raama ofering tharpanam

[Guest guest]

Dear Raama BhakthAs :

 

Sriman VasudEvan quoted from Vaalmiki RaamayaNa slOkams to let us know

that Raamaa on hearing about His father's demise at Chirakootam performed

Pithru TarpaNam using dharbham and Iluppai PiNNAkkau as PiNDam .

 

Sriman VasudEvan requested comments on the nature and tradition of Iluppai

Tree in our culture .

 

Here are my comments following Sriman VasudEvan's two items below :

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> 3. raama offered iluppai piNNaakku - oil cake - the solid refuse from the

> iluppai mara seeds after oil is >taken out - [please excuse me I am not

> able to explain what this iluppai is - in tamil if I say - it is

> something similar to punga maram - having broad flat red colour seeds

> and with oil content - or pinnai >maram - a tree on which krishNa leans -

> dictionary says this iluppai tree as terminalia cattappa]

 

> 6. in the forest raama, lakshmana and seetha did know the technique of

producing oil from the iluppai seeds, and take the cake and eat it as food.

May be the oil is used for cooking, in yagnaas as aahuthi [instead of ghee -

aajya - clarified butter] and for lighting a lamp.

 

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A. Iluppai Tree is an ancient tree of India , which grows abundantly in the

forest and is known by the Botanical name of Maducha Langifolia . It seeds

contain a fatty oil and the astringent bark has medicinal properties

(emollient ); the flowers are a stimulant . You must have heard the

proverb : " AalillA Oorkku Iluppai Poo Chakkarai " . Iluppai tree is a sthala

Vrusksham in many temples sung by NaayanmArs ( Thirumannippathikkarai ,

20 KM from MayilAduthurai and maintained by Dharma Puram Aadheenam ;

Thirujn~Ana Sambhandhar has thEvArams on this Siva Sthalam) known for

its Iluppai Forest . Iluppakkudi ( one of the 9 NagaratthAr-NaattukkOttai

Chettiyar maintained temples) is another Siva KshEthram named for its

abundance of Iluppai Forests . From Cauvery delta to Kaaraikkudi in Ramnad

District , ILuppai trees seem to have been abundant . Thirucchitthirakootam

is in

this belt .

 

B. AadhivAsigaLs ( Forest dwellers of ancient times) did not cultivate crops

and hence did not eat rice or grains . They ate largely jungle fruits and

flowers . They used oil from some Tree seeds to cure diseases . Iluppai is

one such tree .

 

C. ThiruvaLLuvar , the great Tamil poet was born under an Iluppai Tree . His

memorial is on the Eastern side of Sanskrit College , Mylapore at his birth

site .

 

D. Iluppai trees are planted on river banks to help prevent water run off

and soil erosion .

 

E. Siddhars use Iluppai oil for Kaama dahanam ( to burn away the improper

desires). They soak the effigy of Kaaman in Iluppai oil and set fire to it

with their manthrams . Poovarasu, Iluppai , Punnai , Pungai , Kadampu and

Maracchurai have specific roles to play in siddhar Vaidhyam .

 

F. Last but not least is the connection of Iluppai tree to Revathy

Nakshathram , the birth star of Lord RanganAtha . In Nakshathra Poruttham

for Marriages , the star , animal , bird , Tree and GaNam are matched

between a potential bride and bridegroom for match . Each of the 27 stars

have 27 trees to match and they should not be the same or should be

seperated by some distance .

 

Revathy comes as the last in the list of stars but has important Vedic

significance .

 

Some samples of Stars and their correlates to trees are ( there are other

complex set of matches to be made as well in this scheme based on GaNam ,

MahEndhram , Nadi , Vedhai , ChevvAy dhOsham and Dasaa sAnthi) . Let us

stay with the Nakshathram and tree matches only here to bring out the

Iluppai tree in the scheme of things :

 

Aswini (Yetti Tree) , BharaNi ( Peru Nelli ) , Kaarthigai (Atthi) ,

RohiNi ( Naaval/Jambhu dear to KrishNa) , Mrugaseersham

( Hard wood tree : KarumkAli) ,

 

ThiruvAdhirai ( Tippili /SenkAli reminding us of AchArya RaamAnuja

being the KaashAyam for SamsAric illness ) , Punarpoosam ( Moongil tree

compared to Lord Ramachandran's beautiful upper arm ) , Poosam

( Arasa Maram ) , Aayilyam ( PuNNai linked with Rudran) ,

 

Makam ( Aala Maram) , Pooram ( PalAsu) , Uttharam (AraLi) , Hastham

( Kaattumaa) , Chitthirai ( Vilvam linked to MahA Lakshmi) , SvAthy

( Marutham /Narasimhar ) , VisAkam ( ViLA maram /wood apple) , Anusham

( Mahizha Maram linked to Swamy NammAzhwAr) , JyEshtA /KEttai

( Kuttippalaa or stunted Jack Fruit tree) , Moolam (Mango) ,

PooraDam (Aasaa or Vanjikkodi ) , UthtirADam ( Palaa ) ,

TiruvONam ( Yerukku) , vittam ( Vanni linked to Agni ) ,

athayam ( KadAmpu linked to KrishNa ) , PoorattAthi ( ThEmaa) ,

UthtirattAdhi ( Vempu with many mediicanl properties) ,

REVATHY ( ILUPPAI Tree) .

 

Many indeed are the links of Iluppai Tree and its flower , bark, oil

and PiNNAkku ( extract after pressing for oil ) .

 

Sri RamabhadhrAya Nama:

 

V.Sadagopan