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Immortal Kadamba Tree

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AUM gaNapataye namaH

 

In the numerous sets of Thousand Names of the Goddess, there is a name

common to many of them: "kadamaba vana vAsinI" -- "She Who Resides in

the Forest of Kadamba Trees." This name is applied to Lalita

Mahatripurasundari, Kali, Bala, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Durga, Matangi,

and others. This reoccurence shows the essential unity among all the

various Goddesses. It also shows that the Goddess is immanent and

trascendant in the universe, for the forest of kadamaba trees is said

to symbolize the universe. She resides in and among the trees, but She

is not the trees Herself.

 

Not only important to the Goddess, the kadamba also figures

prominently in Vaishnava literature. Lord Krishna and his divine

consort Radha are always depicted as standing under the kadamba tree.

Krishna is shown as playing the flute and around Him are assembled the

cows, the peacock, the gopis and Radha. The leaves of the kadamba tree

are said to reflect the glow of the gopis' love for Krishna.

 

Legend has it that Krishna was also the slayer of Kaliya Naga, a giant

snake whose breath was so venomous that all creatures that came within

a few miles of it were destroyed. This serpent inhabited a poisonous

lake and the only thing that grew on a small island in the middle of

the lake was the kadamba tree. The story goes that the kadamba was

able to survive there because Garuda, Vishnu's eagle, had perched on

it when he flew back from heaven after drinking the immortal nectar

(amrita). As he sat on a branch of the Kadamba, he wiped his beak

against its branches and a drop of amrita fell on the tree, making it

immortal.

 

The kadamba is also associated with the founding of the city of

Madras. In ancient times, the god Indra killed the demon Vrinda.

Vrinda was a Brahmin and so Indra was cursed for Brahmahatya, the

slaying of a Brahmin. To shake off the curse he was told to find the

most sacred spot on earth. Indra wandered all over the world and in

his travels, he passed through a forest of kadamba trees. Suddenly the

curse lifted from him and he became free. He looked around him to find

out what this sacred spot could be. There reclining under the shade of

a beautiful kadamba tree, was Shiva in the form of a Lingam. Indra

built a huge canopy over this Lingam and thus, the first modern temple

came into being. In time, the forest temple became the city of Madras.

 

This auspicious tree and its flowers are used in festivals and

worship. During the May-June season, a festival to Murugan is held in

Palani called Agni Natchattram Festival. During this peak period of

summer, the kadamba blossoms around the foothills of Palani Hills and

special poojas are performed for Palani Murugan. In the early morning,

piligrims and locals wearing the kadamba flower on their hair

circumambulate the holy Palani Hill while the kadamba flowers blossom.

Saint Arunagiri Nathar has mentioned in his great work ThiruPugal that

the kadamba flower is the foremost flower to offer for Muruga worship

 

The kadamba festival in Orissa and West Bengal is celebrated by

agricultural communities. On the eleventh day of the bright fortnight

of Bhadra, the kadamba tree is planted ceremoniously. Leaves of the

Sal tree are offered to it along with cucumber and vermilion, followed

by music and dance. Worshipping the kadamba tree is supposed to ensure

wealth and children.

 

Besides stories and worship, kadamba has other uses. It is said to aid

gastric irritability and fevers in children. The timber is used for

matches and plywood. The bark of the tree is used as an antiseptic.

Finally, its flower is considered to posses medicinal value because of

its unique aroma. Since kadamba symbolises love and devotion, aromatic

kadamba incense is associated with lord Krishna.

>From the auspicious kadamba tree, we get various tales of oneness,

transcendance, immanence, curse-lifting, city-founding, festivals,

worship, and medicine. Let the kadamba inspire us as it has inspired

countless mortals and immortals before us. All hail

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Namaste Sivadancer!

 

Thanks much for this post. I was always wondering with all this talk

about kadamba, no one pointed out that our devi herself is kadamba

vana vasini from the lalitha sahasranamam.

 

I think the story of the Indra getting moksham from the lingam

happened in Madurai, not madras; the lingam is Halasyanathan, Lord

Sunderaswara of Madurai. This story is detailed in the

Halasyamahathmyam, which is the sthala purana of the Meenakshi temple

at Madurai.

 

yogaman

 

 

 

 

, "sivadancer <sivadancer>"

<sivadancer> wrote:

> AUM gaNapataye namaH

>

> In the numerous sets of Thousand Names of the Goddess, there is a

name

> common to many of them: "kadamaba vana vAsinI" -- "She Who Resides

in

> the Forest of Kadamba Trees." This name is applied to Lalita

> Mahatripurasundari, Kali, Bala, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Durga, Matangi,

> and others. This reoccurence shows the essential unity among all

the

> various Goddesses. It also shows that the Goddess is immanent and

> trascendant in the universe, for the forest of kadamaba trees is

said

> to symbolize the universe. She resides in and among the trees, but

She

> is not the trees Herself.

