Eternal India Encyclopedia

PERCEPTIONS

Eternal India

encyclopedia

PUNYWRIKSHA

(SACREBTREES)

Pipal

(Ficus

religiosa)

Ashwattha

A tree native to

India, sacred to Hindus and

Buddhists. Gautama Buddha is

said

have

attained

enlightenment under this tree,

very long living tree. Tree has

got medicinal properties, bark and roots used for curing

various diseases, juice of twigs is used for heart

ailments. Sages and thinking man sought refuge under

the spreading pipal also called the Bodhi tree (Tree of

Wisdom) to meditate upon the deeper meaning of

existence and commune with nature. Pipalyana was

an ancient sage who had his permanent abode under a

pipal tree. According to Adi Shankara one of the

requisites to attain peace of mind is penance under

Suramandiratharu

(pipal). In Sanskrit it is called

Ashwattha

because horses used to stand under its

shade

(Ashwattha).

According to Shankara this tree

has been chosen to represent the entire cosmos

because of its derivative meaning —

shwa

means

tomorrow,

stha

means that which remains; therefore

A-shwattha

: that which will not remain the same till

tomorrow. In short, the word indicates the ephemeral

world of phenomena.

"Be like the lotus. It looks to god, not into the water,

its head held high into heaven.

The lotus minds one thing : look to the sunshine.

— Prabhushri

Lotus is a flower which is

very much sacred to Hindus.

It is the flower on which

Lakshmi sits and so Lakshmi is

also called

Padma

(lotus). It is

held in the hand by many gods like Lord Vishnu, Lord

Ganesha. First priority is given to it over all the flowers

during pooja. It is the symbol of prosperity and its leaf’s

surface is described as the symbol of stability.

The Bhagavad Geetha teaches that man should

live his life after the manner of the lotus plant which

grows in the mud and slime of ponds but its leaves and

flowers rise above the water undefiled : “He who does

actions, offering them to Brahman, abandoning

attachment, is not tainted by sin, just as a lotus leaf

remains unaffected by the water on it. *Refer Sec. C

National Symbols

Pg. C-6.

A s o k a

(Saraca Indica)

: Literal meaning ‘without sorrow’

indigenous to India, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists,

evergreen, grows to a height of about 10 m, the fruit

which is rare, is said to be cure for many diseases like

cancer; roots, bark and leaves have medicinal proper-

ties, flowers are used to treat dysentery. It is exten-

sively planted in gardens and along road sides. Flowers

are scarlet or orange in colour.

“Trees are earth's endless effort to

speak to the listening heaven. ”

-Rabindranath Tagore

Worship of plants and trees has been in evidence

for well over 5000 years (from Mohenjo-Daro times).

Several trees are accorded the 'Deity' status and wor-

shipped with prayers and offerings. The trees are

considered to be imbued with spirits and special

prayers are offered before cutting a tree so as not to

invoke the vengeance of the tree-spirit.

Several trees are considered

sacred e.g., Fig tree, Sal Tree, (Ma-

havira renounced the world). Saint

Ramakrishna attained

'Samaadhi'

(state of bliss) below five trees —

Panchavati.

Fig tree

Tulsi

: Commonly worshipped by followers of Vishnu.

Every morning the ground near it is cleaned with

cow dung and water. At night a lamp is hung before it.

During the two hottest months of

the year, a vessel of water is hung

over it so that it constantly re-

ceives moisture. When a plant

dies it is cast into a river, the same

honour being given to it as to an

image as soon as the worship of it

is concluded. It is a common cus-

tom to place a sprig of Tulsi near the head of a dying

person. According to

Vayu

and

Padma Puraana

the

Tulsi was one of the products of the churning of the

ocean. The Tulsi plant has a medicinal value. But near

the door-step, it is also a spiritual signal to the house-

holder to lead a pure and righteous life.

Neem

: The pharmacological proper-

ties of the neem tree

(Azadiracta in-

dica)

or Margosa are so popular that

almost all parts of the tree are known to

be used in one way or the other. The

twigs are used to clean the

teeth with.

The bark and dry flowers are used as

tonic after a high fever. The leaves and

bark are used to heal wounds, ulcers,

jaundice and skin diseases. Neem leaves are stored

with fresh fruits, food grains, woollen and silk clothes to

protect them from moths and fungi. The neem fruits are

used as purgative, emollient (for softening the skin) and

anthelminthic agent. The oil extracted from neem

seeds is used as nourishment for hair and also for curing

rheumatics and leprosy.

