Kalpavriksha tree and its relevance today

Kalpbrikh is indeed a legendary tree grown only in Heaven in the garden of Indra, the king of Heaven . It is said that the heavenly tree donates whatever one wants from it. One may find the story in Indian Epic Mahabharata how Shri Krishna took the branch of the tree from the garden after fierce fight and brought it to earth to please his consort. In reality there is no such tree which fulfills all the gifts that are wanted from it. There are some trees which have been proved to be extremely beneficial to the humans. Out of all such trees Baobab has been found to be most beneficial to the humans.,

It is a native tree of Africa but many varieties are found in Madagascar. It is also found in arid zone of Arabia and Australia. This tree donates every part of it to humans for various purposes and the commoners in Africa are grateful to such trees. Those who are interested to find how the trees offer so much benefit to the humans may consult the net to see the details. In western and Southern India there are some baobab trees and I like to finish the topic by telling a very funny incident. Once in Secunderabad in India some thieves were being chased by sentries who much of their surprise found the thieves vanished before a tree. Actually it is a baobab tree so wide that inside it as many as 40 people may hide . Guess how a tree can act as living house too. Anyway I leave it to the avid readers to fine how this tree has been accepted as the most beneficial tree on the earth.

Kalpavriksha tree might not directly mean wish-fulfilling tree but can be interpreted in a different way in today's world. It essentially means a tree that has long life and whose each and every part can be useful for human being.... For example: Coconut Tree.... Its roots are used in beverages and medicine, Trunk can be used in furniture work/paper industry. Leaves are used in creating bags, hats, brooms or as covering roofs and fences. The husk of coconut produces coir which is used in creating mats... The coconut itself is an important ingredient in many Indian dishes and also produces oil.. Coconut water balances the electrolytes in body and also acts in maintaining kidney functioning. This technically means coconut is a Kalpavriksha..... and not just Coconut, any other tree that benefits you over its entire long life can be called as "Kalpavriksha".

Our sages have given us some directions in the form of stories to teach us hard work. A man had seven sons ; all good for nothing , totally dependent upon him.He wanted to make them work hard after his death so that they could earn their own bread and butter. Just before his death he called all of them and said sons I have spent everything I had in bringing you up.But I remember that my father had buried a pot full of gold somewhere in the field.You can dig out and try to find it and divide the gold amongst you, after telling them this secret he died away.

The sons after his funeral rites wanted to find that pot full of gold , so they started digging every inch of the field but found nothing, they went to the sarpanch ( head of the village and told him that as per the revelation of their father they dug every inch of land but couldn't find any gold. The sarpanch was very wise and could understand what the dying man meant. He told them ok sons you have not found gold but you can get it , you have already ploughed it nicely , now you sow wheat in the field to get something to eat.They did that and found a fine crop yielding good harvest which was more than a pot of gold for them.

Golden Age: The drama begins with the Golden Age, when every soul expresses its original qualities of purity, peace, love and truth, and human relationships are marked by complete harmony. The virtuous nature of these divine beings is mirrored by nature, which is in its pristine state and serves humans with abundance. This is the time remembered as heaven or paradise by humanity.

Silver Age: As time goes by, the souls, who are the actors in this drama, undergo a gradual decline. By Act Two, the number of souls has increased significantly, and though all are still happy and prosperous, the radiance and fullness that characterized their lives is no more.

Copper Age: When Act Three begins, there is a dramatic change in the souls as well as the elements of nature. The actors lose awareness of their true spiritual self, which creates duality within their minds. The first traces of conflict within and of external strife appear in the play. This fall from the grace of soul–consciousness into the illusion of body–consciousness brings with it the loss of mastery. Human beings search for power and possessions in order to compensate for a growing inner void. Even while searching for lost truth and enlightenment they are deceived into believing that accumulating material possessions will bring them security and peace of mind.

Iron Age: This state of ignorance and helplessness, and the resulting uneasiness and strife, get worse, and by Act Four, the world is in a state of total despair. Devoid of their spiritual powers, the souls are acting under the influence of vices, and consequently experiencing pain and sorrow. The human family, divided on the lines of race, religion, language, politics and ideology, is torn by conflicts. The planet itself is groaning under the burden of the human population, which has grown exponentially.

Diamond Age: It is at such a time that the director of the drama appears quietly in one corner of the stage, marking the start of Act Five. He begins to unveil the truths inherent in the story of human life: the truth of the immortality of the soul, its true, eternal relationship with God and the true path to fulfillment and liberation. These words of truth stir, in the actors, memories of their long distant past; there is an awakening. Standing at the dawn they can again observe the carousel of life in its entirety – from divinity to duality, from gold to iron – each soul melding with the eternal rhythm until it comes full circle.

With love for God in their hearts and truth once again permeating their being, the actors dance their way gradually off the stage, united in their vision of the approaching golden morning. The darkness of the night slowly lightens into the dawn of the new day. As the curtain comes down on Act Five, it rises again to mark the beginning of Act One. Humanity has come full circle: the old journey of life has ended; a new world begins.

Why is coconut tree called Kalpavriksha? Originally Answered: Why is coconut known as "Kalpavriksha"? It is because every part of the coconut tree is useful. The leaves are matted and used as building material for roof and side wall in the huts.The sticks from dried leaves will be made into broomstick. Fans are made from the young leaves . Baskets are weaved from leaves. The coconut when tender, the water inside the nut is used as a delicious drink. The matured coconut flesh is used in cooking and the milk extracted from the flesh is used for gravies and also alternate to dairy.

The dried coconut flesh is called copra and is used to extract coconut oil and also in cooking. The defatted coconut flour is used as source of protein and fiber in bakery. Coconut outside dried husk is called coir ,used to make ropes, floor mats etc. Palm sugar is made from budding flowers. The sap of flower and inflorescence is used to make alcohol and vinegar. The liquid secretion from inflorescence collected before dawn is used as a Neera the health drink, in Karnataka, India.

The dried midrib/trunk is used to make boats and also as furniture. The sap of trunk is also used in paper making. The dried shell is used for utensils. Coconut dry shell with husk after removing the meat is used as fuel. Roots are used in making tooth brush, drink, medicine ,dye etc. Spathe and genet are used for making headgears like helmets and caps. Heart of palm is a vegetable harvested from inner core of growing buds of coconut, but may not be encouraged as it might harm the tree. Now Peta has come out with new vegan wool from coir and coconut milk fiber! Cheers!