Prayer through nature,

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Dear friends and devotees, Bhakti is eternal. PRAYER THROUGH NATURE. Mūlathō brahmarūpāya, Madhyathō vishNu rūpiNē, Agrathah

Sivarūpāya, Vruksha rājāya thē namaha ׀׀ Meaning: I bow to king of trees whose,

Root is the embodiment of Lord Parabrahma, Middle is the embodiment of Lord Vishnu, Top is the embodiment of Lord Maheswara. “Oh! Aswatha tree (Pippala tree) you are the king of trees. Your roots represent Brahma, your trunk siva and your branches Vishnu. Thus you are the emblem of Trimurthi All those who honor you will obtain remission of their sins in this world and a home of bliss in the next “so goes the prayer performed during sandhyvandanam”. Comprehensive History. Tree consciousness in India is as old as her people. Its worship was the only earliest form of divine ritual which existed even before the erection of temples and idols. Our ancient culture flourished in the midst of dense forest and river banks. The saints and seers of yore retired to the sylvan retreats for meditation. They imparted knowledge to the pupils in the ashrams located amidst dense woods. So it is natural they developed a genuine love for the

forests. There are number of species of trees that people considered sacred and accordingly worship. Strangely, they are not those that produce the best fruits-the fig for instance. The tree with its thick foliage makes a splendid shade and a boon for the wayfarers and traders. In village people assemble under this tree for various activities which is called as “Rachchabanda” in Telugu folk. It is one of the

most beautiful trees and grows to huge size. Its larger leaves are very soft to touch. They are bright green in color and are so light and thin that the slightest breeze sets them motion, producing a pleasant rustle. At dawn, sparrows chirp from the boughs heralding the day break. As this giant tree produce refreshing coolness it is considered to produce health-giving properties. It is believed that Lord Vishnu was born under this tree and therefore is regarded with great respect and veneration. The tree is not supposed to be cut. The leaves are not to be pulled off unless they are used for the act of worship. The dry twigs are used as samidhas to produce sacred fire. Old timers say that the

ceremony of the consecration of the fig if done would assert untold blessings. The leaves are larger and heart shaped, with the tip drawn out into a long point. They drop of in mid winter. Buddhists call this as BODDHA TREE. IT WAS UNDER THIS TREE, Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment. TRINITY – (thrimurthi) - a

short explanation. The three gods-Brahma, Vishnu and Siva together form the Hindu Trinity. Brahma creates the world, Vishnu sustains it and Siva destroys it. Lord Brahma Lord Brahma is the first member of the orthodox Brahmanical triad. Brahma is the god of creation and he is traditionally accepted as the creator of the entire universe. The manifested world of plurality has emerged from the unmistakable reality. One of the earliest iconographic descriptions of Brahma is that of the four-faced god seated on a lotus. The Lord has in his four hands a water-pot, a manuscript, a sacrificial implement and a rosary. The description of Brahma like those of other deities of

Hinduism bears a mystic symbolism. The lotus represents the Reality. Brahma sitting on the lotus indicates that he is ever-rooted in the infinite Reality. The four faces of Brahma represent the four Vedas. They also symbolise the functioning of the inner personality which consists of thoughts. Lord Brahma is not popularly worshipped in India. This is so, because the idea of creation is repugnant to seeker of Truth since the creation of thoughts has veiled the infinite Reality. Lord Vishnu. Vishnu is one of the gods of the Trinity. Vishnu represents the power of sustenance. Vishnu is wedded to Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth. In the Vishnu Purana, sage Vyasa refers to Vishnu as the supreme all-pervading Reality. He is the Atman which manifests itself through body, mind and intellect as the individual. Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi, sits at his feet serving him. Vishnu is the one eternal, unmistakable Reality. The manifest world of plurality has emerged from the unmistakable Reality. Vishnu is known to be blue in colour. The blue colour of Vishnu indicates his infinite stature. Blue is associated

with the infinite since immeasurable entities like the sky or ocean appear blue in colour. Yellow is usually attributed to the earth. The deity stands upon a lotus. The lotus represents Truth. Vishnu has four hands. Vishnu holds a conch, a discus, a mace and a lotus. Lord Shiva Shiva is one of the gods of

the Trinity. He is said to be the god of destruction'. Shiva is married to the Goddess Parvathi (Uma). Parvathi represents Prakruti, which means perishable matter. Lord Shiva sits in a meditative pose against the white background of the snow-capped Himalayas in Mount Kailash. Lord Shiva not only represents the supreme state of perfection in man but in his very pose indicates the way to reach it as well. The state of meditation shown in Shiva's posture is again symbolic. Meditation is the final gateway to Self-realization. On the auspicious occasion of Mahashivrathri, Shiva performs the ecstatic dance of realization. Shiva is said to have a third eye known as gnana chakshu. Gnana chakshu literally means eye of wisdom.

Shiva is also known as Gangadhara. Gangadhara literally means, 'the carrier of Ganga' (river). Shiva is sometimes shown with his trident (trisula) in his hand. The trisula is a three-pronged weapon which symbolise's the destruction of the ego with its three-fold desires of the body, mind and intellect. Nataraja is Lord Shiva in the dance pose. With love and regards, Sastry.

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