All posts tagged neem tree

Neem Tree Wonders (Post No.7536)

Written by London Swaminathan

Post No.7536

Date uploaded in London – – 4 February 2020

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge; this is a non- commercial blog.

There is an interesting anecdote about neem trees. A newly married wife was worried as her husband had to proceed on a long journey on some assignment. His wife consulted the local doctor who advised her to ask her husband to sleep under a tamarind tree during his onward journey and under a neem tree on his return journey. Tamarind will make any one sick if one sleeps under it. Sleeping under the tamarind tree made her husband sick. So without continuing his journey he returned home quickly. But he remembered to sleep under neem tree while returning. This gave him quick recovery. He was alright when he came back home. His wife was very happy. This folk tale highlights the medicinal property of the Neem trees.

But it is not just a folk tale. Two major tragedies attracted the world attention towards neem. In 1958 there was a devastating locust attack in Nigeria that wiped out every tree in the area, leaving only the neem trees untouched. And the second was the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984 which killed over 3000 people. But the neem trees were not affected.

In Ayurveda books neem has been mentioned by Charaka and others.

India fought with USA for nearly fifteen years for the patent rights for neem tree and won at last.

Neem’s botanical name is Azadirachta indica. Also known as Veppa or nimba in vernacular languages. It is called margosa tree.

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Gudi Padwa Festival

A gudi is a long pole. People of Ayodhya were very happy when Lord Rama returned to the city after 14 years in exile . They celebrated the occasion by displaying ‘gudi’ at the entrance of their houses. At the top end of the pole, a coloured silk cloth is pleated and fixed with a silver or brass pot. It is decorated with a small garland of flowers and twigs of the neem tree. Gudi padwa day is the new year day according to Shalivahana Shaka. Marathi and Konkani Hindus celebrate it. It falls on the first day of the month of Chitra. Nearer this time comes the Telugu New Year called Ugadi. First day of Chitrai month is new year day for Tamils and many other communities in India as well.

Tamils use the flowers of neem in the Payasam for the Tamil New Year Day, which is a sweet liquid made with jaggery.

Neem tree occurs in various amulets found in ancient India.

In the Buddhist Jataka Tales, it is praised as nature’s bitter boon.

In India there is a common belief that chewing fresh leaves of neem daily purifies the blood and strengthens the defence mechanism of human body. They even say that one gets immunity from even snake poison and scorpion poison.

Neem has been mentioned in Charak Samhita. All parts of the tree are used to treat internal and external ailments. It is a medicine for skin diseases. The pharmacological properties of the Neem tree are so popular in India that virtually it is playing the role of a village dispensary. They use almost every part of the tree in one way or other. The twigs are used as truth brushes. It has germicidal and anti -septic properties. The decoction of bark and leaves is used as febrifuge to relieve fever. The dry flowers are used in certain dishes. The leaves and bark are used to heal wounds, ulcers, jaundice and skin diseases. The fruits are used as purgative.

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The oil of the seeds is used as a medicinal hair oil and also for curing rheumatism and leprosy.

Prayer meetings by Gandhiji at Sabarmati Ashram and Sevagram were conducted under neem tree.

Cutting of these trees is a taboo as it is considered akin to killing a young girl.

In India deaths due to pesticides are very high. Neem’s pesticidal property will save many.

Source. Organiser article dated 12-6-2005 with my inputs.

My old articles on the same subject:

tamilandvedas.com › 2017/06/11 › significance-of-neem-tree-in-hind…

Significance of Neem Tree in Hinduism – Tamil and Vedas

11 Jun 2017 – Some interesting stories about Neem trees (Margosa tree, Veppa Maram in Tamil) were compiled by Rev Osborn Martin in his book the ‘Gods …

neem tree | Tamil and Vedas

https://tamilandvedas.com/tag/neem-tree/

The sadhu instructed one of his disciples to bring a good quantity of neemleaves. These leaves are very bitter. He was asked to grind them and make Laddus …

Posted on 16 October 2015

Bodhi Tree | Tamil and Vedas

https://tamilandvedas.com/tag/bodhi-tree/

Tamils have been using Neem (Veppa Maram in Tamil வேப்ப மரம்) for ages to stop the virus of small pox. If one takes it from young age in the prescribed …

