The Sacred Bilva Tree

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Namaste Surya, its good to hear you trim your Bilva tree once a year and the leaves grow back better. Puja can be done by offering flowers, ghee lamp and incense. For the benefits, please read the following excerpt of an article written by Swami Vibhooti Saraswati:

The Bilva tree in the Shiva Purana

According to the Shiva Purana (7 AD) the Bilva tree is the manifest form of Lord Shiva himself, while all the great tirthas (pilgrimage places) are said to reside at its base. One who worships the shivalingam while sitting under the Bilva, claims this great epic, attains the state of Shiva. Washing the head by this tree is said to be the equivalent of bathing in all the sacred rivers.

One who performs Bilva pooja with flowers and incense achieves Shiva loka, the abode of pure consciousness, and has happiness and prosperity bestowed upon them.

The lighting of the deepak (lamp) before this tree bestows knowledge and enables the devotee to merge in Lord Shiva.

The Shiva Purana also claims that if the devotee removes the new leaves from one of the branches of that tree and worships the tree with them, they will be freed from vice, while one who feeds a devotee under the Bilva will grow in virtue.

Jai Shambho

, suriya varman <suriya_aurath wrote:>> Dear Narasimhaye,> > I read your article on the Bilve tree.... We have a small Bilve tree at home, but abt once a year the leaves will turn yellow, so we will cut it so that it will grow better and it does...> > Is there any puja that we could do for the tree since its considered sacred and wat will be the effects like ?> > Thanks> Surya>