Nothing much is known about the author except for the fact that he is a banker like all of us. This is an article which I found at www.spiritualnow.com. I hope you like it.
Sita, Dhuba grass and Vishnu
Durbha or Dhuba grass has an important place in Hindu worship. The grass
finds the highest position on a deity’s body i.e. the head. This grass
belongs to the Poaceae family and botanically known as cynodon dactylon. It
is the most sacred plant after Tulsi in India.
Since it has most of the body part like a creeper grass on the ground, it
symbolizes humility; all living beings tend to walk on the same. This is
one of the first reasons why it is placed on a deity’s head during worship.
Humility as a virtue is an integral part of Hinduism.
A story also does the round that while Sita was asked to go through
agni-pareeksha for the second time, she asked Mother Earth to engulf her.
She being her daughter, an earthquake took place where she was standing.
She stood with hands folded till the earth engulfed her. Lord Ram in grief
hurried to the spot in vain. All he could muster to get hold was some of
her hair. The Lord in deep anguish threw them on the side earth and was in
despair. The hair fell on the earth and became Dhuba grass and spread its
roots to a larger place. The grass thus stands as a memoir of the many
talked about characteristic aspects of Sita i.e. humility, virtue,
dedication, patience and love.
In another story we have the great king Ambarish waiting to complete his
fast by taking a meal. At that instant, Durvasa saint came in mentioning
that he would have food with the king after performing his bath. To this
the king obliged and waited. However since the auspicious time of breaking
the fast was passing over, he symbolically broke it by taking few drops of
water. The sage got angry with him for the same. He was about to give a
curse when the king, a devout Vaishnavite prayed to Vishnu to save him from
the curse that was going to come. The lord sent his Sudarshan Chakra to
slit the sage. The sage pleaded with Lord Vishnu but the lord said that it
was not under his control as once the chakra was left free, it would
complete its job of slitting the destined person. Durvasa pleaded mercy
owing to the grounds not being that serious. Upon this, the Lord said that
considering the meagerness of the crime, the slit body of the saint would
become grass; however it would find place in the hair / head of the lord.
At some places it is mentioned that this grass represents the entire
Universe. The universe as per Hindus is governed by the trio of Brahma,
Vishnu & Shiva. Brahma is told to reside in the root, Vishnu in the middle
and Shiva at the top. Thus worshipping the grass symbolizes worshipping the
eternity. Besides worship on festive occasion, this grass also finds it
unique position in the funeral rites of Hindus too.
Today this grass has found its way into the medicinal world as a cure to
dispigmented skin, burning (being haemostatic), and wounds externally and
as a cure for bleeding control in cases of piles, menorrhagia etc. and
being an anti-toxin internally. Not surprisingly this grass finds mention
in the writings of Sushruta and Charaka.
Next time we come across this grass, let’s pause and dwell about its
importance.
Bouquets and brickbats welcome!
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