>

> Not only important to the Goddess, the kadamba also figures

> prominently in Vaishnava literature. Lord Krishna and his divine

> consort Radha are always depicted as standing under the kadamba

tree.

> Krishna is shown as playing the flute and around Him are assembled

the

> cows, the peacock, the gopis and Radha. The leaves of the kadamba

tree

> are said to reflect the glow of the gopis' love for Krishna.

>

> Legend has it that Krishna was also the slayer of Kaliya Naga, a

giant

> snake whose breath was so venomous that all creatures that came

within

> a few miles of it were destroyed. This serpent inhabited a

poisonous

> lake and the only thing that grew on a small island in the middle

of

> the lake was the kadamba tree. The story goes that the kadamba was

> able to survive there because Garuda, Vishnu's eagle, had perched

on

> it when he flew back from heaven after drinking the immortal nectar

> (amrita). As he sat on a branch of the Kadamba, he wiped his beak

> against its branches and a drop of amrita fell on the tree, making

it

> immortal.

>

> The kadamba is also associated with the founding of the city of

> Madras. In ancient times, the god Indra killed the demon Vrinda.

> Vrinda was a Brahmin and so Indra was cursed for Brahmahatya, the

> slaying of a Brahmin. To shake off the curse he was told to find

the

> most sacred spot on earth. Indra wandered all over the world and in

> his travels, he passed through a forest of kadamba trees. Suddenly

the

> curse lifted from him and he became free. He looked around him to

find

> out what this sacred spot could be. There reclining under the shade

of

> a beautiful kadamba tree, was Shiva in the form of a Lingam. Indra

> built a huge canopy over this Lingam and thus, the first modern

temple

> came into being. In time, the forest temple became the city of

Madras.

>

> This auspicious tree and its flowers are used in festivals and

> worship. During the May-June season, a festival to Murugan is held

in

> Palani called Agni Natchattram Festival. During this peak period of

> summer, the kadamba blossoms around the foothills of Palani Hills

and

> special poojas are performed for Palani Murugan. In the early

morning,

> piligrims and locals wearing the kadamba flower on their hair

> circumambulate the holy Palani Hill while the kadamba flowers

blossom.

> Saint Arunagiri Nathar has mentioned in his great work ThiruPugal

that

> the kadamba flower is the foremost flower to offer for Muruga

worship

>

> The kadamba festival in Orissa and West Bengal is celebrated by

> agricultural communities. On the eleventh day of the bright

fortnight

> of Bhadra, the kadamba tree is planted ceremoniously. Leaves of the

> Sal tree are offered to it along with cucumber and vermilion,

followed

> by music and dance. Worshipping the kadamba tree is supposed to

ensure

> wealth and children.

>

> Besides stories and worship, kadamba has other uses. It is said to

aid

> gastric irritability and fevers in children. The timber is used for

> matches and plywood. The bark of the tree is used as an antiseptic.

> Finally, its flower is considered to posses medicinal value because

of

> its unique aroma. Since kadamba symbolises love and devotion,

aromatic

> kadamba incense is associated with lord Krishna.

>

> From the auspicious kadamba tree, we get various tales of oneness,

> transcendance, immanence, curse-lifting, city-founding, festivals,

> worship, and medicine. Let the kadamba inspire us as it has

inspired

> countless mortals and immortals before us. All hail

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Namaste Yogaman! Thank you for the correction.

 

AUM

 

, "childofdevi

<childofdevi>" <childofdevi> wrote:

> Namaste Sivadancer!

>

> Thanks much for this post. I was always wondering with all this talk

> about kadamba, no one pointed out that our devi herself is kadamba

> vana vasini from the lalitha sahasranamam.

>

> I think the story of the Indra getting moksham from the lingam

> happened in Madurai, not madras; the lingam is Halasyanathan, Lord

> Sunderaswara of Madurai. This story is detailed in the

> Halasyamahathmyam, which is the sthala purana of the Meenakshi

temple

> at Madurai.

>

> yogaman

>

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I would like to respond or contribute, but I truly don't know what the heck

you're talking about. I think I'm just a little too uninitiated - or just plain

stupid for this site!

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I'd like to . I have no idea what you're talking about, since I know

little about Hindu gods and goddesses. I have enough trouble with my own Celtic

things. No doubt, at some point in my wanderings, I will arrive back at your

door. I hope you won't turn me away.

I send my love to you - a powerful force.

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Dear Sallie

 

I believe many of us here too are uninitiated. Perhaps you would like

to read through the old messages in the group, before calling

yourself Stupid. Do be so hard on yourself.

 

Om ParaShaktiye Namaha

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