BANYAN, THE NATIONAL TREE OF INDIA


The Banyan tree, Ficus Benghalensis as the botanists call it, is the National Tree of India. An evergreen tree that grows to a height of about a hundred feet or more, it has its aerial roots reaching to the ground: the root tips penetrate the soil building independent root systems, while the aerial stems soon thicken into trunks giving rise to collateral young trees attached to the original. Old banyan trees are surrounded by many such offsprings and many more hanging aerial roots reaching towards the ground. Such an immense composite tree can shelter over half-an-hectacre of ground and is therefore called "sahasrapaada". The tree can survive for over a thousand years, carrying along with it a priceless live ecosystem, all its own, that reminds us of the famous pond and its suroundings described in Thoreau's "Walden".
The Banyan tree is indigenous to India and South Asia. It prefers humid air and moist soil, has broad oval leaves and a white latex exudes from the bark when injured.


MYTHOLOGY & SOCIAL CUSTOMS

The fig leaf, described in oriental mythological traditions, is the leaf of Ficus Benghalensis. This tree is considered extremely sacred and is carefully protected in India and other parts of the orient. Ethnic taboos strictly prevent its injury and destruction. In some villages of India, a person who is caught cutting off a branch of this tree must sacrfice a goat in expatiation of his sin or face severe consequences.

The tree is regarded everywhere, as a symbol of peace and harmony. It was planted by emperors of the time, Jain, Sanaatanists and Buddhist alike, in India and outside, along pilgrimage and trade routes, to serve as sources of shelter for pilgrims and distance travellers. Wells and stone shelters were available nearby for rest and refreshment. Small worshipping places were also built alongside for prayer or meditation. In addition to this, even today, towns and small villages reserve meeting places where each community sports its unique Banyan tree providing shade for visitors, cultural activites and community worship.

Vata vriksha is worshipped all over India as a representative of the Trimurthis,
Brahma (roots) Vishnu ( bark) and Shiva (branches)). Vishnu is also compared to the seed of the Banyan tree, by our ancient poets, as the entire universe is said to have emanated from him, just as the gigantic Banyan tree originates from a single minute seed.

According to Hindu mythology, contemporary to the birth of human civilization, before grain became the staple food of man, mankind found, in the milk of the Banyan tree, a source of nourishing food.

According to mythology, Savitri,soon after her marriage, had to face the loss of her spouse, as predicted astrologically. When Sathyavaan's spirit was dragged away by Yama, while he was resting, tired and unprotected, under under a banyan tree, after he had cut wood for the family fire, Savitri followed Yama, impresssed him with the power of her paativratya and won back her husband fromh him. In honour of this victory of the great sati, a vrata known as Vata-Saavithri-Vrata came into being. On the poornima of the month of Jyeshta, the sumangali fasts and circumambulates the Vata Vriksha praying for her husband's longevity.It is interesting to note, in this context, that the Jains have also included Sati Savithri in their roll-call prayers as one of the satis to whom prayers are to be offered every day.

In addition to the above, the vata vriskha has also the mystic power to stimulate a barren woman overcome her socially ostracising condition. The Banyan Tree is believed to have had its origin in Vasuki's garden. Vasuki is one of the divine Navanaagas or nine snake gods. It may be noted that, in India, the snake is regarded as a symbol of fertility. The tree is said to have been brought to earth by the power of Goddess Amba. Amba wanted it on earth for the benefit of her human progeny. When her battle with Vasuki did not bring victory to her, she invoked Lord Shiva's assistance, and managed to bring the banyan tree to our earth to assure fertility to her human progeny.


SPIRITUAL COSMOLOGY & THE VATA VRIKSHA

karaaravindena padaaravindam mukhaaravinde viniveshayantham
vatasya pathrasya pute shayaanam baalam mukundam manasaa smaraami
Bhaagavatha mythology describes the "birth" of God, at the end of every manvanthara, as the "unconscious" babe, floating on the ocean of Cosmic Consciousness, waiting to be awakened. The babe rests on the surface of a fig leaf, unaware of itself, on this milky Ocean - the Ksheerasaagara.

This "Vatapatrashaayee", as the Babe is so called in Bhagavatha mythology, represents SAT- the Ultimate Reality or Essence, afloat on the ocean of CHIT- Cosmic Consciousess. The mystic fig leaf, on which It rests, represents the Mystery, beyond Time and Space, that keeps the Babe separated from consciousness of Itself.

Time comes, when activated by Its original WHIM, the Babe instinctively raises Its left foot and holds it with Its right hand to suckle Its toe. At once,It is awaknened to self consciousness. It becomes "HE" the PURUSHA, with a consciousness all His own.

This new found association of the Being with the Consciousness of Itself triggers a celestial fountain of "ANANDA", the Bliss of Consciousness: This causes creation to unfolded, in stages, in a progressive movement of infinite evolution within the cosmic parameters of space and time.
The evolving Universe and all its inhabitants, therefore, represent nothing more than the progressive crystallization of a movement that, orginating as a mystic WHIM of a lone Babe, ended in the joy of Cosmic Creation !

This mythological concept of the "Babe on the Fig Leaf", harmonises well with the concept of the " Beyond, Beyond God" that Avatar Meher Baba has described in "GOD SPEAKS", his magnum opus.

Here, I will digress, a little, to add that G.S. is the greatest original treatise on Spiritual Cosmology that has come to man after the Holy Bhaagavatham, presented by the great Veda Vyasa, created a stir in this land of vedic rishis.


