Adi Shankara, the greatest philosopher of India uses lot of similes from nature to illustrate Advaita philosophy. In one sloka he used four birds. I have written about it in my earlier post. One of his interesting observations is about a tree called Ankola in Sanskrit, Alinjil in Tamil and Alangium hexapetalum in botanical term. Its other variety is Alangium salvifolium.

‘’ True Bhakti or devotion is explained with the help of Ankola tree and magnet in Sivananda Lahari and Viveka Chudamani of Adi Shankara.

Ankolam nijabeejasanthathi syaskanthopalam suchika………… (Sivananda Lahari, verse 61)

Sri Shankara has explained what real Bhakti is. The relation between the devotee and Iswara(God) is explained with reference to five examples. They are the tree known as Ankolam and its seeds; the magnet and the needle; a chaste woman and her husband; a creeper and a tree; and a river and the ocean.

The ankola tree (Azinjil in Tamil) is found in the forest. It is said that when its fruits fall to the ground, the seeds, liberated from the fruit by some compelling force within, move close to the trunk of the tree, gradually climb up, and get inseparably attached to the tree. During my travels, I was shown this tree in a forest. I saw the seeds sticking o the trunk of the tree, though I was not able to observe the actual movement of the seeds from the ground to the tree. This example of the seeds which fall away from the tree struggling back and attaching themselves to the tree, is denoted by the words ‘’aankolam nija beeja santatih’’.

—- Kanchi Paramacharya’s Talk on February 8, 1958 in Madras (Page 90/91 ‘Acharya’s Call Part 2)

Later tamil literature Seevaka Chintamani refers to this tree. This tree and its parts have got medicinal properties. It has got anti microbial activity. It is traditionally used for tonic and treatment of haemorrhoids (Piles complaint).

Jesus Christ and Nardostachys jatamansi

The trade name of the plant is Jatamansi. The botanical term is Nardostachys jatamansi. It has tonic, anti spasmodic  and stimulant properties; it is useful in treatment of certain types of fits, convulsions and palpitation of heart. This is known as Spikenard in English. A costly perfumed ointment is made from this plant.

Spikenard was important for religious ceremony amongst the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. The term appears to have been used to refer to more one species of plant. Whilst spikenard has been identified as a perfume distilled from the desert camel grass (Cymbopogon schoenanthus) the ointment of spikenard Mary used to anoint Jesus feet before the Last Supper is thought to have been derived  from the stem of and  Nardostachys jatamansi, the perennial Himalayan plant.

—— Page 27, Plants for People

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Pictures are taken from other sites;thanks.