Ficus carica
Vergleich:
Siehe: Baumgruppe
+ Rosales
[Dr. Chetna N. Shukla]
Sanskrit word “Asvattha” means under
which horses stand. Bodh means the tree of perfect wisdom.
The Peepal (= Ficus carica) is the oldest depicted
tree in India. In Vedic times it was used to make fire by friction. Considered
a sacred tree, it is seldom cut. It is associated with the triad: the roots
being Brahma, the stem Vishnu and each leaf being the seat of a minor god. In
another myth, Vishnu was born under a Peepal and is therefore considered the
tree itself.
The Peepal is sacred to the
Buddhists as Prince Sidharth received enlightenment under it in Bodh Gaya and
became the Buddha. Hence it is
called the Bodhi tree or the tree of enlightenment.
Buddha reached perfect wisdom under
it, so it is called the Samyak Sambodhi or Tree of Knowledge.
The Peepal is considered a Brahmin
tree and Brahmins offer prayers under it. In Gujarat it is considered a Brahmin
itself and invested with the sacred triple cord. It is considered that one who cuts
it has murdered a Brahmin and his family will soon become extinct. It is served
with food offerings when a male member of the family dies.
Some communities believe that the
spirits of dead do not get water in the next world. The Peepal is considered a
pathway. So water is poured on its roots on 3 days of the dark half of Kartik (mid
October to mid November) and Shravana (mid July to mid August) and on the
bright half of Chaitra (end of March).
Manasa, the goddess of serpents,
worshipped in Bengal, is said to live in this tree.
Lord Krishna was shot by a hunter’s
arrow sitting under the Peepal tree.
Verehrt in 3 Religionen in Buddhimus, Christentum und Islam
Vorwort/Suchen Zeichen/Abkürzungen Impressum