Ashvattha Tree

[Anand Ghurye]

Dear Sirs , 

Ashwattha is commonly translated at Peepal Tree . Ficus Religiosa . While Shri Krishna in Srimad Bhagwad Geeta 15.1 refers to Ashvattha tree as having roots above and branches below . This description fits banyan tree better . 

When I see Monier Williams , it says Ficus Religiosa which is peepal tree , while some translations of Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta translate Ashwattha as Banyan tree . 

Please help clarify . Thanks in advance. 

Regards ,

Anand Ghúryé

*Training*Development*Synectics
Space Page : 9820489416

[Taff Rivers]

Anand,

  The MW quotes a different context for Ficus Religiosa, -  ŚBr. (śatapatha-brāhmaṇa).

  While its lexicographer adds -  the small Pippala tree, L.

   Pippala tree, is a generic term for the Ficus species as a class - which happens to include Ficus benghalensis, common name Indian banyan.

Taff,

    'When you meet a contradiction, make a distinction' Thomas Aquinas

    Never more apt than in the motherland of all contradictions. 

 

aśvattha

•  m. (ttha-stha, under which horses stand') the holy fig tree, Ficus Religiosa, AV. ŚBr. &c.

•  a vessel made of its wood, ṚV. i, 135, 8; x, 97, 5.

•  the upper (or male) araṇi made of its wood, AV. vi, 11, 1, ŚBr. xi, KātyŚr.

•  the plant Thespesia Populneoides, L.

•  N. of a Nakṣatra (also called Śroṇā), Pāṇ. 4-2, 5 and 22.

•  a N. of the sun, MBh. iii, 151.

•  (ās), m. pl., N. of a people, VarBṛS.

•  (ā), f. day of full moon in the month Aśvina (in which month the fruit of the Ficus Religiosa generally becomes ripe).

•  (ī), f. the small Pippala tree, L.

•  (mfn.) 'relating to the Nakṣatra Aśvattha', (with muhūrta) the moment in which the moon enters that Nakṣatra, Pāṇ. 4-2, 5, Sch. [115,3]

[G S S Murthy]

Could ऊर्ध्वमूलमधः शाखः refer to Beobab tree? I am purely speculating!

Regards,

Murthy

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[Nagaraj Paturi]

Dear Anand Ghuryeji,

It is a riddle-like expression. It is a Peepal tree only. The upward roots and downward branches is not a realistic picture of a tree. It is an imaginary picture of an upside down tree.

यस्तं वेद स वेदवित्

clearly shows that it is a riddle-like expressions.

One who can solve this riddle can be considered to have understood the Veda.   

Nagaraj Paturi

 

Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA.

 

Former Senior Professor of Cultural Studies

 

FLAME School of Communication and FLAME School of  Liberal Education,

 

(Pune, Maharashtra, INDIA )

 

 

 

[Nagaraj Paturi]

After posting the points below here, I found this website which has a picture of an upside down tree.

http://www.indianscriptures.com/vedic-lifestyle/food-and-health/peepal

But the idea conveyed may not be accurate.

All the aachaaryas across the various schools of Vedanta took the ashvattha tree being described here as samsara vriksha = the tree of 'this wordly existence' or 'the tree of birth-death cycle'

All the aachaaryas took the upside down nature of the tree as Brahma (the creator) up spreading to the world of the created humans and other creatures.

All of them quote mantras and s'lokas from s'ruti and puraaNas with this ashvattha tree metaphor/allegory , interestingly most of them having the image of an upside down tree.

[Anand Ghurye]

The article referred by you introduces another complication . It says Peepal and Plaksha are same , but other references say that these are two different trees. 

Why I refer to Banyan , is its branches sprout roots which grow downwards and then having reached the soil regrow into trees . This fits the description better than the peepal tree . 

Regards ,

Anand Ghúryé

*Training*Development*Synectics
Space Page : 9820489416

[Nagaraj Paturi]

To go with all the aachaaryas, we should take 'the upside down' aspect as crucial. Then taking peepal fits well.  

[Anand Ghurye]

Why do you say peepal fits the description of " the upside down "  well ? I have not been able to understand this point . 

Peepal tree is a regular tree , roots going down and branches going up and spreading out , not coming down at all . 

Regards ,

Anand Ghúryé

*Training*Development*Synectics
Space Page : 9820489416

[Nagaraj Paturi]

The logic is this:

Ashvattha is as popularly understood is Peepal.

The esoteric /symbolism based /allegorical/metaphorical text under question is using this word and as a not realistic image, it is using the image of an upside down tree.

Only if the upside down image of peepal does not help understand the details of description, we need to search for an alternative meaning such as a Banyan tree for the word Ashvattha.

Because there is so such need, taking Peepal as the meaning is justified.  

[S. L. Abhyankar]

What a coincidence ! I just now posted a study of अश्रुः अश्वः अश्वत्थः अश्वत्थामन् 

In Apte's on-line dictionary the etymology of अश्वत्थः is given as अश्वत् = न श्वश्चिरम्, पृषो. नित्यस. Tv. Any tree, which fits its etymology न श्वश्चिरम् "not just tomorrow, for a long time", will merit being called as अश्वत्थ. Even in ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् the word अव्ययम् is underscoring etymology of अश्वत्थः. The word अश्वत्थ seems adjectival in nature. Hence अश्वत्थः can mean either Pippal or Banyan. But maybe, Banyan fits the bill better than Pippal.

May I take this opportunity to request explanation of "पृषो. नित्यस. Tv." ? Since this becomes a diversion from main query, explanations may please be sent to me directly than on the group.

[Nagaraj Paturi]

"न श्वोSपि स्थाता इति अश्वत्थः तं क्षणप्रध्वंसिनं अश्वत्थं .................."

------- Sankara Bhashya of 15.1 Gita.

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[Taff Rivers]

Nagaraj,

A dash of poetic license is all that's required for 'upward roots and downward branches' to be very real indeed. 

With a fig plant, rather than a fig tree, birds will eat the fruits and drop the seed into the cracks of tree, where they grow, their roots hanging down in the air, the tree's branches, above.

Picture attached to see for yourself.

Coming down to earth from the greatest of poetic heights, it can be seen that all that anyone ever actually experiences, is experienced inside the head, the source of that experience may derive from out there in the real world as the dazzling light of even a single sun, does its dazzling right here, the source is rather further away and anyway a bit too big to fit into even the largest of heads!

Metaphorically to correct the common illusion that existence is the other way around.

Then there is the source of experience itself, that dwells within and otherwise known as consciousness, pure consciousness.

The realization of which is not exactly unknown. 

As the man says, create the circumstances and the result will appear... no imagination required, just effort.

Taff,

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[KN.Ramesh]

Banyan tree is called vata vruksha & whose beneath sits dakshina moorthy giving upadesa to sanatkumars.

peepal tree is asvatha vruksha & whose beneath sits ganesha.  In fact the tree is called as asvatha narayana ...

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Nagaraj Paturi

 

Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA.

 

Former Senior Professor of Cultural Studies

 

FLAME School of Communication and FLAME School of  Liberal Education,

 

(Pune, Maharashtra, INDIA )

 

 

 

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Nagaraj Paturi

 

Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA.

 

Former Senior Professor of Cultural Studies

 

FLAME School of Communication and FLAME School of  Liberal Education,

 

(Pune, Maharashtra, INDIA )

 

 

 

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