The neem tree is a valuable source of agricultural

and medicinal substances. Biologically active constitu-

ents found in the neem leaves, fruits, bark and seeds are

reported to control at least 125 species of insects, pests,

mites and nematods.

"Leaves of neem chewed first thing in the morning

has a marvellous tonical effect."

(S.S.A)

Sacred to Siva

Aegle marmelos,

Sri-Phala,

Crateva religiosa, Saraca indica (Jonesia asoca),

asoca. Cesalpinia pulcherrima,

an exotic.

Zizyphus

jujuba

, kula, bore.

Jasminum Sambac, mallika.

Tabernemontana coronaria,

tagara.

Sesbania

grandiflora,

agasta.

Mimusops elengi,

kesara.

Mallotus philippinensis,

punnaga.

Gardenia florida,

gundaharaja.

Michelia

champaca,

champaka.

Anthocephalus (Nauclea) Cadamba,

Kadamba

shorea robusta,

sala.

Ficus religiosa,

aswattha, pipal.

Ficus benghalensis,

war, vata.

Feronia elephantum,

kapittha.

Eleocarpus ganitrus,

radraksha.

Sacred to Vishnu

Ocymum sanctum,

Tulsi.

Sacred to Shiva and Vishnu

Jasminum undulatum.

Guettarda speciosa. Mesua ferrea,

naga-keshara.

Origanum Marjoram,

marwa.

Ixora Bhanduca,

bhanduca, ranjun.

Artemisia sp„

downa.

Nerium

odorum,

kuruvira.

Chrysantliemum-indicum,

chandra-malika, seunti or seventi.

Sacred to the Trimoorthi

Aegle Marmelos,

Sri-

phala,

Createva religiosa,

Sacred to Parvathi

Aegle Marmelos,

sri-phala,

bel, vilva.

Phyllanthus Emblica,

anola, amali.

Sacred

Lakshmi:

kamala.

Nelumbium speciosum,

Plants sacred to the Patricas, or Nine forms

of Kali.

To Rhamba,

Musa paradisiaca,

kaila, kadali.

To Kachwi-rupa,

Arum esculentum,

kachwi.

To Haridra,

Curcma longa,

haridra.

To Jayanti,

Sesbania Egyptiaca,

Jayanti.

To Vilva-rupa,

Aegle Marmelos,

bel, vilva, sri-phala.

To Daremi,

Punica Granatum,

darima.

To Asoka,

Saraca Indica (Jonesia Asoca),

asoka.

To Manaka,

Alocasia macrorhizon.

mana.

To Dhanya,

Coriandrum sativum,

dhanya.

Sacred to Kamadeva

Mesua ferrea,

naga-keshara.

Pandanus odoratissimus,

keura.

Mangifera indica,

amba.

Michelia champaca,

champaca.

Pavonia

odorata,

bala.

Plants sacred to "the Hosts of Heaven".

To Ravi or Surya,

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis,

Jawa; and

Calotropis gigantea,

ak.

To Soma or Chandra,

Butea frondosa,

palasa; and

Nymphea

Lotus, kamala.

To Mangala, or Karttikeya,

Acacia Catechu,

khadira.

To Budha,

Achyranthes aspera,

apamorga.

To Brihaspati,

Ficus religiosa,

aswattha, pipal.

To Shukra,

Ficus glomerata,

adambara.

To Shani,

Prosopis spicigera,

shami.

To Raahu,

Cynodon dactylon,

durva, dub.

To Kethu,

Poa cynosuroides,

kusa

Special worship plants :

Ocymum sanctum,

tulsi

(sacred basil), daily.

Melia Azadirachta,

nimba.

Bauhinia racemosa,

vana-raja or apata, and apta at

the Durga puja, or Dussera.

Acacia catechu,

khair,

khadira.

Prosopis spicigera,

Shami.

Ficits religiosa,

peepal, on the 30th of each month, when it falls on a

Monday.

Ficus benghalensis,

vata, war; (the banyan),

on the 12th Jyestha (May-June).

Musa paradisiaca,

Kaila, kadali (plaintain), on the 3rd Sravana (July-

August).

Phyllanthus emblica,

amla or amali, on the

12th

Kartika

(October-November).

Adansonia

digitata,

gorakhachincha (horse tamarind), on the 11th

of the dark half of Chaitra (March-April).