TRADITIONAL MEDICINE

Ancient nighantus and modern pharmacopoeas of Indian Medicine contain much valuable information about the pharmacological properties of various parts of Ficus Benghalensis. The latex, root bark and stem bark are variously employed. Not only the tannin content of the bark but other unexplored phytochemical constituents may be partly or wholly responsible for these pharmacological actions. Such constituents are also found in the young buds and in the tips and terminal parts of the arial roots. Roots also have these constituents although to a lesser extent. Although tannins hold predominence in the study of the phytopharmacolgy of the Ficus genus, each individual species has its own characteristic action based on diverse catechin sources in the different specie.

Extracts obtained from various parts of the tree are cooling , alterative and demulcuent.The power of astringency, resulting from the presence of tannins, varies from part to part. The latex is said to have an aphrodisiac action.

Ayurvedic Pharmacology, Dravyaguna, indicates a general Piththa hara property for the plant and its parts because of the predominant kashaaya rasa( astringent components) and sheetha veerya ( cooling anabolic activity) of the drug. The ripe fruit has, in addition, a madhura rasa whch gives it a special palliating power over the Piththa dosha, especially on the SAADHAKA piththa of the heart.


RESEARCH

Two every important uses for which it is classically noted, both in classical traditions and in common folk lore, are the cardiotonic action of the ripe fruits and the use of the free ends of the aerial roots in dental hygience. There is scope for research on both these actions for research workers not only in the different systems of alternative medicine but in modern Phytopharmacology as well:


(1) CARDIOTONIC ACTION:

"VATASYA VRIKSHASYA PHALAANI PAKVAANI ATHEEVA HRIDYAANI ATISHEETALAANI"

The ripe fruits, as they fall down naturally on ripening, are not only nourishing both for human and aviarian consumption, but have an extraordinary cooling and tonic effect on the heart.
According to Ayurveda, the Tridoshas (Vaata, Piththa and Kapha) are the sole primary causative factors of all disease. Each of these doshas have five functional derivatives differing in physiological function and anatomical placement.

Among the five piththas, Saadhaka Piththa's functions are centred in the heart region:
Saadhakam hridgatam piththam".

The action of Saadhaka Piththa is related to stimulation and stregthening of human will and determination which has its power centre in the heart. When this Piththa is excited beyond the norms of homoeostatic harmony, it needs to be palliated as, otherwise,the heart may be strained and damaged.

Worry (chinthaa) can aggravate saadhaka Pitta's function by psycho-pathologically affecting will and determination. It is said:

chintaayaasya chithaayasya namamaathra visheshathah
chithaa dahathi nirjeevam chintaa dahathi jeevitham

There is only a slight dffrerence between the organics of fire and the patho-psychology of worry: fire only burns a dead man but anxiety progressively destroys life itself.

When it said of a person, "his heart is in his work", it really implies that the saadhaka piththa is strongly active in him. Work,it must be noted, can endanger the heart if the passion for positive results are very strong.

That is why Sri Krishna advised,

Karmanyevaadhikaarasthe ma phaleshu kadachana

Saadhaka Pitta described in Ayurvedic physiology ( Dosha-Dhatu-Mala Vigyaana ) corresponds to adrenergic stimulation of cardiac function as described in modern physiology, a stimulation of which brings on cardiac hypertension that can become more acute when accopmpanied by coronary insufficiency. It is possible that the fruits of the Banyan quench this adrenergic fire and the general catabolic activity associated with it and thus preserving homeostasis which is conducive to health and longevity.

Herein lies much scope for research workers in the alternative systems of medicine. Here is a classical example of a research oopportunity, utilising which, correlation of inter-disciplinary findings can be made scientifically. Utilising such opportunities, one assist in the efforts of holistic medical scientists in laying the foundation for constructing, in the not-so-far future, a truly Universal System of WOrld Medicine.


(2) DENTAL HYGIENE

"ARKA NYAGRODHA KHADIRA KARANJA KAKUBAADHIKAM"

Classical SWASTHAVRITTA, the branch of Hygience & Preventive Medicine of Ayurveda, gives directions for DINACHARYA or daily hygiene as a part of its philosophy and practice of preventive medcine.

This includes dental hygiene involving the use of a medicated dentrifice during morning ablutions. Fresh or dried parts of the terminal branches of various trees are specified for the purpose (see the shloka above).

Nyagroda or Vata is one of the trees mentioned here.

In addition to this finding, it is also known that tradtional medical knowledge and experience of herditary physicans suggests the use of dried and powdered tips and the hanging ends of the aerial roots of Nyagrodha, as a regular dentrifice, specially by the aged, to strengthen gums and preserve teeth firmly. The daily use of this dentrifice is also said to prevent and cure chronic infective conditions accompanying the above geriatric dental pathology.

Unlike ordinary astringents commonly found in the Ficus species and in the various parts of F. benghalensis, the tips and ends of the growing aerial roots of this specie may have additional constituents which may have specific germicidal properties. In this context, chemical isolation and clinical study may be productive of interesting results. This reminds us of an interesting finding by Indian research workers some time ago, that the tips of the branches of Ephedra plants, in the Himalayas, were found to have have higher concentrations of the alkaloid Ephedrine during nights of the full moon.


(3) ANDROGENIC ACTIVITY

Observations, in traditional medicine, that the plant's latex has aphrodisiac properties along with the mythologial references to the tree as a "Fertliity Provider", indicate a line of modern research for examining the drug and its constituents for androgenic activity.


(4) AN INAPPROPRIATE NOMENCLATURE

It would be advisable and appropriate to change the name of this specie from "Benghalensis" to the synonym, in Latin terminology, for the word "asian", seeing that its distribution is not limited to N.E.india alone.

This alteration in nomenclature will be more representative of the plant's asian distribution and its international significance as found in asian cultural folklore