Story of Screw pine (தாழம்பூ) flower and Bena Grass (வெட்டிவேர்) (Post No.11,985)
Post No. 11,985
Date uploaded in London – – May , 2023
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Story of Screw pine (தாழம்பூ) flower and Bena Grass (வெட்டிவேர்)
“Brahma originally had five heads. He and Vishnu were once contesting each other’s superiority. Just then a huge column of light appeared in front of them and they wondered what it was. They agreed that he who found either end of the column earlier would be the greater of the two. Vishnu became a boar and sought the bottom; Brahma became a swan and flew up towards the top. Vishnu returned disappointed. Brahma at the point of despair came across a falling screw pine flower (Pandanus , தாழம்பூ) . He stopped its descent and asked from where it was coming. All that it knew was that it was falling from space and nothing more. Brahma persuaded it to bear false witness and claimed superiority over his rival. Siva was enraged, snipped off that head which spoke the lie, and declared himself as the column of light.”
Then the flower was also banned from the prayer rooms and temples. Nowadays Hindus don’t use it for Pujas.
― Sri Dattatreya, Tripura Rahasya
South Indians, particularly , Tamils use this flower , for decorating the hair of girls. It is a very fragrant flower.
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The story of Bena Plant in Bengal
Khas or Khus (Andropogon muricatus வெட்டிவேர்).
is a grass known as Bena (வெட்டிவேர்) in Bengal.
Khas Shasti is celebrated on the sixth day (Shasti) of the bright half of Pausa month. It corresponds to December-January in English calendar. The goddess presiding over the day is also called Shasthi.
The story present in Bengal where the vrata/ fast is observed runs that a certain Brahmana’s daughter in law was a naughty girl. She did not work well and ate things prepared for the worship of gods. Her children therefore died young. With the object of improving her conduct under the influence of goddess Shasti, her mother in law found out a way so that she would fast for the whole day. She gave her a large number of clothes to wash and sent her away to the river for the purpose. The woman took nearly the whole day to finish her job. She did not even time to have food and she fasted unknowingly.
During her absence, her mother in law cooked different dishes for the goddess and made arrangement for the worship of bena plant/khus grass (வெட்டிவேர்). It was the symbol of goddess Shasthi. She dug up a small ditch to represent a tank, planted the sacred grass on its bank, and arranged the materials for the puja in front of it. The family priest and the musicians were kept in readiness. When the woman heard the music, and saw on her return that so much trouble was taken for her by her kind mother in law, she repented, and devoutly worshipped the goddess. The result was that her children henceforth lived long, and her sin was expiated. She and her neighbours therefore adopted the puja.
–subham—
Tags- Vettiver, Khas, Khus,Bena, Khas Shasthi, Pandanus, Screw pine flower, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
–subham—
Tags- Vettiver, Khas, Khus,Bena, Khas Shasthi, Pandanus, Screw pine flower, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
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