Jalandhara is a figure in Hindu mythology

Hindu mythology

Hindu religious literature is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas. As such, it is a subset of Nepali and Indian culture...

. He is sometimes included in lists of aspects of Shiva

Shiva

Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

.

Jalandhara was a demon king, born out of the union of the lightning from Shiva’s third eye and the Ocean. In one story, he accuses Shiva of hypocrisy

Hypocrisy

Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie....

, pointing out that Shiva claims to be an ascetic but keeps a wife, Parvati

Parvati

Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...

. Jalandhara proposes that Shiva hand over Parvati to him:

"How can you live on alms and yet keep the beautiful Parvati ? Give her to me, and wander from house to house with your alms

Alms

Alms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...

 bowl. You have fallen from your vow. . . .You are a yogi ;what need have you for the gem of wives? You live in the woods attended by goblin

Goblin

A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...

s and ghost

Ghost

In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...

s; being a naked yogi

Yogi

A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...

, you should give your wife to one who will appreciate her better than you do."

Shiva of course refuses, becoming so angry that a fearsome creature (Kīrttimukha

Vanaspati

Vanaspati is the Sanskrit word that now refers to the entire plant kingdom. However, according to Charaka Samhitā and Sushruta Samhita medical texts and the Vaisesikas school of philosophy, "vanaspati" is limited to plants that bear fruits but no evident flowers...

) sprang from his brow and nearly killed Rahu

Rahu

In Hindu mythology, Rahu is a cut-off head of an asura, that swallows the sun or the moon causing eclipses. He is depicted in art as a serpent with no body riding a chariot drawn by eight black horses. Rahu is one of the navagrahas in Vedic astrology...

, the messenger who had delivered the demand.

Jalandhara had a wife of remarkable piety

Piety

In spiritual terminology, piety is a virtue that can mean religious devotion, spirituality, or a combination of both. A common element in most conceptions of piety is humility.- Etymology :...

 named Vrinda (in some versions Tulasi). So pious is she that Jalandhara's misdeeds go unpunished under the protection of her virtue. Eventually Vishnu

Vishnu

Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

 shatters Vrinda's chastity; a path is thereby opened to the punishment of Jalandhara, who is killed. To comfort Vrinda in her grief and despair, Vishnu promises her that a beautiful plant will grow from her grave, and that its wood would be used to make a garland

Garland

A garland is a class of decoration, of which there are many types.Garland may also refer to:-Places:*Garland, Arkansas, a town in Miller County*Garland County, Arkansas*Garland, Maine, a town in Penobscot County...

 (tulasi mala) for his neck.

Either way, the tulasi plant today is highly valued for its medicinal properties, and it is associated with the festival of Uttana Dwadashi.

Tulasi Jalandhara is a popular drama and storyline for Harikatha

Harikatha

Harikatha , otherwise called Katha Kalakshepa is a form of Hindu religious discourse, also known as Katha storytelling format, in which the story teller explores a religious theme, usually the life of a saint or a story from an Indian epic.Harikatha is a composite art form composed of story...

discourses.