DIVINEINFORMATION PART 8 Dear friends,
While going through one of my externalmemory device, I came across some good information stored from a website (not available now). I thought of sharing interesting ones fromthem as a series. These are short information. Inpart 7, I am starting with 34th item in this posting. Sincerely, Gopala Krishnan 17-05-2021 34 SACRED TREES ANDPLANTS For the Hindu, everything in theuniverse is sacred and whatever grows, is more so. In Hinduism animisticbeliefs find a place side by side with the highest philosophical and religiousspeculation, and are often expressed mystically and esoterically. The tree deity has been found in the stamp seals of the Indus Valleycivilization. Sacred groves, homes of mothergoddesses, abound and some types of trees have attained great importance inHinduism. Plantssuch as the tulsi, a type of basil, are equally important. Thespirits that inhabit trees are the yakshas, feminine deities;male figures never appear in such a connection. Veneration of the tree is a form ofShaktism, the cult of the Great Mother. Ayaksha is propriated with offerings such as food, bits of cloth tied to thebranches and red-smeared stones put at the base of the tree. Some trees likethe tulsi are worshipped daily,some every month, while some others are worshipped only during specificfestivals. Some of the important trees and plantsare described below. Pipal(Ficus religiosa) is one of the leading trees in Hinduism andBuddhism. It is also known as the bodhi tree becauseGautama Buddha attained enlightenment under it. The tree is theobject of universal worship throughout India. It is sacred to Vishnu. It is avery large tree with high raised roots which descend to the ground from thebranches like additional trunks. Other important trees sacred to Vishnuare: the Banyan or Indian Fig tree (Ficus Indica), Chandra-mallika(Chrysanthemum indicum), Naga Keshara (Mesua ferrea), etc. Trees sacred to Shiva are the famous Ashoka (Saraca Indica) withpointed leaves, Kesara (Mimusops Elengi), Champaka (Michela Champaca), and Vataamongst others. Lakshmihas Kamala (Nelumbium speciosum) while Parvati has Sri-phala (Aegle Marmelos)as their representatives. TheKaila or plantain is sacred to one of the forms of Kali. It is commonly used in marriages and during festivals adecorative doorway is made out of it, leading to the temple or the room wherethe prayers are to be held. Tulsi(Ocynum sanctum) is a sacred plant of the basil family. Tulsi was oneof Vishnu’s paramours. Outof jealousy his wife Lakshmi turned her into a plant, and the god became the salagramastone to keep her company. In some versions of thestory, Tulsi and Lakshmi are the same. Theplant is about three feet is height. Everyday the ground near it is coveredwith a layer of cowdung and at night a lamp is lit near it. It is a commoncustom to place a sprig of tulsi near the head of a dying person. The aromaticleaves are taken as a digestive after meals. In addition to the above, the KushaGrass (Pao cynosuroides) and Durva Grass (Agrostis linearis) are alsoconsidered very sacred. Thekusha has the quality of warding off evils. In allrituals, kusha is a must in some form or other. Durva is supposed tobe very auspicious and is offered to Ganesha. 35 SADHUS The Sadhu (also known as yogi andsanyasi), is a Hindu ascetic who has renounced caste, social position, moneyand authority, and occupies a special place in Hindu society. As one who seeksthe Universal Soul in order to be absorbed in it, the Sadhu is set apart fromthe orthodox priesthood as renunciation is considered superior to the ritualsof the priests. The concept of the Sadhu traces itsorigin to the earliest images of Shiva himself, with his matted hair and thebody covered with ash. A Sadhu does not have any caste and isfree to attach himself to any strata of the social structure. The Sadhu is credited with much of thedevelopment of Indian culture, art, architecture, music, poetry and literature,influencing and forming the very world he has abandoned with his endlesstravels from one sacred site to another, singing songs and reciting poetry andcarrying icons, paintings and other sanctified objects. TheSadhu usually wears on his forehead the three lines of the god’s trident drawnin ash or sandalwood paste which may be vertical or horizontal. Endless variations of these sectarianmarks, depending on the sect, are possible. They may decorate their bodies withvarious lines and markings, cover the entire torso with ashes, carry a metaltrident and wear rosaries. The hair and the beard are uncut andmatted. Shaivite Sadhus are followers of Shivaand are divided into various sects. TheDasanami (monks with ten names) sect has about ten branches scattered all overIndia. They each havean armed militant branch called the Nagas. They follow Tantrism and Shaktism,eat meat, take stimulants and are often criticized for their erotic practices. The Gorakhnathis wear large earrings. The Aghori Yogis are notorious fortheir rites involving the dead. The Lingayats centre their worship onthe linga as the symbol of Shiva. VaishnaviteSadhus are devoted to Vishnu and are a later development than the Shaivite. Commonly called Vairagi (detachedones), they are members of various schools of Bhakti (devotion). They do notemphasize the ascetic extremes of the Shaivites. Their common identifying markis a white V drawn on the forehead, with an added line in either white or redin the centre. They normally wear white and carry beads of the tulsi (sacredbasil). Unlikethe common Hindu who is cremated, the Sadhu is buried, usually in the sittingposition. The burial site normally becomes a place of worship. 