When Tulasī Devī stopped speaking, Lord Brahmā suddenly appeared there. After Śaṅkhacūḍa and Tulasī offered him their respects, Lord Brahmā said, “O Śaṅkhacūḍa! Why are you wasting your time in such empty talks with Tulasī? Marry her now by the Gandharva rite. As you are a gem among males, she is a gem among females. When a clever couple marry, the union is very happy. And who would abandon happiness when it is at hand? Anyone who would do so is worse than a beast. And you, Tulasī! Why are you testing this noble and qualified person who can subdue both the gods and the demons? Marry Śaṅkhacūḍa, just as Lakṣmī is married to Nārāyaṇa, Rādhikā to Kṛṣṇa, my Sāvitrī to me, Śaci to Indra and Aditi to Kaśyapa. Stay with the handsome Śaṅkhacūḍa for a long time and, as you like, wander with him to various places. When Śaṅkhacūḍa leaves his body, you will return to Goloka and get Kṛṣṇa as your husband.” Lord Brahmā then blessed them and returned to his own abode.
Śaṅkhacūḍa then married Tulasī by the Gandharva rite. Glorifying the marriage, the demigods sounded their drums and showered flowers on them from the sky.
Sometimes the newly married couple would go to a flower grove and at other times to a river bank. There, they would sleep on flower beds smeared with sandal paste and enjoy marital pleasures. Tulasī easily stole the heart of her husband, and Śaṅkhacūḍa also attracted Tulasi’s heart. After Tulasī garlanded her husband with pārijāta flowers, which prevent disease and old age, she placed a precious jeweled ring on his finger and offered him rare beautiful gems. Bowing down to his feet with devotion, she repeatedly said, “I am at your service!”
Śaṅkhacūḍa smiled. He then presented Tulasī with clothes he had obtained from Lord Varuṇa’s house; he also gave her a precious necklace of jewels, an armlet he had gotten from Svāhā (Agni’s wife), armlets from Chāya (the sun god’s wife), earrings from Rohiṇī (the moon god’s wife), finger rings from Rati (Cupid’s wife), conch ornaments from Viśvakarmā, as well as excellent bedding adorned with pearls and jewels. After further adorning her, he placed her feet on his chest and said, “I am your servant.”
They left the hermitage and began to travel to various places. They went to different mountains, flower gardens, caves, beaches, riversides and forests. Wherever they went, they enjoyed each other’s company with great satisfaction, never tiring of one another. Śaṅkhacūḍa then brought Tulasī to his own kingdom and there they continued to delight in each other’s company.
