, then add 10 grams of sugar to it and consume it. This cures vomiting caused by bile.
18. Toothache:
Toothache is cured by grinding basil leaves, black pepper and camphor and pressing it between the aching teeth.
Grind black pepper and basil leaves and make a tablet and placing this tablet under the tooth eliminates toothache.
Mix basil leaves juice in water, warm it slightly and gargle. This ends toothache, bleeding from gums and other dental diseases.
Mix basil leaves juice, turmeric and rock salt in water and gargle with it. It cures all the disorders of mouth, teeth and throat.
19. Styes (pimples on the eyelids):
If there are pimples on the eyelids, rub cloves in basil leaf juice and apply. This cures pimples.
20. Increase in semen:
Eat 2 grams of basil seeds powder mixed with old jaggery and after that drink 1 cup of milk. Consuming it regularly in the morning and evening for a few months increases sex related semen. It cures problems of impotence and premature ejaculation.
If there is semen weakness, grind 60 grams of basil seeds and 75 grams of sugar candy together and make a powder. Consume this powder daily in the amount of 3 grams with cow's milk. It cures semen weakness.
21. Nocturnal Emission (Nightfall):
Drinking 4-5 teaspoons of Tulsi root decoction regularly before going to bed for a few weeks relieves nocturnal emission.
22. Premature Ejaculation (Early discharge of semen):
Soak Tulsi root or seed in a quarter teaspoon of water at night and consume it in the morning. This removes premature ejaculation and makes semen strong (thick).
