Lord Krishna while explaining Bhagavad-Gita says “Of all trees I
am banyan tree, and of the sages among demigods I am Narada. Of the Ghandarvas
I am Citraratha, and among perfected beings I am the sage Kapila.” Lord Shiva
as Dakshinamurty is always depicted sitting in silence under the banyan with
rishis at his feet. It is thought of as perfectly symbolizing eternal life due
to its unending expansion. It is also called Kalpavirksha, the tree that
provides fulfillment of wishes and material gains. It symbolizes Trimurthy –
Lord Vishnu is believed to be the bark, Lord Brahma the roots and Lord Shiva
the branches.
One individual tree, Thimmamma Marrimanu in Andhra Pradesh, covers
19107sq.m. The other big trees are Great Banyan in Howrah, Dodda Alada Mara in
Bangalore and another one is present in Uttar Pradesh near Varanasi. The tree
is sacred in India and often shelters a little or a large temple underneath and
also worshipped on its own. It is one of the most sheltering trees in heat of
the land with large and deep shade. A
large banyan tree at the village center was used for any formal or informal
gathering also. The Indian Banyan tree
is also the National tree of India.
Banyan usually grows as an epiphytic plant –
seeds are dropped by birds on a tree or a crack in a building where it starts
germinating. Young saplings develop string roots that continue to grow and then
strangle the host. Banyan produces a lot of strong and wide branches that
spread far from the trunk and cover a considerably large area. As the tree
grows, the trunk gains tremendous width and height. Branches produce aerial
roots that reach ground, establish themselves in the ground and ultimately
unite with the main trunk.
Indian Banyan tree is scientifically called Ficus benghalensis, is
a large and extensive growing tree. The tree produces propagating roots which
grows downwards as aerial roots. Once these roots reach the ground, they grow
into the woody trunks that can become indistinguishable from the main trunk.
The giant banyan trees are the largest in the world as measured by the canopy
coverage. Banyan tree produces fruit but does
not blossom but that is not true. The flowers are concealed in the fleshy
receptacle commonly known as ‘fig’. These figs are grow in pairs in the leaf
axils and numerous, tiny blossoms of both sexes and also a host of small
insects. These are the ‘fig insects’ that fertilize flowers. The insect enters
the fig through a hole in the top and lays eggs which hatch out and mature.
When these insects leave their home, they are dusted with pollen from the male
flowers. Now they make their way into another fig, thus ensuring fertilization.
Every practiced religion can be explained using
the life of a tree. Just like many trees start from a tiny seed, religions
start from some very basic principles, beliefs. Hinduism as we know today
started with the Vedas. The Vedas are complex texts and not easily
understandable to each and everyone. Thus the essence of Vedas are given in
Upanishads, further simplification of the texts resulted in Puranas, Brahmanas,
vedantas, etc. Each text is in sync with every other text and there is no
contradiction for the one who understands the meaning. The Vedas in the text
form, and their division into four parts is done by Sage Vedavasya, because of
his belief that with passage of time the memory of people will reduce and thus
there will be distortion.
The seed of Banyan grows either on soil or in the
crevices of other trees, just like Vedas are born in the minds of the sages and
then taught to those who are ignorant. When the essence of Vedas is understood
the mind is liberated or guided in the path of truth. The seed when germinates
it sends roots into the ground, the old tree gets strangled and dies with time.
The roots penetrate the ground and the tree grows only stronger. The dead tree
is like the ignorant mind which no longer lives due to the enlightenment.
The Banyan tree spreads very far and wide, with
branches being tender, send roots to the ground. These ariel roots touch the
ground and support the long branches. This process continues and the tree
continues to grow. Hinduism spreads in the similar fashion. The first trunk
supports the tree and with passage of time the various branches like Buddhism,
Jainism, Sikhism, Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Advaitha etc are born and diverge from
the basic Hinduism. The principle of life remains the same, but the methods and
practices remain different. The goal of all of them remain is to attain
salvation and to get out of the cycle of birth and death.
The different branches of Hinduism are like the
branches with aerial roots which support the tree individually. Even though the
first trunk is destroyed the tree continues to survive. The tree continues to
survive even many of its branches are cut; many of its trunks (aerial roots)
are destroyed. For a distant observe the tree may look huge with the only outer
aerial roots visible, but as one gets close the huge number of aerial roots,
branches makes the religion more complex. Thus for simplifying the study people
follow one root and finally can trace the source of the tree.
The various offshoot religions of the original
Vedic religion become self supporting with time, but the huge canopy of the
Vedas which acted as the guidelines is maintained. The trunks which form out of
the aerial roots supply life to various branches without any distinction.
Though distinct from another the source remains the same. The fruit may be full
of insects, but once the insects are driven out it is only sweet pulp which can
be consumed. The complex structure may be difficult to understand, but it
enables the tree grow to large areas and give shade to many.
But other religions can only be compared to the
coconut tree, where in every part is useful and cannot survive it one trunk is
destroyed. The requirement of protection becomes more tremendous for the
survival. The fruits are at the top and is available to those who reach the
top. Occasionally the fruits fall to the people who stay at the bottom and if
unaware can also lead to death. Thus many people want to go close to the
source, but there is danger. One set of forces act to protect the trunk from invasion,
another set of forces create injury by making the falling of fruits, the leaves
etc. But there is no such danger under the Banyan tree or in Hinduism.
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