Google news india - Ashoka Tree : Nature's Mourner Ashoka

 

 Ashoka Tree : Nature's Sorcerer Ashoka Dr. Swati Dravid

 

Dr. Swati Dravid

 Ashoka Tree - निसर्ग शोकनाशक अशोक

The relationship between nature and humans is extremely deep and interdependent. A person who rests comfortably in the bosom of nature is overwhelmed by the magnificent form of nature. Taking advantage of natural gifts like sun, wind, rain, trees, vines, animals, and birds, it is subduing its boundless, unfathomable forms. Man worships creation in different forms and shows respect to her. Everyone expresses gratitude for the changing season and the natural gifts that we receive in that season through them. Flowers, leaves, trees, rivers, and mountains show our love for the expressions of nature. His sense of affection and respect for creation gradually transforms into a ritual. Gradually, customs and traditions get attached to these rituals. This unbreakable relationship of man with nature around the world is tightly intertwined through festivals, rituals, and religious rituals to be performed according to different seasons. If we trace the festivals, fasts, small rituals, and traditions of the Indian subcontinent, the mutual complementary relationship between nature and man is sealed.

 

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If we consider ancient Indian literature, right from the Vedavanga, man's worship of nature has often been highlighted. In the Rigveda, ancient sages praise the plant Soma in many sukkas. One of the ten mandalas of the Rigveda, the ninth mandala, praises Soma as a plant deity. Different methods of extracting the juice of that plant and using it in various yajnas seem to have been practiced during that period. There also seems to have been a belief in those days that drinking somersan gave a person unique powers. Atharvaveda mentions some plants with medicinal properties. Further, in the era of Brahman Granth and the Upanishads, there are mentions of many trees like Palas, Audumbara, and Aswattha, which means Pimpal and Vad. Branches of different trees were used as samidas on the occasion of sacrifices, and yups made of different trees were erected on the sacrificial ground. In the Puranic period, gods and plants were identified. Many gods and goddesses who were influential at that time were associated with some tree or fruit; the equation was put forward that that particular tree is that deity, or it was said that a particular deity should be worshipped by offering a particular fruit, flower, or leaf of that particular tree. (Pimpal-Vishnu, Bilva-Lakshmi, etc.) The Puranas have discussed the fruits and benefits if those trees are deliberately planted. From all these mentions, it can be seen that in the journey of human culture, a unique relationship between man and trees, vines, and plants blossomed and gradually strengthened. We can say that various trees were given a place in the framework of festivals, vows, and rituals in order to strengthen this relationship in the community. Some rituals, like Vatpournima, Amlaki Ekadashi, Aranya Shashti, and Navanna Poornima, are still observed in India. In the names of these vows and rituals, their relationship with nature and various trees and plants is found.

ashoka tree  1

 

 

Another ritual that shows the multifaceted relationship of man with nature is the 'Ashoka-Kalika Prashan Vidhi' performed on the eighth day of Shuklapaksha in the month of Chaitra. This ritual is not observed compulsorily in today's times. But in the sense that this ritual is mentioned in the annual calendar, it seems that it must have been compulsorily observed some time ago or in some provinces outside Maharashtra; some traces of this ritual remain even today. It is said that on the Ashtami of Chaitra's Shukla Paksha, if a woman eats the eight buds of the Ashoka tree, all her sorrows will be removed and all mental pains will disappear.

A similar ritual is also observed on Shuddha and Krishna Shashti in the month of Baisakh. This day is called Ashok Shashti. Ashoka-Triratri-Vrat is also mentioned in Puranic texts to get rid of all sorrows and attain happiness. Also, there are mentions in the ancient literature that the Asoka-Kalika-Prachyana ritual was performed in the past when young women used to pluck Ashoka's buds and flowers on the arrival of spring.

#seetaashoka

 

In view of all these mentions, it would be appropriate to know about the Ashoka tree and its unique place in Indian culture.

Ashoka tree is known by many names, like Sitashoka, Anganapriya, Hempushpa, Madhupushpah, and Kankeli. Ashoka (Saraca asoca) is an evergreen tree found in the central part of India, in the east and on the Deccan Plateau, in the Western Ghats. This tree is particularly important because of its mythological references. This evergreen type of tree is medium in height, while the leaves have a beautiful reddish hue when young. As the leaves mature, they turn dark green in colour and have a distinct tuktuki. Its flowers, which come in bunches, are elongated in shape, and the colour of these flowers, which have four petals, is first yellow and then gradually turns orange-red. The flowers have a faint, characteristic fragrance. While trying to find out about Ashoka's tree, Raktashoka, no There are three types of this tree, namely Yelashoka and Suvarnashoka, according to the colour of its flowers.

