Nimba
Nimba · nimba, “the neem tree”
Grammar: masculine noun, the name of a tree: the neem.
Meaning: the neem tree, its wood, leaves and oil.
In the scriptures: the Bhavishya Purāṇa names nimba in these places:
- For the pratimā. Nimba is among the best trees for pratimās. Each of the four varṇas is assigned two trees in turn from the list beginning with madhūka, and the rest, beginning with nimba, are common to all (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 131). A thumb-joint image of Gaṇapati of neem wood, worshipped daily with dhūpa and gandha and tied unseen on the head, makes one dear to all people (Brahma Parva, Chapter 30).
- Trees with no pratishṭhā. Nimba is among the trees that have no pratishṭhā, with Jayantī, Somavṛksha, Somavaṭa, Panasa, Kadamba, Kanakapāṭalā, Śālmali, Nimbakā, Bimba, Aśoka and others (Madhyama Parva, Bhāga 3, Chapters 14–17).
- Dear to Bhagavān Sūrya. White arka, red karavīra and nimba are very dear to Bhagavān Sūrya, and on Jyeshṭha śukla trayodaśī one does their pūjā (Uttara Parva, Chapters 87–88). A neem tree stands on the right, with the Rājñī mandira on the left (Brahma Parva, Chapter 130).
- In vrata and homa. At a pāraṇa one takes neem leaf as prāśana (a sipping or tasting of the rite) and eats in silence (Brahma Parva, Chapter 100). Among the twelve prāśanas of a vrata, the seventh is nimba leaf (Uttara Parva, Chapter 21). Homa with neem leaves and all kinds of oil causes vidveshaṇa (estrangement) (Brahma Parva, Chapter 29).
- In planting. He who plants one pippala, one nimba, one vaṭa, ten tintiḍī, one each of kapittha, bilva and āmalaka and five mango trees never sees the face of naraka (Uttara Parva, Chapters 127–129).
- Its oil. Among neem and mustard oils and the like, the better is lower by a fifth (Brahma Parva, Chapter 12).
- For Manasā Devī. On Śrāvaṇa kṛshṇa pañcamī one does pūjā of Manasā Devī in the courtyard with nīma leaves, and there is never fear of snakes (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Madhyama Parva, Bhāga 2, Chapters 7–8).
- Nimbārka. When Nimbārka Muni had given food and the sun had set, he established the tejas of Bhagavān Sudarśana, by his own tejas, upon a nimba tree nearby (Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 7).
Related terms: Pratimā · Pratishṭhā · Bilva · Arka · Karavīra
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapters 12, 29–30, 100, 130–131; Madhyama Parva, Bhāga 2, Chapters 7–8; Bhāga 3, Chapters 14–17; Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 7; Uttara Parva, Chapters 21, 87–88, 127–129