Posted on 3 October 2014

Banyan Tree and Sanatkumaras | Tamil and Vedas

https://tamilandvedas.com/tag/banyan-tree-and-sanatkumaras/

Tamils have been using Neem (Veppa Maram in Tamil வேப்ப மரம்) for ages to stop the virus of small pox. If one takes it from young age in the prescribed …

Posted 25 November 2102

Indian Wonder – The Banyan Tree – South Indian Society

http://www.sisnambalava.org.uk/…/indian-wonder-the-banyan-tree-20130318043049.aspx

18 Mar 2013 – Reand and enjoy this article about “Banyan Tree” from Mr. Santhanam Swaminathan.

Tamarind Tree | Tamil and Vedas

https://tamilandvedas.com/tag/tamarind-tree/

Tamils have been using Neem (Veppa Maram in Tamil வேப்ப மரம்) for ages to stop the virus of small pox. If one takes it from young age in the prescribed …

Posted on 26 March 2016

Magic of Trees! | Tamil and Vedas

https://tamilandvedas.com/2012/11/25/magic-of-trees/

25 Nov 2012 – Magic of Trees! Picture shows Newton under Apple Tree. Hindu Saints composed Upanishads under the Himalayan Trees. Buddha attained …

Strange LUTA Disease in Kashmir! (Post No.3890); posted on 8 May 2017

–subham–

Significance of Neem Tree in Hinduism (Post No.3992)

Compiled by London Swaminathan

Date: 11 June 2017

Time uploaded in London- 13-17

Post No. 3992

Pictures are taken from various sources such as Face book, Wikipedia and newspapers; thanks.

contact: swami_48@yahoo.com

Some interesting stories about Neem trees (Margosa tree, Veppa Maram in Tamil) were compiled by Rev Osborn Martin in his book the ‘Gods of India’, published in 1914.

“There is a special sect of Sun Worshippers called the NIIbaarak. They are Vaishnavas and, as their name implies, they worship the ‘Sun in the Neem Tree’.

Botanical name of neem tree: Azadirachta indica; Family- Meliaceae

The story runs that their founder was a Bairagi ( a wandering ascetic) to dine with him. He prepared the dinner, but unfortunately delayed to call his guest until the sun had well nigh set. Now the holy man was forbidden by the rules of his order to eat except during the day time, and was afraid he would be compelled to refuse the dinner; but at the solicitation of his host, Surya Narayan (Suuraj Naaraayan), the Sun God, descended on the Neem trees under which the feast was spread and continued beaming upon them till the feast was over”

(This is an extract taken from Popular Religion and Folk lore by Crooke).

“The neem tree in connection with the godlings of disease who are supposed to reside in it. In particular, it is occupied by Sitala (Siitalaa), the small-pox deity, and her six sisters. Hence during the rainy weather when epidemics prevail women bathe, dress themselves in clean clothes, and offer rice, sandalwood, flowers, and sometimes a burnt offering with incense at the foot of this tree. The neem is also connected with snake worship, as its leaves repel snakes.

The leaves are used through out India for its curative and medicinal purposes. Wounds and sore are bound up in Neem leaves, and by mourners they ae used as a means of avoiding death pollution, or as a mode of driving off the evil spirit which accompanies the mourners from the cremation ground. After the cremation of a dead body, people in the funeral procession chew the Neem leaves and some water is sprinkled over them with a branch of the tree.

On the Hindu New Year’s Day it is considered essential for every Hindu to worship the Neem tree., and to eat its leaves mixed with pepper and sugar, that he may not suffer from sickness or disease during the year. In practice, very few worship the tree, but its leaves are generally eaten by most of the.

At child birth a branch of a neem tree is often set at the door of the chamber.

Nearly every Hindu villager cleaned his teeth with a twig of a Neem tree, till plastic tooth brushes were sold.

Test of Truth Speaking

It is used in the test of truth speaking and a few Hindus would date to speak a falsehood whilst under the shade of the tree. Sangam Tamil literature (Kalitokai, Palai Kali verse 37) says that if someone speaks falsehood under a tree, it would wilt and wither away.

Among some tribes, the Banjaras for instance, a jealous husband throws a branch of the Neem tree on the ground and says to his wife, “ If you are a true woman, lift that neem branch”.

