Epics for children: The divine gift called trees
Trees already existed when humans came into existence. The ancient humans depended on trees for food, shelter, clothing, fuel, medicine and tools. Almost all cultures around the world believed in the concept of an all-encompassing ‘world tree’ or ‘tree of life’, which connected the earth to the heavens through its branches and to the underworld through its roots. In Hindu mythology, it has been called the kalpavriksha—the wish-fulfilling tree, which came out of the samudra manthan. Indra took the tree to heaven and planted it there. The kalpavriksha was one of the main reasons the asuras continuously fought wars against the devas because the latter were enjoying the divine flowers and fruits while the asuras had to live among the roots.
To placate his wife, Satyabhama, Sri Krishna fought Indra and took the tree to earth and planted it near Satyabhama’s door. The kalpavriksha has been referred to in Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism too.
The most sacred tree in Hinduism and Buddhism is the Ashvattha. It has been mentioned in the Rigveda and the Katha Upanishad, which is part of the Krishna Yajurveda. In chapter 10 of the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says, ‘Of trees, I am Asvattha, which is worthy of worship.’ In Buddhism, the same tree has been called Bodhi, and is famous as the tree under which Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment. The tree has been identified with the peepul or the banyan.
Shami is another sacred tree that has been mentioned in both Ramayana and Mahabharata. Sri Rama worshipped it before the war against Ravana. When the Pandavas were preparing to start their agyata-vaasa or incognito living for a year, they hid their weapons on a Shami tree. The story finds corroboration in modern times as the kingdom where the Pandavas hid was Virata, which was in present-day Rajasthan where the tree is still found and is called khejri.
In 1730, 363 villagers of the Jodhpur kingdom lost their lives to save khejri trees, which were being cut to build a new palace for the Maharaja of Jodhpur. Interestingly, this is the national tree of the UAE, where it is called ghaf, and is preserved to prevent desertification and protect their heritage.
Holy basil, margosa, stone apple, banana, ashoka, coconut, mango, sandalwood, bay leaf (tamal), burflower (kadamb) and Utrasum Bead (rudraksh) are some other plants/trees mentioned as divine in the epics. Modern humans have discovered many other ways in which trees enrich human lives by providing oxygen, absorbing carbon dioxide and reducing global warming, improving air quality, conserving water, preserving soil, and most importantly, bringing a touch of nature to our urban environments. Thus, trees really are a divine gift to humans and we must show our gratitude by preserving this gift.