Book Excerpt: The Peepal, a tree sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains of the Subcontinent

An illustration showing the Buddha meditating under a peepal tree. Photo: iStock

The peepal tree, scientifically known as Ficus religiosa L., belongs to the Moraceae family. ‘Ficus’ means fig and ‘religiosa’ means venerated. Its Sanskrit name ‘ashvattha’ translates to ‘under which horses stand’. Bodhadruma, another Sanskrit name, means the tree of perfect wisdom. As the tree has a resemblance to the poplar tree, it has been given the name poplar or pappel, a tree familiar in the northern latitudes. This tree is called populo delle Indie or the Indian poplar in Italy. This was known as the poplar-leaved fig tree in earlier descriptions of Indian flora. This tree is blessed with a very long lifespan of 900-1,500 years. This is reported to have been flourishing in its native habitat for over 3,000 years.

This is a large, deciduous or semi-evergreen tree without aerial roots. Generally, it grows to a height of 25 m and is often epiphytic. Its leaf is heart-shaped with a wavy margin and an elongated tip. This tree flowers in July-September and fruiting occurs in September-November. The fruits are small green figs that become purple when ripe.

The common English names for this tree are sacred fig, sacred bo, peepal or pipul. This is also known as anhot in Assamese; asbattha in Bengali; piplo in Gujarati; pipal in Hindi; arali, aroli and ashvattha in Kannada; pimpal in Konkani; bodhivrikasham, aeri-al, arayal, ashvatham and arasu in Malayalam; sana khongnang in Manipuri; pimpal in Marathi; aswattha and jari in Odia; ashvattha, bodhivriksha and plaksha in Sanskrit; arasu in Tamil; rai, ragi and ravi in Telugu; and peepal in Urdu.

This tree grows in plains at an altitude up to 1,200 m. It is widely planted in villages, along avenues and near temples. This species is native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asian countries like Bhutan, China, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam. It was introduced in Sri Lanka in 288 BCE and subsequently in other countries such as the Philippines and Singapore. Introduced in Israel, it has become widely distributed because of the presence of its associated pollinator wasp in the country. Today, this species has been distributed to Africa, North America, Central America, Caribbean, South America, Australia and Fiji.

Among Hindus, it is a common practice to use the twigs of the peepal tree while performing homam. Hindu women tie a red cloth around the trunk of the tree to pray for a child. As it is believed that Goddess Lakshmi sits under the tree on Saturdays, the tree is worshipped on this particular day to obtain wealth. There is a common belief that if one waters this tree, their children will benefit immensely. It is believed that installing a Shiva Linga under this tree and worshipping it regularly can bring materialistic happiness. It is also said that reciting the Hanuman Chalisa while sitting under this tree may help the concerned to attain a positive soul. People believe that if one writes ‘Sri Ram’ with chandan (sandalwood) paste on 11 leaves of a peepal tree and offers it to Hanuman, they will be freed from all obstacles and hindrances. It is advised to worship the peepal tree every Monday to have a booming business. It is also believed that chronic illness or diseases may be cured by watering and worshipping the tree daily. People hope that one’s forefather’s debts will be forgiven by watering the tree for 43 days, except on Sundays.

In all the three major religions that originated on the Indian subcontinent, that is, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, this tree is considered significant. Hindu hermits and Jain monks used to meditate under this tree as it is considered sacred. Hindus worship the tree by going around it seven times, saluting the king of trees. Gautama Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment under this tree. Buddhists regard the peepal tree as the personification of the Buddha. The peepal tree is considered to symbolize enlightenment and peace. Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment, is in Bihar, India. It is said that though the original tree was destroyed, it has been replaced many times. A branch of the original tree, introduced in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, in 288 BCE, is considered to be the oldest living human-planted flowering tree in the world, and is now known as Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. In Hindu scriptures, this tree is associated with the source of the Saraswati River. In Skanda Purana, it is mentioned that Saraswati originates from the water pot of Brahma which flows from the Plaksha tree in the Himalayas. In Vamana Purana (V.P.32.1-4), it is reported that the Saraswati rose from the peepal tree (Plaksha tree). In Rig Veda also, the same kind of report is found. Tree worship on Saturdays and the tree marriage of peepal with bargad (Ficus benghalensis) is a special Nepali culture expressing their love for trees. Saturday worship is performed to please the planet Saturn. This is common among the people of Nepal. The sacred fig is associated with the star Poosam in Hindu mythology. The tree is considered to be the son of Lord Maha Vishnu. In India, people consider this tree as holy and refer to this as Bodhadruma as this is believed to have the ability to enlighten the spiritual and mental faculties. People think that this tree releases positive energy. Snake gods are propitiated under the canopy of this tree in Kerala.

Excerpted with permission from Green Pearls of India: Tracing the Roots of Sacred Trees by V Sundararaju@2023 Rupa Publications 

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