My old articles on the same subject:

neem tree | Tamil and Vedas

https://tamilandvedas.com/tag/neem-tree/

The sadhu instructed one of his disciples to bring a good quantity of neemleaves. These leaves are very bitter. He was asked to grind them and make Laddus …

Posted on 16 October 2015

Bodhi Tree | Tamil and Vedas

https://tamilandvedas.com/tag/bodhi-tree/

Tamils have been using Neem (Veppa Maram in Tamil வேப்ப மரம்) for ages to stop the virus of small pox. If one takes it from young age in the prescribed …

Posted on 3 October 2014

Banyan Tree and Sanatkumaras | Tamil and Vedas

https://tamilandvedas.com/tag/banyan-tree-and-sanatkumaras/

Tamils have been using Neem (Veppa Maram in Tamil வேப்ப மரம்) for ages to stop the virus of small pox. If one takes it from young age in the prescribed …

Posted 25 November 2102

Indian Wonder – The Banyan Tree – South Indian Society

http://www.sisnambalava.org.uk/…/indian-wonder-the-banyan-tree-20130318043049.aspx

18 Mar 2013 – Reand and enjoy this article about “Banyan Tree” from Mr. Santhanam Swaminathan.

Tamarind Tree | Tamil and Vedas

https://tamilandvedas.com/tag/tamarind-tree/

Tamils have been using Neem (Veppa Maram in Tamil வேப்ப மரம்) for ages to stop the virus of small pox. If one takes it from young age in the prescribed …

Posted on 26 March 2016

Magic of Trees! | Tamil and Vedas

https://tamilandvedas.com/2012/11/25/magic-of-trees/

25 Nov 2012 – Magic of Trees! Picture shows Newton under Apple Tree. Hindu Saints composed Upanishads under the Himalayan Trees. Buddha attained …

Strange LUTA Disease in Kashmir! (Post No.3890); posted on 8 May 2017

–Subham–

EFFECT OF NEEM LEAVES!

Compiled by london swaminathan

Post No.2249

Date: 16 October 2015

Time uploaded in London: 17-13

Thanks for the pictures.

Don’t use pictures. Don’t reblog for at least a week.

A lesson learnt!

In a village there lived a couple. The husband was often given to quarrelling with his wife. Whenever they quarrelled the husband would hold out a threat to his wife that he would renounce his home and become a Sadhu. The wife led a miserable life owing to her husband’s behaviour.

On the outskirts of the village a sadhu lived in his hut engaged in meditation and in imparting in spiritual advice to aspirants who went to him in the evenings. Among them, this young man was one.

One day when the husband was away to a neighbouring village on some business, his wife paid a visit to the sadhu and complained to him about how her husband threatened her that he would run away from home , and become a sadhu. The sadhu advised her that when her husband next held out the threat, she should tell him to go away and do what he liked.

After some days the husband again had sharp differences with his wife and as was his vogue said that he would become a Sadhu and run away from home. The wife retorted that he might do as he pleased. The husband, in a huff, left home and went straight to the sadhu in the hut. The man told the sadhu that he had cut off all relationships with his home and the world and spend rest of his life in the service of the sadhu. The sadhu welcomed him and asked him to be seated.

Lunch time was approaching. The sadhu instructed one of his disciples to bring a good quantity of neem leaves. These leaves are very bitter. He was asked to grind them and make Laddus out of them. The disciple did not take much time to get the Laddus ready. The man who had quarrelled with his wife was closely watching the situation.

Meanwhile the sadhu held a discourse on the efficacy of Neem (Margosa) leaves. He said for improving health and observing Brahmacharya (chastity) , neem leaves are most efficacious and added that he had decided to have for food on that day and the next day the diet of Laddus made of neem leaves. At the suggestion of the Guru, Laddus were at once served to the devotees who were present in the hut at that time. A big Laddu fell to the share of the irascible visitor. The visitor had no other go than to eat the Laddu with a wry face. The same food was served also in the evening, and the next morning. Before noon next day the visitor strangely disappeared and found himself at his home, as quiet and tame as one could be under the circumstances. From that time he neither quarrelled with his wife nor threatened her as he did before.
Story told by Swami Ramdas of Anandashram

Tamil and Vedas

All posts tagged neem tree

Neem Tree Wonders (Post No.7536)

Significance of Neem Tree in Hinduism (Post No.3992)

EFFECT OF NEEM LEAVES!

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