Parijaat-

dt 14th Nov 2012. 
PARIJAAT
Had grown Parijaat for abt 8 yrs in mu home. 
Small white flowers- tiny orange stalk  in clusters and extremely delicate, blooms at night. 
With a Fungal attack and cement dust from adjacent bldg wilted away in 1990 .Was unable to get a replacement as so many varietes confused-name and local nurseries were unable to supply. 
Many  times the Saplings of flowers even all mixed up and I got wrong saplings. Finally i got the sapling from Vijaywada.  
I also learnt the flower is called Harsinghar in Hindi and Shefali in Bengali.

Parijaat Flowers are so sensitive  -get hurt easily and need much care .
Correct name is N. arbor-tristis
Also  known as Night-flowering Jasmine. 
Seen as a special Divine flower associated with Shree Krishna  

Rgds,
TR
FROM SOURCES:

"Parijat" is considered to be a divine tree. In the Poems of Rabindranath Tagore there are descriptions about Parijat Flowers.

Parijat is also known as "Har Singar", "Sephali" "Sephalika" and "Night Jasmine". It is widely known that the flowers of Parijat blossom in the evening hours only and shed off the next morning. Its branches are rectangular and its flowers are fragrant. The stem of the flower is saffron in color and the petals are white. The flowers blossom between August to October.

In India, they grow in the outer Himalayas at the height of about 1400 mtrs, and are found in tracts of Jammu & Kashmir, Nepal to East of Assam, Bengal, Tripura extended through the Central region upto Godavari in the South. Besides India, they are found in Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal and Pakistan.

Apart from contributing to the beauty of gardens, "Parijat" has also got medicinal properties. The juice of its leaves is bitter and saline in taste. Taking its juice is considered to be useful in the treatment of fever. Its bark, if taken as medicine is known to give relief in & swelling of lungs. The oil produced from its bark brings relief to pains the eyes and used for hair tonics. Fresh juice of its leaves mixed with honey provides effective relief in the treatment of chronic fever. The decoction of its leaves prepared over low fire gives relief in the treatment of chronic ‘Citica pain’. The juice of its leaves mixed with little sugar is used for treatment of stomach diseases of children. Application of six to seven of its tender leaves with little flesh gin- ger juice, churned in water, brings relief in case of high fever. Its flowers, though bitter in taste act as appetiser and soothe the stomach. Its seeds are used in the treatment of skin diseases and piles.

Date of Issue: 8.3.1997

>      Kingdom: Plantae
>      (unranked): Angiosperms
>      (unranked): Eudicots
>      (unranked): Asterids
>      Order: Lamiales
>      Family: Oleaceae
>      Genus: Nyctanthes
>      Species: N. arbor-tristis
>      Binomial name
>      Nyctanthes arbor-tristis

The Bilwa Tree at Shree Gangadeeshwar Temple- Chennai

dt 14th Sept 2012,
BILWA LEAF & FRUIT

The Bilwa tree at Shree Gangadeeshwar temple is a special variety -larger bilwa fruit and this is seen in pics below- the Trifoliate Leaf is special to Lord Shiva of Tri-kaal and is used in all Shiva Poojas esp. Bilwa Archana with Bilwa stotram - 
"Eka Bilwa Shiva Arpana" 

As I learnt and have understood the Tri -patra leaf in one leaf represents all 3 Aspects in Vedic Shastras that we Hindus follow- viz. Past Present &Future -(TRIAD)

 In Prayer we seek to awaken our dormant self and so this has great significance-esp in Shiva Ratri pooja of Jagraan and sadhana -
Man lives in 3 + 1 states. . We all experience the first 3 states:
1.JAGRAT-Waking State
2.SWAPNA-Dream State
3.SUSHUPTI-Deep Sleep
4 Turiya only Great master

HaraHar Mahadeva -rgds
capt.TR

Chennai

Repeating from 2011 -OM NAMAHA SHIVAYAH
From Ref Sources:
The Bilva tree in the Shiva Purana
According to the Shiva Purana (7 AD) the Bilva tree is the manifest form of Lord Shiva himself, while all the great tirthas (pilgrimage places) are said to reside at its base. One who worships the shivalingam while sitting under the Bilva, claims this great epic, attains the state of Shiva. Washing the head by this tree is said to be the equivalent of bathing in all the sacred rivers.


One who performs Bilva pooja with flowers and incense achieves Shiva loka, the abode of pure consciousness, and has happiness and prosperity bestowed upon them.