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There is a popular misconception that Ashoka is another tree that is commonly found in many places, growing tall and having long leaves. To avoid confusion between these two trees, this second-taller Ashoka is called "False Ashoka.".

#seetaashoka

 

Common people know Ashoka Tree because of the mention of Ashoka Garden in the Ramayana! It is a well-known reference that Ravana took Sita to the Ashoka palace. Matsya Purana has included Ashoka among the trees to be planted around the house. Varahamihira's Brihatsamita has suggested some trees for peace and contentment in the house, including Ashoka. Ancient scriptures direct that Ashoka trees should be deliberately planted on the banks of the river for decoration. The leaves of this tree are very attractive when they are young and take on a fiery red hue. Today we find Ashoka with a red as well as a yellow-orange spring, but no tree with a blue spring. With the passage of time, this particular variety of this tree may have become very rare. From these mentions, it is clear that this fragrant tree with red palavi and yellow-orange flowers was recognised not only as a tree for beautifying gardens but also for the skylights of houses. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, describing the blooming of Ashoka in spring, says:

When a wind comes from across the sea,

Come to this shore,

Red fire ignites the spring.

And sparks the Asoka tree,

Into golden fire.

In this poem, the integral relationship between the flaming splendour of spring and Ashoka's golden doula seems to be expressed in a very pictorial way. When the dazzling splendour of the honey spring begins to fade from the shoulders of many trees—Gulmohar, Mandar, Palas, Arjuna—all the trees take care of their flowers one by one and appear on the stage of creation. One of the respected artists is Ashok.

Ashoka Tree 2

 

 

Today, we do not find this tree widely, so we have to visit certain places to see its striking appearance. Like Rani's Garden in Mumbai and Sanjay Gandhi National Park, one can see the beauty of Ashoka. Different birds flock to enjoy the Ashoka trees in this place, and honey-loving bees are buzzing around the flowers. As if it removes the grief and anger of birds and insects. That is why this tree may have received the name Shatpadanandavardhana—loved by bhungis in ancient literature. Also, nature lovers have observed that the pods of this tree are liked by langur monkeys and khari, so they also flock to these trees. Environmentalists who are thinking about the beautification of the city have made an earnest appeal that we should plant these beautiful trees, which are also useful to the animal world, on a large scale in the city. (Anand Pendharkar, 'Bring in the real Ashoka', Mid Day, July, 2015)

 

 

 

 

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The uniqueness of this tree actually starts with its name itself. ashoka tree  Ashoka means A + grief; where there is no scope for grief or sorrow, there is no Thara—this tree that always gives happiness and spreads positive energy!

Ashoka Tree 3

 

 

 

 

According to a legend, in ancient times, there lived a cannibal, Watmarya, in a forest. His job was to rob, kill, and eat the passersby on the way to the forest! But the steady, calm nature and fearless attitude of a sage who came in front confused this robber. A genuine remorse for his own evil, cruel deeds awoke in him and filled his heart with immense grief. Now, yearning to get rid of this mental burden, he completely surrendered to the same sages. Then the sages predicted that he would be born as a tree in his next birth. As soon as he was going to be philanthropic for the rest of his life after attaining the birth of a tree, he had to do the great work of removing the grief from the mind of Sita, who was also a captive. In this way, the robber got his next birth as an ashoka tree. Having spent his previous birth doing reprehensible deeds and mourning the lives of others ('Sashoka'), he made his tree birth worthwhile. Ashoka accompanied Sita to Dhirachi in the courtyard, keeping the flame of hope and faith in her heart with the rustle of its leaves. After this, it became his life's mission to dispel the sorrows of others through his cheerful existence. This story, of course, has been spread to prove the meaning of the name Ashoka Tree. But this tree is often mentioned in the Ramayana. Surrounding the palace of Kaikeyi, adjacent to Amma, around whom Sita used to walk, and Ram, who met Sita in Panchavati and is seen in Lanka, are the Blue Ashoka, the Golden Ashoka, and the usual yellow-orange-flowered Ashoka. At one point in the Ramayana, Ravana is compared to a huge mountain, on which the ashoka tree is blooming with red flowers. (Ram.5.22.28)

