The sacred tale of Trees

I am the Aswatha Vrksham, the universal symbol of immortality and I am here to tell the tale of “we trees”. I, like the eternal soul never die but change forms. It was me, who Lord Krishna proclaimed himself to be. I stand as the court for all countryside verdicts and under me people gather to discuss important issues and take major decisions. Some intelligent fellow in the long past associated me with Yama, the lord of death and since then I am believed to be the abode of ghosts. And for this reason people never lie in front of me, fearing the Vetals hanging down my branches might possess them. So I stand there for ages as sole witness for all panchayat cases and unwritten judgments. I have a female counter part, the Pipal. Her leaves are more heart shaped and tender than mine with long tapering tail. As she gently flaps them with the breeze, it’s a soothing music for the ears. She is a real magic to this earth and every living being on it. She breathe out more oxygen during the day and sighs out less CO₂ in the dark. Not only humans, even we do night shifts ;-). More technical if I get into, she follows Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM photosynthesis). Her leaves keep the stomata open during the night which lets in CO₂. This CO₂ is stored mostly as malate in her vacuoles which are later put to use in the photosynthetic kitchen during the next day. At day light, her stomata are kept closed to reduce water loss by evapotranspiration. In short, hers is an excellent adaptation in arid conditions.

The Aswatha Vrksham

  It’s all true that I am most majestic among my family, the king of trees. I shade and shelter innumerable life forms upon and around me. But this same massiveness and lasting nature of mine keeps me away from homes. My life is an analog to that of a hermit. There is one among us who clones with the life of a household human. His acquaintance with families and presence in ceremonies is something I envy about him. He is the symbol of renewal. Full of flesh and sap, perpetual dying and rejuvenating kind! He is the Banana, who is believed to be the devaguru Briaspati himself! Having him is equivalent to have a guru at home. This perennial herbaceous man is the cheapest storehouse of calorie and vitamins. He is head to toe full of health. The mat root system, false stem (pseudostem), broad leaves, flower stalks and instant energy fruits are direct benefits.

The Holy Basil

Next is my love, the holy ‘Basil’. A royal princess as her name describes. Tulsi, as she is otherwise called is the icon of purity and queen of herbs. She works wonder against body and skin disorders, repels insects and poisonous serpents, sharpens memory, fights cancer, slow down ageing and lot more. Anyone who speaks of Tulsi will hold dear to Neem too. The bitter elixir, universal cure all, air purifier and earth nourisher. My list will further extend to Mango, the symbol of love and fertility. Its fruit, the food of gods, when raw is a sour charm and when ripe, it’s wholesome nectar. Its root, bark, leaves, flower, fruit and even the seed kernel are important ingredient in various portions of Ayurveda. 

Keeping science aside, all of us are regarded sacred in Indian mythology. We have great significance in all religions. It was under my lady Pipal, (Bhodi tree as it was known later) that lord Budha got enlightenment. The glorious palm tree was mentioned in the holy Bible and Quran as the symbol of joy, cheer and life. There are also references which states that this tree resembles life of a Muslim. Fig, olive, pomegranate and many among us find places in different holy texts according to where we and that particular religion originated and flourished.  Still people go around us murmuring chats and tie knots over us in prayer. I wonder how much of their wishes have come true. But nobody can deny the fact that we keep a positive vibe around us and intoxicate all beings. May be this was what people saw as sacred in us. We chariot health, energy, charm and grace into life thereby enlightening them. For these reasons, wise old men associated us with divine. For days to come, we will bind to our virtue, never cause harm, teach more giving than taking and continue to be the pioneers of goodness......

"I bow my head in reverence to our ancestors for their sense of the beautiful in nature and for their foresight in investing beautiful manifestations of Nature with a religious significance." – Mahatma Gandhi