Ārāma Pratishṭhā

Ārāma Pratishṭhā, “the consecration of a garden”

Ārāma Pratishṭhā is the consecration of a public garden (ārāma or udyāna-vana) and the planting of trees for everyone to use. The Matsya Purāṇa (Chapter 59) gives the full rite. It follows closely the rite of Tāṭāka Pratishṭhā, the consecration of tanks. Trees are dressed in gold ornaments, a homa is done for four days, and a kapilā cow is given to walk freely among the trees. Even planting one tree for the public good earns residence in svarga for the length of three Indra-lifetimes. The phala at the end is moksha without return.

The Agni Purāṇa (Chapter 70) teaches the same pratishṭhā of trees (pādapa) and gardens (ārāma), spoken by Śrī Bhagavān, as a rite that gives both bhoga and moksha. There too the trees are bathed with the water of all herbs, adorned and wrapped in cloth, their ears are pierced with golden needles and añjana is applied with a golden rod; a homa is done for four days, the brāhmaṇas are fed and given gifts, and the ācārya receives double dakshiṇā. By it pāpas are destroyed and the supreme siddhi is gained.

How it was taught

Sūta taught the Ārāma Pratishṭhā to the ṛshis at Naimishāraṇya. He said that the main frame is the same as for Tāṭāka Pratishṭhā. The same ṛtviks (officiating priests), the same ācārya and the same materials for pūjā and decoration are used. Only the things consecrated are different. This is in the Matsya Purāṇa, Chapter 59.

Adorning the trees

Before the pratishṭhā, all the trees in the garden are honoured as living beings.

  • All the trees are bathed with sarvaushadhī-jala (water of all herbs) and with scented waters.
  • The tips of the branches are decorated with garlands of flowers and with white cloth (vastra).
  • Gold tīga (thread or wire) is used to “pierce the ears” of the trees. This invests them with ornament.
  • Gold kaddīs (sticks) are put on as kāṭuka (eye-liner). This honours the trees’ power to perceive.
  • Seven or eight gold fruits (phala) are made and hung on the branches.
  • All the trees are placed in saprādhānya (mixed grain) in the adhivāsana ceremony.
  • The trees are dressed with cloth, with scented paste (gandha-anulepa) and with a pūjā-pātra (vessel of worship).

Each tree is also offered a water vessel and gold. Bali is offered to all the tree devatās and to Indra on behalf of each tree. A homa led by a brāhmaṇa is done, invoking the vanaspati-devatās (devas of the trees).

The kapilā cow

A kapilā cow in white cloth is let go to walk freely among the trees, heading north. She has gold horns (śṛṅga), a gold headpiece with a garland, and a bronze milking vessel. By this act the garden is placed in the care of Lakshmī.

The rite

  • The yajamāna (the one who performs the rite) and his wife are bathed with abhisheka mantras of the Ṛg Veda, the Yajur Veda and the Sāma Veda.
  • They dress in white silk.
  • The ṛtviks and the ācārya are honoured with cows, dakshiṇā, gold murugas, rings and the tools of pūjā.
  • Four days of homa follow. They use āvala, barley (yava), black tila (sesame) and palāśa samidhas (fire sticks).
  • On the fourth day, festival celebrations (utsava) are held.
  • The ācārya receives double what each ṛtvik receives.
  • At the end the ācārya is asked for kshamāpaṇa (pardon).

The phala

The Matsya Purāṇa says that one who consecrates a garden by this vidhi has all his wishes (kāmanas) fulfilled and receives endless phala.

  • Even one who plants a single tree for the public good lives in svarga for the span of three Indra-lifetimes.
  • He frees ten generations, those born before him and those born after him. They equal in number the trees he has planted.
  • In the end he reaches moksha from which there is no return to the cycle of birth (punarāvṛtti-rahita).

Per Agni Purāṇa

In the Agni Purāṇa the rite is told by Śrī Bhagavān: “Now I tell of the pratishṭhā of trees, which gives bhoga and moksha.” The steps, in order:

  1. The tree is smeared with the water of all herbs (sarvaushadhi), sprinkled with fragrant powder, adorned with garlands and wrapped with cloths.
  2. For all the trees the karṇavedha, the piercing of the ears, is done with golden needles, and añjana (collyrium) is applied with a golden rod.
  3. Seven fruits are placed on the vedi (altar). The adhivāsana (the preparatory rite of the night before) is done for each tree, and a kumbha (water pot) is offered.
  4. Bali is offered to Indra and the other dikpālas, the guardians of the directions.
  5. At the adhivāsana of the trees a homa is done with mantras of the Ṛg Veda, or the Yajur Veda, or the Sāma Veda, or with the mantras of Varuṇa, or the mantras of Mattabhairava.
  6. An excellent brāhmaṇa bathes the trees and the yajamāna with the kalaśas on the vedi of the trees.
  7. The yajamāna, adorned, gives the brāhmaṇas cows, land, ornaments and clothes as dakshiṇā, and feeds them for four days with food made with milk.
  8. A homa is done with tila, ghee and palāśa samidhs.
  9. The ācārya is given double dakshiṇā.
  10. The maṇḍapa (pavilion) and the rest are built as told before.

The phala: by the pratishṭhā of trees and gardens, pāpas are destroyed and the supreme siddhi (perfection) is gained.

At the end of the chapter Śrī Bhagavān turns to the next teaching: the pratishṭhā of the retinues of Sūrya, Śiva, Gaṇapati, Śakti and Śrī Hari, as Maheśvara told it to Kumārasvāmī.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 70

Sources

  • Matsya Purāṇa, Chapter 59.
  • Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 70