Ashoka Tree 4

 

 

According to Buddhist scriptures, Shakyrani Mahamaya was walking around Lumbini Park when she began to experience labour pains and, exhausted from the pain, sat down under an Ashoka tree. Holding a branch bent down from that tree, she bore the keys of childbirth. Ashoka eliminated all the labours of this imminent delivery, and the queen gave birth happily. Siddhartha, the pioneer of the era who showed the world the path of supreme peace, took the first sight of the bereavement tree. What a beautiful yoga! It can be seen from his travelogue that a Chinese traveller who came to India named Hien-Tsang had heard this story associated with the Ashoka tree and Siddhartha Gautama. From this, it is clear that the close relationship between the Ashoka tree and Gautama Buddha, which was famous for many centuries in India, According to some Buddhist texts, after the death of Lord Gautama Buddha, the tree goddess residing in the Ashoka tree was bereaved when she shed her tears in the form of leaves. Due to the death of Lord Gautama, this tree, which had been associated with him since birth, felt as if it were writing a lament through its leaves. This tree is thus associated with the birth and death of the Buddha. Not only that, the Jain Tirthankara Lord Srivardhamana Mahavira is said to have completed his penance under an Ashoka tree outside the city of Vaishali. The significance of its name lies in the fact that wise people should choose this tree for contemplation and meditation for eternal escape from worldly desires.

Ashoka Tree 6

Matsya Purana has included Ashoka among the trees to be planted around the house. Varahamihira's Brihatsamita has suggested some trees for peace and contentment in the house, including Ashoka. Ancient scriptures direct that Ashoka trees should be deliberately planted on the banks of the river for decoration. The leaves of this tree are very attractive when they take on a reddish hue when they are young.

 

 

Apart from this, the Ashoka Ashoka tree comes before us as Kamdev's weapon!

Arvindamshokan cha chutan cha navamallika, nilotpalam cha panchaite panchabanasya saikah.

Ashoka is included among the five arrows of Kamadeva's allowance. The love aspect of the Ashoka tree also marks a masterful composer like Kalidasa. Kalidasa, in his epic poem Kumarasambhava, mentions the blossoming of Ashoka while describing the Tapobhumi blossomed by the arrival of Kamadeva. In Malavikagnimitram, his first playwriting effort, Kalidasa effectively uses the ashoka tree as a poetic concept of Ashoka. The occasion has been used to great effect. The idea of tree twigs in Sanskrit literature is very interesting. The twinkling of some trees like Priyangu, Nameru, Kesar, Kurbak, and Bakul is frequently mentioned in Sanskrit literature. Like pregnant women, these trees have special stems or twigs, which is a very good sign that if a beautiful woman provides them, the tree will blossom in full bloom. The thought accepted by Indian culture since ancient times that trees have life and also have feelings and desires can be seen in different ways in folklore and literature. Ashoka has the charms of beauty's lattaprahara, according to which Malvika, whose feet are painted with Alatya and adorned with Ashoka's buds, touches or lightly touches the Ashoka tree with her left foot, and Ashoka blossoms in full bloom. It is mentioned in Shankaracharya's poem Sandayaralahari that Lord Pashupati lost his consciousness while looking at the feet painted by the goddess, and he was enraged by Ashoka's desire for those feet.

 

'Asuyatyantam yadbhihananai spruhayate, pashunamishanah pramadavankankelitarve ||' Here, in fact, the boundaries between trees and humans are blurred. Every tree that receives a woof from a beauty is actually an eager, impatient, shrewd, eager male mate—ejaculatory as well as apologetic! One who expects the cry of his beloved, her bold initiative, or her forgiveness. Thus, the Ashoka tree stands witness to the ups and downs of love, the momentary betrayal, the conflict that ensues, the persuasion-acceptance-all stages. Therefore, here, the call of a tree provided by a woman does not only mean that the birds of the tree are coddling the hero, fulfilling his wishes, but also that understanding the mental identity achieved by both man and woman, human and tree, and the intelligent and unified journey of both of them. would be appropriate. Due to the poetry of this Dohda related to Ashoka, it has also become known as 'Kantad.Ghridohd and Kantacharandohd'. Ashoka tree, according to Matsya Purana It was also a favourite tree of Goddess Parvati. Once the goddess planted Ashoka's sapling, other deities asked her about the benefits of Ashoka. The goddess said, 'Building a lake is as virtuous as building ten wells; the birth of a son is as virtuous as creating ten lakes; and planting one Ashoka tree is as virtuous as the birth of ten sons.' It turns out that having a child is considered as important as raising it responsibly.

