Wednesday 15 April 2015

Tree worship is an integral part of Hinduism, which believes the Universal Spirit or Omnipresent God resides in everything.



Tree worship is an integral part of Hinduism, which believes the Universal Spirit or Omnipresent God resides in everything. In Padama Purana, great religious significance has been attached to Amla tree. The veneration of the amla tree in particular is due to the belief that the god Vishnu resides in and near the tree, particularly on Amalaka Ekadashi. In some traditions, his consort Lakshmi is said to dwell in the tree. It is believed that Vishnu's avatar Krishna and his consort Radha reside near the tree. Amla fruit is very dear to Lord Vishnu and its use on the auspicious day of Ekadashi brings unmatched virtue. A person who regularly eats Amla enjoys a long life. The following tale adequately describes the religious importance of Amla. Once upon a time, a chandala went into the forest for hunting. He hunted many deer and birds. Feeling hungry, he saw an Amla tree and climbed up the tree. This way he satiated his hunger by eating sweet Amla fruits. Unfortunately while he was climbing down the tree, he fell down and died. When the attendants of Yamaraj arrived to take back his soul, they could not do so even after repeated attempts. The attendants of Yamaraj became very surprised and went to the sages for clarification. The sages revealed to the attendants that they could not go near the chandala's dead body, because he had eaten Amla just before his death. Such is the glory of Amla!
Hari Om Tat Sat Namah Shivaya!

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