The lighting of the deepak (lamp) before this tree bestows knowledge and enables the devotee to merge in Lord Shiva.

The Shiva Purana also claims that if the devotee removes the new leaves from one of the branches of that tree and worships the tree with them, they will be freed from vice, while one who feeds a devotee under the Bilva will grow in virtue.

Namskar to all the sources & Acharyas
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bilwashtakam
from Shri Ramachanders translation adapted -with ack & thanks.
The leaves of Bilwa (Aegle marmelos), which has trifoliate  leaves i.e.with each leaf consisting of three leaves is very dear to Lord Shiva. Offering this leaf to Lord Shiva pleases him especially on the Shivarathri .
There are several stories how people got salvation by offering one Bilwa leaf to Lord Shiva.

Tridalam trigunakaaram trinethram cha triyayusham,
Trijanma papa samharam Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 1

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
Which has three leaves,
Which  three Triads aspects--qualities,
Which are like the three eyes of Shiva,
Which is like the triad of weapons-trishul etc ,
And which destroys sins of three births.

Trishakhai bilwapathraischa hyachidrai komalai shubai,
Shiva poojam karishyami, Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 2

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
Which has three shoots,
Which are complete
Which are beautiful to see  and ,
And worship Lord Shiva.

Akhanda bilwa pathrena poojithe nandikeshware,
Shudhyanthi sarva papebhyo, Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 3

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
For if an uncut leaf is offered,
To his vahana(Bull) the god Nandi,
We are cleansed of paapa - cleaned of all our sins.

Salagrama shilamekaam vipranam jatha cha arpayeth,
Soma yagna maha punyam, Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 4

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
For it is equal to, offering a saligrama to a Brahmin,
Or the great blessing got out of performing Soma Yaga,

Danti koti sahasrani vajapeya sathani cha,
Koti kanya maha danam, Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 5

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
For it is equal to gifting thousand elephants,
Or the performing of hundred fire sacrifices,
Or giving away a kanya in kanya daan (marriage) a punya .

Lakshmyasthanutha uthpannam mahadevasya cha priyam,
Bilwa vruksham prayachami, Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 6

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
For it is equal to giving a tree of Bilwa-leaves,
Which was born from the heart and kindness of of Shree MahaLakshmi,
And which is very dear to the Lord Shiva.

Darshanam bilwa vrukshasya, sparsanam papa nasanam,
Aghora papa samharam, Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 7

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
As seeing and touching of a tree of Bilwa,
Washes away ones sins and also very great sins.

Kasi kshethra nivasam cha kala bhairava darshanam,
Prayaga madhavam drushtwa, Eka bilwam shivarpanam. 8

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
After living in the city of Kasi,
Seeing the Kala Bhairawa,
And also visiting the temple
Of Madhava in Allahabad.

Moolatho brahma roopaya, madhyatho Vishnu roopini
Agratha shiva roopaya, Eka bilwam shivarpanam 9

I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva,
As Brahma resides at its bottom,
Lord Vishnu lives in its middle,
And Lord Shiva lives in its tip.

Bilwashtakam idham punyaam, padeth shiva sannidhou,
Sarva papa nirmuktha Shiva loka maapnuyath. 10

Reading this holy octet of Bilwa,
In the presence of Lord Shiva,
Would save one from all sins,
And in the end take him to the world of Shiva.

Simple Prayers -Universal Appeal

Salutations All 

In the midst of a lot of so many conflicting views and ideas -esp on maintaining a spiritual path- way--some times the most practical, simple and sensible thoughts & ideas have come from Ancient Tribes and Communities This includes the Red Indian, native to the the Americas. 

I just wonder why ever did we complicate Life, with such a lot of rhetoric--esp when I see such simple Commandments--

Thank you to the person who posted this to me-
Gratefully yours, 

TR

Ashwattha & Neem tree grow together -fused together

An Ashwattha -  peepul tree and a Margosa -neem tree have fused at the sapling stage and grown together as one on Warren Road, South Chennai .
The trees now spread its roots and branches across. 
It was reported in Mylai Times and I went and saw it -
took pictures.
See below-Quite interesting .
 TR
Natures Marvels 

Ficus trees, age-and survival-

Ficus tree age-and survival-

ref Trees in Metros today--

The Ficus genus --covers Ashwattha, Banyan and Oudamber esp. and have been covered in my earlier posts.