36 SALAGRAMA STONE The Salagrama is a small stone, actually an ammonite, a fossil genusof marine cephalophod, and is considered by Brahmins to be a naturalrepresentation of Vishnu. Itplays an important role in the worship of a Brahmin, who is considered aliving, earthly form of the deity. Thesalagrama is mentioned in the Atharva Veda where it is written that anyBrahmin’s house that does not contain the salagrama is to be considered asimpure as a cemetery. Salagramasare to be found in the Gundak river in Nepal. They are black or dark coloured,round or oval in shape, striated, umbilicated and ornamented with natural treelike markings. The most sought after are the ones that are perforated in one ormore places by worms. The curves of the striations signifythe various forms of Vishnu. A black Salagrama with a replica of the discus init is capable of bestowing great happiness, health, wealth and children. A halfgreen Slagrama will drive away all sins and one which has the shape of theumbrella on it will make the possessor a monarch. The worship of Salagramadoes not call for elaborate prayer ceremonies. Its very presence assureshappiness. The reasonfor its sacredness is that once Shani called on Vishnu, whohad transformed himself into a mountain. This angered Shani who became a worm(Vajrakita) and afflicted him for twelve years. At the expiration of the timeVishnu regained his original shape and ordered that henceforth the stones ofthis mountain will be worshipped as a representation of himself. Thesalagrama is kept in the home, wrapped in a cloth,frequently bathed and perfumed and sometimes having water dripping on it. Though the stone is Vishnu in itsvisual form, it is also a lingam, the Shiva phallus, and a type of the CosmicEgg. My note- In south India if a Brahmin home keepsalagrama certain rituals are to be followed every day. So mosthomes do not keep salagrama nowadays 37 SECTS ANDSECTARIAN MARKS The various sects and the sub-sects of the Hindus are distinguished by thesymbols of the deities they worship. These are marked on their foreheads, armsand chests. The forehead marks are of course the most prominent but nowadaysonly the orthodox Hindus wear them. Some put them on only during festivals orprayers. Someof the common sects are: The Saivas (Shaivites) who worship Shivaand Parvati jointly. The Vaishnavites who worship Vishnu. The Suras, who worship Surya(Sun). The Saivas may be further subdivided into Saivaproper who worship the linga-yoni symbol the Lingaits who worship Shiva in his linga orphallic form; the Saktas who worship the yoni or the female form of Shiva –‘shakti’, i.e. female energy (they may worship the female energy of Krishna orRama also) and the Ganapatiswho worship Ganesha, son of Shiva. The other major sect, the Vaishnavas,may be subdivided into two. The first, the Gokulas, worship Vishnu as Krishna, with orwithout his consort Radha. There are some who worship Radha only. The second, Ramanuj, worship Rama aloneor with Sita, his consort while there are some who worship Sita alone. TheVaishnavas are distinguished by perpendicular lines on the forehead, with or without a dot or circletbetween them, or by a chakra or discus, or a triangle, shield, cone,heart-shape or any similar form having its apex pointed downward, since Vishnuis water, the property of which is to descend (B in the diagram on the oppositepage). TheSaivas are distinguished by two or more horizontal lines, with or without a dot below or above them, or on themiddle line with or without the oval, or half-oval, typical of his third eyebisecting the lines; also by a triangle, or any pointed or arched object havingits apex or convex and upward, since Shiva is fire the property of which is toascend. The crescent moon and the tirdent (trisul) also indicate a votary ofShiva (C in the diagram on the opposite page). Imagesof Ganesha and Kartikeya bear the marks of Shiva while those of Indra, Agni, Chandra, Krishna, Rama,Buddha and Hanuman bear the marks of Vishnu. Brahma, who is both water and firebears the sectarian marks of both Vishnu and Shiva Thedot is the mark of the Supreme Being and, with the lines of Vishnu or Shiva,indicates that the devoteeclaims that Vishnu or Shiva, as the case may be, is the supreme Godhead. Thehorizontal lines of the Saivas are whiteand the dot or circlet is red. Thesectarian marks are drawn in red, yellow, black, and ashen white and are made of ashes taken from thesacrificial fire, cowdung, turmeric, sandalwood, lime and an adhesive made formrice water. Mynote- Sectarian marks with areas also.In the south a Brahmin wear sandal wood pasteas well as holy ashes. They are smarthas. Allmost all Siva temples in Keralagive sandal wood paste as prasadam. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to thatha_patty+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1499697761.713680.1621215933160%40mail.yahoo.com.
