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Adi Shankara & Alangium hexapetalum

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azhignchil_in_jaffna.jpg


Adi Shankara & Alangium hexapetalum


Adi Shankara, the greatest philosopher of India uses lot of similes from nature to illustrate Advaita philosophy. In one sloka he used four birds. I have written about it in my earlier post. One of his interesting observations is about a tree called Ankola in Sanskrit, Alinjil in Tamil and Alangium hexapetalum in botanical term. Its other variety is Alangium salvifolium.
‘’ True Bhakti or devotion is explained with the help of Ankola tree and magnet in Sivananda Lahari and Viveka Chudamani of Adi Shankara.


Ankolam nijabeejasanthathi syaskanthopalam suchika………… (Sivananda Lahari, verse 61)
Sri Shankara has explained what real Bhakti is. The relation between the devotee and Iswara(God) is explained with reference to five examples. They are the tree known as Ankolam and its seeds; the magnet and the needle; a chaste woman and her husband; a creeper and a tree; and a river and the ocean.


The ankola tree (Azinjil in Tamil) is found in the forest. It is said that when its fruits fall to the ground, the seeds, liberated from the fruit by some compelling force within, move close to the trunk of the tree, gradually climb up, and get inseparably attached to the tree. During my travels, I was shown this tree in a forest. I saw the seeds sticking o the trunk of the tree, though I was not able to observe the actual movement of the seeds from the ground to the tree. This example of the seeds which fall away from the tree struggling back and attaching themselves to the tree, is denoted by the words ‘’aankolam nija beeja santatih’’.

---- Kanchi Paramacharya’s Talk on February 8, 1958 in Madras (Page 90/91 ‘Acharya’s Call Part 2)

adi-shankara.jpg

Later tamil literature Seevaka Chintamani refers to this tree. This tree and its parts have got medicinal properties. It has got anti microbial activity. It is traditionally used for tonic and treatment of haemorrhoids (Piles complaint).


Jesus Christ and Nardostachys jatamansi

The trade name of the plant is Jatamansi. The botanical term is Nardostachys jatamansi. It has tonic, anti spasmodic and stimulant properties; it is useful in treatment of certain types of fits, convulsions and palpitation of heart. This is known as Spikenard in English. A costly perfumed ointment is made from this plant.


Spikenard was important for religious ceremony amongst the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. The term appears to have been used to refer to more one species of plant. Whilst spikenard has been identified as a perfume distilled from the desert camel grass (Cymbopogon schoenanthus) the ointment of spikenard Mary used to anoint Jesus feet before the Last Supper is thought to have been derived from the stem of and Nardostachys jatamansi, the perennial Himalayan plant.
------ Page 27, Plants for People
jatamansi_flowering_plant.jpg


Please read the following articles written by me--
நான் எழுதிய வேறு மருத்துவக் கட்டுரைகள்:

1.டாக்டர் முருகனும் பேஷன்ட் அருணகிரிநாதரும் 2.இளநீர் மகிமையும் தென்னையின் பெருமையும் 3.தக்காளி ரசத்தின் மகிமை 4.Why Do Hindus Practise Homeopathy? 5.Copper Kills Bacteria 6.Amazing Medical Knowledge of Tamils 7.நெல்லிக்காய் மகிமை: அவ்வையாரும் ஆல்பிரூனியும்,அருணகிரிநாதரும் 8.OM boosts Brain Power 9.Prayers Good for Hearts, says scientists 10.யானைக் காப்பி 11.ஒருவேளை உண்பான் யோகி 12.Tomatoes Prevent Cancer 13.Head towards North is Wrong 14.Miracles by the Blind and Oldest Organ Donation 15.The Tortoise Mystery: Can we live for 300 years? 16.Scientific Proof for Shamudrika Lakshnam 17.Bhishma: First man to practise Acupuncture 18.வடக்கே தலை வைக்காதே 19.How did a Pandya King get a Golden Hand? 20. அருகம்புல் ரகசியங்கள்+ 600 articles on other subjects.

Pictures are used from Wikipedia and other sites;thanks.
 
Later tamil literature Seevaka Chintamani refers to this tree. This tree and its parts have got medicinal properties. It has got anti microbial activity. It is traditionally used for tonic and treatment of haemorrhoids (Piles complaint).

Dear Sir,

After the defeat of Shakta Navagupta to Adi Shankara...Navagupta resorted to black magic and that caused Adi Shankara to develop an incurable rectal fistula...which was finally cured by Padmapada using a mantra to reverse the black magic done after several failed attempts by physicians to cure Shankara.

So I was just wondering since this tree had medicinal properties to treat hemorroids so I wonder if this tree was also used in attempt to treat Adi Shankara and hence the special interest in this tree??

I wonder???
 
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