PEEPAL / ASHVATTHA TREE

[manisha khuller]

 

ASHVATTHA TREE

In spiritual literature, this tree is represented as the Upside-down tree with roots exposed above. It is called the Tree of Samsara. Ashvattha is the Sanskrit name for the Peepal or fig tree. It is familiar in the Indian landscape. Its leaves are heart shaped; the fruit is purple when ripe. The tree is said to be first depicted on a 3000 BC Mohenjodoro seal. It is also linked to the Buddha as he supposedly meditated under its cool shade and got enlightened. There it got called Bodhi and some writings writing more about Bodhi than the Buddha himself. There could be some substance to emphasizing the Asvattha.

TREE OF KNOWLEDGE: Traditional and symbolical treatment of the asvattha is seeing it as the mystical tree of knowledge and tree of cosmic life represented in a reversed position; the branches extend downwards typifying the visible cosmic universe and the roots are upwards typifying the invisible world of spirits. Hindus were not alone in such representations. Tree symbolism depicted that the roots sprang from the divine heart of things; the trunk, branches and leaves represented various planes and spheres of the world and the universe.

The seeds from the cosmic tree were the seed of future ‘trees’ being evolving entities. At the end of the evolutionary journey through long eons of majestic rounds, they (men and gods) become cosmic entities. Thus, every living thing, and the so-called inanimate objects are trees of life with their roots in their spiritual realms, the trunks passing through intermediate spheres and the branches manifesting in physical realms.

GITA versus UPANISHDS: In the beginning of Bhagavad Gita, Book Fifteen, Sri Krishna teaches Arjuna that the Asvattha is the Tree of the Universe, the Tree of Samsara; the relative universe with its endless cycles of births and deaths: Gita 15.3. Urdhvam – roots are above; adhas – its branches are below; guna pravradhah – nourished by the Gunas; visaya pravalah – sense-objects are its buds; karma anumbandhini – originating action; manusya loke – in the world of men. The upside down tree is also a metaphor for the mirror imae of the unreal which is only a reflection of Real.

SHANKARACHARYA: Of this the great Sri Adi Sankaracharya wrote: “This Tree of the Universe, Samsara, is said to be noisy ‘constantly reverberating with the tumultuous’ sounds that arise from the cacophony of all human activity. Its trunk is formed by ‘the various subtle bodies of living beings.’ Its growth is fed by desire and its fruits are the Lokas, the worlds of the afterlife, which are experienced as the reward for actions.” Thus longing for results, the fruits of our acts, engenders the roots which reach down into the earth plane and further blind human consciousness.

ADIH-ANTAH: In Gita 15.3, Sri Krishna states that the form of the Tree of the Universe cannot be known by living beings on earth as it has no adhih-beginning or antah-end; nor can its continual existence be perceived. Thus it forms the link between the transcendental aand phenomenal worlds.

ASANGASASTRENA DRDHENA CHITTVA: ‘Having cut asunder this firm rooted (asvattha) with the axe of non-attachment.’ The Samsara tree is an illusion projecting Imperishable Oneness. During births and deaths, Souls enjoy the experiences provided b transmigration. They must also learn to discern the Real from the effects of guna-maya and cut down this tree with asange-sastrena, Axe of Non-attachment. Sastrena is an axe or weapon; asange means that which is opposed to desire.

Dispassion and renunciation of the signals which transmit the perceptions of the five senses to the brain, become a drdhena-mighty sastra-weapon because they detach human consciousness from the world of desire, attachment and aversion, likes and dislikes, pleasure and pain. What makes the axe strong is eagerness for knowledge of the Supreme Self. What sharpens the weapon is the repeated practice of discriminations between the eternal Real and the temporal unreal produced by prakriti-guna-maya.

KATHA UPANISHAD: This is That eternal Asvattha Tree with its root above and branches below. That root, indeed, is called the Bright That is Brahman, and That alone is the Immortal. In That all worlds are contained, and none can pass beyond. This verily is That: Katha Upanishad 2.3.1. ‘The eternal Asvattha tree with its root upwards and branches downwards, which is the pure immortal Brahman, in which all these worlds are situated, and beyond which there is nothing else: Katha 2.6.1. According to this passage, the Asvattha tree is the Brahman itself, and that it is imperishable.

How far does the description in the Bhagavad-Gita corresponds to the description in the Katha Upanisad and are there inherent contradictions between the two texts? Both Katha and Gita agree that the Asvattha tree is regarded as having its root upwards and its branches downwards. In one aspect, the Gita could be antagonistic to the Katha. Katha states that the Asvattha tree is real and identical with the Brahman and is, therefore, impossible of being cut off. However the Gita states that the Asvattha tree must be regarded as unreal, and identical with existence. It further states that it is necessary to cut off this tree of existence by the potent weapon of nonattachment. These are opposing views.

GO BEYOND: In Gita 15.4 Sri Krishna speaks of Padam-goal. Padam is also place or footing. The state of being that is beyond that illusory Tree of Samsara is to be sought. The detachment from Prakriti and the staunch attachment to the Supreme Purusha are the potent means for the destruction of the tree of Samsara of the Jivatman. Those who attain, who have gatah-gone to this abode beyond the Tree, they do not nirvartanti bhuyah – again return to the world. The wise ones who have cast off the veils of amudhah- delusion, go the avyayam padam – imperishable abode They have become free from nirmana - pride and arrogance; they have conquered sanga –attachment.

YGGDRASIL: This is the Tree of the Universe in Scandinavian mythology. It is in the centre of their divine world. Here, the roots of a big ash grow in the three underworlds, the world of death, world of forest giants and world of men. The branches spread over the world. The tree unites earth and heaven and the underworld. Parts of the Scandinavian Yggdrasil would agree with both the Katha and Gita. It would agree with Katha Upanishad to the extent of the Tree identical with Reality, and, therefore, having a real concrete existence. It also agrees with the Gita in making the actions, the motives, and the histories of mankind the boughs and branches of this Tree of Existence. The Yggdrasil is as a Tree of existence is past, present and future.

Hara Hara Mahadeva

(draft Tree Symbolism; Gita 15.3-4)

[Tirtha Mitra]

Peepal and Ashvattha are different plants and are part of Panchavati. Others are Bilva, Neem and Amla. Peepal is Vatavriksha.

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[Ruchira Mitra]

@ Manisha & Tirtha Mitra

'vata-vriksha' is banyan tree; 'ashwattha' is indeed peepul tree, also known as the Indian fig tree.

Panchavati comprises vata, ashwattha (fig), amlaki, ashoka and vilva, as per The Great Master, page 159.

[Tirtha Mitra]

Thanks for clarification. But Ashwattha does not bear red fruit. Banyan tree has red fruits.

[Girish S V]

Peepul is the Ashwattha tree - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficus_religiosa

The fruits are small figs 1–1.5 cm in diameter, green ripening to purple.