According to one such legend, once Goddess Parvati asked the Ashoka tree for a daughter, the Ashoka tree granted her wish immediately, and the goddess named the daughter Ashokasundari. Lord Shiva used to wander around the world for the welfare of the universe, but then Parvati felt lonely—indeed,  the loneliness of a goddess—and her sorrow was fulfilled by Ashoka in the form of a daughter.

In Indian sculpture, the sculpture of a Yakshini with the Ashoka tree is often found on the doors of Buddhist Viharas and Hindu temples. This Yakshini, holding the Ashoka tree with her left hand and left foot, is believed to be the beauty that fulfils Ashoka-Dohda. It is also believed that the sculpture of Yakshi and Vriksha is a tree with a vine attached to it. According to Indian mythology, Yakshi is considered the symbol of the ancient tree-worshipping sect, as is Vaipula, the symbol of lineage. Yakshi, therefore, not only signifies the worship and protection of trees but also comes across as a symbol of the life-giving sap of each tree. The liquid power existing in the tree is ultimately the water power, which is the basis of all the world. Ashoka is not only a tree, but it also becomes a symbol of the growth, expansion, and spread of nature's power. Therefore, the yakshasundari who are with him become the agents and carriers of that power as well.

Popular and revered in Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism, the Ashoka tree gradually became established in rituals. Ashoka's relationship with women can be seen in Dohadprasanga, or various vows, rituals, and sculptures. According to scholars, all these mentions associated with Ashoka are symbolic fertility rituals prevalent in ancient India.

#seetaashoka

According to Ayurveda, various medicines can be prepared by using the bark, flowers, leaves, and seeds of Ashoka—this tree, according to Charaka Samhita. Ashoka is accepted as an antipyretic. Ashoka can also be used to treat skin diseases. Sushruta Samhita recommends the use of Ashoka along with some other medicines for uterine disorders and menstrual disorders. Apart from that, ashoka is also useful in eye disorders, brain disorders, and snake bites. Ashoka is also used to treat worm diseases, phlegm, intestinal ulcers, bloody piles, and broken bones. The medicinal uses of Ashoka are discussed in Vagbhata's Ashtanga Hriday, Dhanvantari Nighantu, Raj-Nighantu, and Kaydev Nighantu. Bhavprakash Nighantu and Nighantu-Ratnakar have discussed Ashoka's contribution to medicine. Yoga Ratnakar, Bhaishjya Ratnavali, and other books related to medicinal science suggest taking ashoka tree bark in powdered form with milk and honey. Ashoka is useful for many types of diseases in women. Ashoka tree, i.e., its bark and buds, are useful for uterine disorders, hormonal complaints, menstrual problems, excessive bleeding, and some other complaints. Many Ayurvedic texts describe medicines made from Ashoka. Among them, Ashokagrita and Ashokarishta are the most commonly used medicines even today. It is seen from Ayurvedic texts that Ashoka was also given the name Pindpushya as one who is useful in blood pressure and relieves the complaints of the uterus, i.e., it helps in conception and nourishes the fetus. Ashoka has been used in all these medicines, along with various other plants.

Thus, the Ashoka tree is seen to have played an important role in the cultural sphere of India since ancient times. The ritual associated with it is one that connects young girls to the Ashoka tree, which can be considered a ritual to help eradicate pre-disease. Activities like planting can be done.Competitions can also be held that will attract special youth, such as going near an Ashoka tree, plucking its buds, and decorating oneself using the buds and leaves. Ashoka's mourning power is the strengthening of the body and mind of today's young woman! The rituals associated with Ashoka can be used to explain the meaning of femininity to today's health-conscious young woman in the pursuit of a career. Such efforts should be made today; new vows of the new age should be created!

Our towns and cities, which have lost their peace, satisfaction, and relaxation in the tireless pursuit of prosperity, are darkened by worries. Ashoka's pain-relieving positive power is really needed!

 

 

Dr. Prof. Swati Dravid

 

Postbox India

 

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