By Nanditha Krishna, M. Amirthalingam
Timber and crops have lengthy been held sacred to groups across the world. In India, we have now a complete number of vegetation that characteristic in our myths, our epics, our rituals, our worship and our lifestyle. there's the pipal, below which the Buddha contemplated at the route to enlightenment; the banyan, in whose branches cover spirits; the ashoka, in a grove of which Sita sheltered while she was once Ravana’s prisoner; the tulsi, with out which no Hindu home is thought of entire; the bilva, with whose leaves it truly is attainable to inadvertently worship Shiva. earlier than temples have been built, bushes have been open-air shrines sheltering the deity, and plenty of have been symbolic of the Buddha himself. Sacred crops of India systematically lays out the sociocultural roots of a number of the vegetation present in the Indian subcontinent, whereas additionally saying their ecological value to our survival. Informative, thought-provoking and meticulously researched, this booklet attracts on mythology and botany and the traditional spiritual traditions of India to gather an in depth and interesting account of India’s plant life.
Read Online or Download Sacred Plants of India PDF
Similar plants: botany books
Pocket Guide to Preventing Process Plant Materials Mix-ups
This convenient pocket consultant condenses important info right into a uncomplicated layout that explains find out how to hinder high priced fabrics mix-ups that outcome from a deficiency within the provide chain. utilizing easy-to-read, easy language, it outlines potent equipment of specifying, paying for, receiving and verifying serious fabrics.
Herbs to Relieve Headaches: Safe, Effective Herbal Remedies for Every Type of Headache
Explores the various reasons of complications and the proper herbs for every. The e-book indicates feverfew for migraine, camomile to chill the frightened process, ginseng for pressure, and white willow bark, cayenne, peppermint and echinacea as different traditional choices.
Plants of Central Asia - Plant Collection from China and Mongolia: Amaranthaceae - Caryophyllaceae
The 11th quantity of the illustrated lists of vascular vegetation of principal Asia (within the people's Republics of China and Mongolia) keeps the outline of flowering vegetation and covers households Amaranthaceae, Aizoaceae, Portulacaceae and Caryophyllaceae. Keys are supplied for the id of genera and species and references to nomenclature, and knowledge on habitat and geographic distribution given for every species.
The Blossom on the Bough: A Book of Trees
Discusses the significance of forests, the components and cycles of timber, the features of plants and culmination, the specific good points of conifers, and the wooded area areas within the usa.
Additional info for Sacred Plants of India
Example text
The Atharva Veda says that the gods sit beneath the pipal tree in heaven. There are several references in the Atharva Veda to folk cults, including those that worshipped trees, spirits, and demons. There are also numerous hymns and verses where the tree was not only an object of worship but also a symbol of the cosmic tree of life. The common pipal tree symbolized the universe long before the Buddha obtained enlightenment beneath it. 9) says that a tree of huge dimensions filling the space around it with its numerous branches and foliage, with a lofty trunk and many stems rising high in the sky, was the symbol of the Cosmic Tree or Brahman.
According to Buddhaghosha, the traditional bodhi tree of Vishvabhu was the sal. Bodhisattva Maitreya, the eighth Buddha was associated with the champaka tree. Figure 18 A special form of temple was constructed around the bodhi tree, consisting of a gallery, supported by pillars, encircling the tree. Many reliefs depicting this form of worship are found at Bharhut, Sanchi, Mathura, and Amaravati. Seven bodhi trees represent seven different Manushi Buddhas in the stupas of Bharhut and Sanchi: paatali for Vipasyin (Figure 18), shala for Vishvabhu (Figure 19), shirisha for Krakucchanda (Figure 20), udumbara for Kanakamuni (Figure 21), nyagrodha for Kashyapa (Figure 22), pundarika for Sikhin (Figure 23), and pipala for Shakyamuni (Gautama Buddha) (Figure 24).
Figure 34 Figure 35 The names of early dynasties of south India, such as the Pallavas (from the word pallava or leaf) and Kadambas (from the name of the wild cinchona or kadamba tree), suggest even a totemic role for the tree. In Tamil Nadu, people still worship pipal and neem trees either standing alone or with a stone altar beneath. Often, a snake stone or Ganesha is placed beneath the tree (Figure 35). It is believed that such a tree was sacred and considered a vriksha devata because it was a symbol of fertility and longevity.