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Kalpataru


Kalpavriksha (Devanagari: कल्पवृक्ष), also known as kalpataru, kalpadruma or kalpapādapa, is a wish-fulfilling divine tree in Hindu mythology. It is mentioned in Sanskrit literature from the earliest sources. It is also a popular theme in Jain cosmology and Buddhism. Sage Durvasa and Adi Shankaracharya, meditated under the Kalpavriksha. The birth of Ashokasundari, the daughter of Shiva and Parvati, is attributed to the Kalpavriksha tree. Another daughter Aranyani was also gifted to Kalpavriksha for safekeeping.

The Kalpavriksha originated during the Samudra manthan or "churning of the ocean of milk" along with the Kamadhenu, the divine cow providing for all needs. The king of the gods, Indra, returned with this tree to his paradise.

Kalpavriksha is also identified with many trees such as Parijata (Erythrina variegata), Ficus benghalensis, coconut tree (Cocos nucifera), Madhuca longifolia, Prosopis cineraria, Bassia butyracea, and mulberry tree (Morus nigra tree). The tree is also extolled in iconography and literature.

Kalpavriksha is an artistic and literary theme common to the Hindu Bhagavatas, the Jains and the Buddhists.


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