This post will try and touch on is on its magnificent survival  .
I am also now  realising why these 3 trees are mentioned in the Shree VS-

 In GIta Lord Krishna says "I am the Ashwattha, his Vibhutis...Divine Glories- Chp 10, sloka 26.

These great ficus trees have  survived all kinds of ravages over years of - droughts, floods, tsunamis, earthquakes and other natural calamities and their species survival is estimated by a Molecular Clock as...(hard to even imagine this  )--as maybe over 50 million years....God -I cant even imagine ..this time span.....

So how did these Trees achieve it and esp. now with Man's greed and encroachment, felling and sheer vandalism-in the last 200 years of so called advancement.

Some thoughts :
1) Ficus Genus are tropical and have been venerated & protected  in India & SE Asia.
2)The very nature of Ficus is to survive--grip and hang on -even has been called a Strangler Fig tree.Their  pollination and spread is mostly by birds and wasps -not on the whims or vagaries of Man's behaviour. 

Thank God for that .

3) Personally, I believe it is God's Will alone ..for creation and preservation and so it has a very special place in our Religious texts and in Buddhism ; 

In fact aptly is called "Ficus Religiosa"

4) To understand something of this Survival in a Metro ..please see pics of a Tall Ficus Ashwattha (Bodhi) gripping onto a dilapidated building entrance; have seen many like this on older buildings in every city and took this case up for study. The Root structure tells a lot. The  location is in a market lane now being "Developed"-near my house in R.A.Puram, Chennai. God alone knows how this magnificent brave tree will fare that has definitely stood about 15- 20 years ---

I take Faith in God Protects 

Vrikshaa Naam Pataye Namaha
Rgds
TR

WATER--storage in India with step wells

GREETINGS

Step Wells - of Gujarat & Rajasthan

I had visited Somnath temple on a Teerth Yatra in Jan 2009 and en route stopped at Rani ki Vav-- a Stepwell --

a magnificent construction.. Some pics and details 

FROM Smt. Anuradha Philar - a family friend, wrote to me giving details 

"Water in the architecture of India could be found since the earliest times and had played an important role in the culture. Stepwells were first used as an art form by the Hindus and then popularized under Muslim rule.
Stepwell construction is known to have gone on from at least 600 AD in the south western region of Gujarat, India. The practical idea even spread north to the state of Rajasthan, along the western border of India where several thousands of these wells were built.

The construction of these stepwells hit its peak from the 11th to 16th century. Most existing stepwells date from the last 800 years. There are suggestions that they may have originated much earlier, and there are some suggestions that precursors to them can be seen in the Indus Valley civilisation.

The first rock-cut step wells in India date from 200-400 AD.Subsequently, the wells at Dhank (550-625 AD) and construction of stepped ponds at Bhinmal (850-950 AD) takes place.The city of Mohenjo-daro has wells which may be the predecessors of the step well; as many as 700 wells have been discovered in just one section of the city leading scholars to believe that 'cylindrical brick lined wells' were invented by the people of the Indus Valley Civilisation.One of the earliest existing stepwells was built in the 11th century in Gujarat and is known as the Mata Bhavani's vav. A long flight of steps leads to the water below a sequence of multi-story open pavilions positioned along the east/west axis. The elaborate ornamentation of the columns, brackets and beams are a prime example of standard of civil works then

The importance of water to the locations in which they were found have been realized in the past decade now that many communities in the area are scarcity of rain and water. The construction of these wells encouraged the incorporation of water into the culture where they were popular. These stepwells were even proven to be well built after withstanding earthquakes in the range of 7.6 on the Richter scale.

 

The Jamun Sapling -grows ...

PLANT  A SAPLING

thoughts at Janmashtami 2012-

Jambul in Tamilnadu is called --Navala palam tree (Jamun) and is seen a spl Prasad to offer to  both Lord Krishna & Lord Muruga –Karthikeya in South.

A tiny Sapling from Smt Savitri & Shri Ganapathy our neighbours (Sr Citizens) a loving  family-she  actually planted seeds in a pot and gave us a sapling last year-

It was planted on my near my house in the corner with some protection with a Gul Mohar also (Ours is a Blind Road  on 27th Feb 2011).

Planted-Grows slowly ..may take a few years ; but a Sapling planted and nurtured gives much joy--

This will one day grow into a huge tree–needs space but as this is a blind road corner ;

-hopefully it will do well.

Dear God Protect it-

TR

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