In a vast forest filled with wild animals and ancient trees, there lived a boar, rough in nature, with no awareness of religion or spiritual life. Like all animals, he roamed the forest searching for food, fighting with other beasts, and living by instinct alone.
One day, a group of Vaiṣṇava brāhmaṇas came to the forest to perform a yajña (sacrifice) to please Lord Viṣṇu. After completing the fire sacrifice and chanting sacred mantras, they prepared a Tulasī garland to offer at a nearby shrine of the Lord.
Having finished their worship, they left the garland beside the altar and went to bathe in the river.
At that moment, the boar arrived. Drawn by the scent of the leaves, he approached the altar, found the Tulasī garland, and carried it away in his mouth, thinking it might be edible. He walked through the forest, holding the garland, its sacred leaves brushing against his face and chest. For a few minutes, he unknowingly carried the Lord’s dear offering.
Though he eventually dropped the garland, that brief contact with Tulasī-devī, so deeply loved by Lord Viṣṇu, brought about a divine change in his fate.
Some time later, the boar was killed by a lion in a territorial fight. But as his soul left the body, an astonishing event occurred. Viṣṇudūtas appeared—radiant, smiling, and holding conch, disc, and lotus. They said:
“This soul carried the Tulasī garland offered to the Supreme Lord. Though in the body of a beast, he touched what is dearest to Nārāyaṇa. His sinful reactions have been burned. We have come to take him to the spiritual realm.”
As the boar’s soul emerged, it took on a divine, effulgent form, purified by its brief association with sacred objects. The Viṣṇudūtas carried him beyond the reach of karma, to Vaikuṇṭha, where he received eternal shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord.
Lessons from This Story:
- Tulasī-devī, even touched by accident or in ignorance, purifies the soul and breaks the bonds of sin.
- The Lord is pleased when His offerings are respected or even touched with innocence.
- The Viṣṇudūtas recognize and honor even the smallest contact with bhakti and carry the soul to liberation.
- The path of devotion is open to all—even to animals, if blessed by divine contact.
