Trees are a very important component of our lives as it serves many purposes like medication, supplying oxygen and cool breeze, balancing the ecosystem and providing residence to many animals and birds. As we all are suffering from the ongoing rapid changing of our climate and the increase of scorching heat in the summer, it becomes our foremost duty to take certain measures to protect ourselves and this planet from destruction by reducing the amount of pollution we exhibit on daily basis and planting more and more trees.
Let us all come together in reverence for Prakriti, our sacred Nature, honoring the ancient wisdom of Sanatana Dharma, which teaches us that divinity resides in every tree, river, and breeze in order to protect the existence of our planet and ourselves.
📜 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧-𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬. ~ Rig Veda 10.97.1
It affirms the ancient Vedic reverence for the healing capacity by plants.
📜 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞, 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡, 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬. ~ Atharva Veda 12.1.17
This entire suktam is filled with the glories of Nature and the beauty of our planet Earth.
In the Mahabharata, forests are referred to as Tapovana, sacred groves where sages attained wisdom. The Banyan tree (Vriksha Raj), the sacred Tulsi, and Ayurvedic herbs such as Neem and Ashwagandha are not merely medicines; they are manifestations of life-giving energy (Prana). There's a branch of Ayurveda, known as Vrikshayurveda, which literally deals with the various measures of welfare of plants.
Now let's move on to the Puranas regarding what messages they convey regarding nature conservation. It's impossible to quote each and every verse related to nature conversion as there are infinite number of such verses in the Puranas. Let's look into some of them...
अतीतानागतान्सर्वान्पितृवंशांस्तु तारयेत्।
कान्तारे वृक्षरोपी यस्तस्माद् वृक्षांस्तु रोपयेत् ।।
तत्र पुत्रा भवन्त्येते पादपा नात्र संशय:।
परं लोकं गत: सोऽपि लोकानाप्नोति चाक्षयान्॥
पुष्पै: सुरगणांसर्वान्फलैश्चापि तथा पितृन्।
छायया चातिथीन्सर्वान्पूजयन्ति महीरुहा:॥
किन्नरोरगरक्षांसि देवगन्धर्वमानवा:।
तथैवर्षिगणाश्चैव संश्रयन्ति महीरुहान्॥
पुष्पिता: फलवन्तश्च तर्पयन्तीह मानवान्।
इह लोके परे चैव पुत्रास्ते धर्मत: स्मृता:॥
Translation:- Sanatkumāra said, "If a man plants trees in the forests, he enables his ancestors and the successors of his family, to gain redemption. Hence one should plant trees. There is no doubt that these trees become his sons. When he goes to the other world he attains the undying regions. Trees honour and worship the gods through flowers, the Pitṛs through fruits, and the guests through shade. The Kinnaras, the serpents, the Rākṣasas, the gods, the Gandharvas, the human beings and the sages depend upon trees. While in bloom or when they bear fruits, the trees delight human beings. They are as sons by way of virtue in this world and hereafter."
~ Śiva Purāna, Uma Samhita, Chapter 12, Verses 17-21
दशकूपसमा वापी दशवापीसमो हृदः।
दशहृदसमः पुत्रो दशपुत्रसमोद्रुमः ।
Translation:- One pond of water is worth ten wells, one lake is equal to ten ponds. One child is like ten lakes and one tree is equivalent of ten children.
~ Matsya Purana, Chapter 154, Verse 512
Let us plant, preserve, and revere trees not only as providers of oxygen but also as timeless healers, guided by Ayurveda and supported by science. May this commitment transcend mere ritual; may it evolve into a revolution rooted in Vedantic truth and blossoming into ecological action. Let us all pledge to plant more and more trees and protect them, honour our nature, and live in harmony with the Earth, just as our ancestors did.