Palāśavṛkṣa
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Swami Harshananda
Palāśavṛkṣa literally means ‘the tree Butea frondosa’.
In certain death-rites, three twigs of palāśavṛkṣa tree are firmly fixed in the ground. The palāśa tree is closely associated with several rites and ceremonies. A daṇḍa[1] used by the brahmacāri after his upanayāna has to be of this wood. A pot of sour milk, with several holes in it is placed over it so that the liquid drizzles over an urn containing the ashes and bones of the dead person cremated earlier. Its broad leaves are used in several religious rituals.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore