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How To Worship Audumbar Tree In Hinduism?

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Comprehensive Guide to Worship Audumbar Tree in Hinduism

The Audumbar tree (Ficus Racemosa) holds significant spiritual importance in Hinduism. It is believed to be a manifestation of Lord Dattatreya and symbolizes prosperity, growth, and healing. Worshipping the Audumbar tree is considered highly auspicious, especially for those seeking good health, wealth, spiritual progress, and blessings from Lord Dattatreya. Here's a detailed guide on how to worship the Audumbar tree.

1. Preparation & Cleanliness

  • Personal Cleanliness: Take a bath before performing the puja to purify yourself. Maintain a clean and peaceful atmosphere for the ritual.
  • Clean the Area Around the Tree: Sweep around the base of the tree. Use eco-friendly materials like neem sticks or coconut broomsticks.
  • Attire: Wear simple, clean, and light-colored clothes such as white, yellow, or saffron. These colors are considered auspicious and symbolize purity, peace, and devotion.

2. Timing of the Puja

  • The best time to worship the Audumbar tree is early morning during Brahma Muhurta (around 4:00 AM - 6:00 AM) or during sunrise.
  • Thursday is especially auspicious for Audumbar tree worship as it is associated with Lord Dattatreya. However, puja can be performed on any day.

3. Puja Items Required

Use only eco-friendly traditional puja products:

  • Water (preferably from a clean river or well)
  • Cow’s Milk (from a free-range, ethically treated cow)
  • Panchamrit (mix of milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugar)
  • Tulsi leaves
  • Turmeric and Kumkum (Red Vermillion)
  • Flowers (preferably locally grown marigold, jasmine, or lotus)
  • Sandalwood paste
  • Incense sticks (made of natural ingredients like sandalwood or camphor)
  • Diya (lamp) made of mud or ghee-based eco-friendly wicks
  • Coconut
  • Betel leaves and nuts
  • Fruits (banana, coconut, etc.) for offering
  • Raw rice grains (for offering and decoration)

4. Simple Steps of the Puja

  1. Clean the Tree: Lightly sprinkle water on the roots of the Audumbar tree.

  2. Offer Water and Milk: Pour water and cow’s milk at the base of the tree to honor its roots and Lord Dattatreya.

  3. Apply Kumkum and Turmeric: Apply small dots of kumkum and turmeric to the base of the tree or a sacred thread tied around the trunk.

  4. Decorate with Flowers: Offer fresh flowers like marigold or jasmine, avoiding synthetic garlands.

  5. Light the Diya: Light a mud lamp or ghee lamp, placing it near the base of the tree.

  6. Incense: Offer natural incense sticks made from sandalwood, ensuring no harmful chemicals are used.

  7. Chanting Mantras: Chant the Dattatreya mantra:

    ॐ द्रां दत्तात्रेयाय नमः  
Om Dram Dattatreyaaya Namah

    You can also recite the Audumbar Ashtakam or Dattatreya Stotram if known.

  8. Offer Prasad: Offer fruits like banana or coconut, which are later distributed as prasad.

  9. Prayers: Offer heartfelt prayers to Lord Dattatreya and ask for blessings for health, prosperity, and protection.

5. Prasad to Be Prepared

  • Panchamrit: The mix of cow milk, curd, honey, sugar, and ghee.
  • Coconut and Fruits: Simple, eco-friendly offerings that can be shared among participants after the puja.
  • Sweet Dishes: You can prepare traditional sweets such as sheera (halwa) or payasam using eco-friendly ingredients like jaggery and ghee instead of refined sugar.

6. Mantras and Prayers

  • Dattatreya Gayatri Mantra:

    ॐ दिगंबराय विद्महे
अवधूताय धीमहि
तन्नो दत्त प्रचोदयात्
Om Digambaraya Vidmahe,
Avadhootaya Dhimahi,
Tanno Datta Prachodayat.

    This mantra invokes Lord Dattatreya for blessings, guidance, and protection.

  • Dattatreya Mool Mantra:

    ॐ श्री गुरुदत्तात्रेयाय नमः  
Om Shri Gurudattatreya Namah.

Reciting these mantras while circumambulating (doing a pradakshina) the tree brings spiritual benefit.

7. Concluding the Puja

  • Aarti: Perform a simple aarti (ritual waving of the lamp) around the tree.
  • Distribution of Prasad: Distribute the fruits and prasad (e.g., sheera, panchamrit) to everyone present.
  • Thanksgiving: Offer gratitude to the Audumbar tree and Lord Dattatreya by bowing down and touching the ground near the roots. Perform three to seven rounds of pradakshina (circumambulation) around the tree.

8. Importance and Benefits of Audumbar Tree Worship

  • Health and Healing: The Audumbar tree is associated with medicinal properties that promote physical healing, particularly skin disorders.
  • Spiritual Growth: Worshiping the tree promotes spiritual progress and enlightenment, as it is linked to Lord Dattatreya, a symbol of divine wisdom.
  • Prosperity: It is believed that those who worship the Audumbar tree are blessed with wealth, peace, and harmony in life.
  • Environmental Significance: The tree improves the environment by providing shade, oxygen, and habitat for many creatures, symbolizing the need for ecological balance.

9. Eco-Friendly Disposal of Puja Leftover Items

  • Flowers and Organic Offerings: Compost the used flowers and organic materials. They enrich the soil and maintain eco-balance.
  • Water and Milk: Pour any remaining water or milk at the base of another plant, ensuring nothing is wasted.
  • Prasad: Share leftover prasad with family, neighbors, or animals (especially cows and birds).
  • Incense and Diya Remnants: Dispose of incense stick ashes in compost. Ensure ghee lamps are completely extinguished before discarding the wick in a respectful manner.

By following this eco-friendly, mindful approach to worshiping the Audumbar tree, you align yourself with the traditions of Hinduism, respecting both spirituality and the environment. The practice not only brings blessings but also emphasizes the harmony between humanity and nature.