Ashvattha Stotram (Peepal Tree Hymn)

śrīnārada uvāca |

anāyāsēna lōkō'yaṃ sarvānkāmānavāpnuyāt |

sarvadēvātmakaṃ caivaṃ tanmē brūhi pitāmaha || 1 ||

brahmōvāca |

śṛṇu dēva munē'śvatthaṃ śuddhaṃ sarvātmakaṃ taruṃ |

yatpradakṣiṇatō lōkaḥ sarvānkāmānsamaśnutē || 2 ||

aśvatthādakṣiṇē rudraḥ paścimē viṣṇurāśritaḥ |

brahmā cōttaradēśasthaḥ pūrvētvindrādidēvatāḥ || 3 ||

skandōpaskandhapatrēṣu gōvipramunayasathā |

mūlaṃ vēdāḥ payō yajñāḥ saṃsthitā munipuṅgava || 4 ||

pūrvādidikṣu saṃyātā nadīnadasarō'bdhayaḥ |

tasmātsarvaprayatnēṇa hyaśvatthaṃ saṃśrayēdbudhaḥ || 5 ||

tvaṃ kṣīryaphalaścaiva śītalaśca vanaspatē |

tvāmārādhyō narō vindya daiḥikāmuṣmikaṃ phalam || 6 ||

caladdalāya vṛkṣāya sarvadāśritaviṣṇavē |

bōdhasattvāya dēvāya hyaśvathāya namō namaḥ || 7 ||

aśvattha yasmāttvayi vṛkṣarāja

nārāyaṇastiṣṭhati sarvakālē |

athaḥ śṛtastvaṃ satataṃ tarūṇāṃ

dhaṇyō'si cāriṣṭavināṣakō'si || 8 ||

kṣīradastvaṃ ca yēnaiha yēna śrīstvāṃ niṣēvatē |

satyēna tēna vṛkṣēndra māmapi śrīrniṣēvatām || 9 ||

ēkādaśātmā rudrō'si vasunāthaśirōmaṇiḥ |

nārāyaṇō'si dēvānāṃ vṛkṣarājō'si pippala || 10 ||

agnigarbhaḥ śamīgarbhō dēvagarbhaḥ prajāpatiḥ |

hiraṇyagarbhō bhūgarbhō yajñagarbhō namō'stu tē || 11 ||

āyurbalaṃ yaśō varcaḥ prajāḥ paśavasūni ca |

brahmajñānaṃ ca mēdhāṃ ca tvaṃ nō dēhi vanaspatē || 12 ||

satataṃ varuṇō rakṣēt tvāmārādvṛṣṭirāśrayēt |

paritastvāṃ niṣēvantāṃ tṛṇāni sukhamastu tē || 13 ||

akṣispandaṃ bhuhaspandaṃ dussvapnaṃ durvicintanaṃ |

śatrūṇāṃ samutthānaṃ hyaśvatha śamaya prabhō || 14 ||

aśvathāya varēṇyāya sarvaiśvarya pradāyinē |

namō dussvapnanāśāya susvapnaphaladāyinē || 15 ||

mūlatō brahmarūpāya madhyatō viṣṇhurūpiṇē |

agrataḥ śivarūpāya vṛkṣarājāya tē namaḥ || 16 ||

yaṃ dṛṣṭvā mucyatē rōgaiḥ spṛṣṭvā pāpaiḥ pramucyatē |

yadāśrayācciraṃjīvī tamaśvathaṃ namāmyaham || 17 ||

aśvatha sumahābhāga subhaga priyadarśana |

iṣṭakāmāṁśca mē dēhi śatrubhyastu parābhavam || 18 ||

āyuḥ prajāṃ dhanaṃ dhānyaṃ saubhāgyaṃ sarvasampadam |

dēhi dēva mahāvṛkṣa tvāmahaṃ śaraṇaṃ gataḥ || 19 ||

ṛgyajussāmamantrātmā sarvarūpī parātaparaḥ |

aśvathō vēdamūlō'sau ṛṣibhiḥ prōcyatē sadā || 20 ||

brahmahā guruhā caiva daridrō vyādhipīḍitaḥ |

āvṛttya lakṣasaṅkhyaṃ tat stōtramētatsukhī bhavēt || 21 ||

brahmacārī haviḥhyāśī tvaḍaśāyī jitēndriyaḥ |

pāpōpahatacittōpi vramētatsamācarēt || 22 ||

ēkahastaṃ dvihastaṃ vā kuryādgōmayalēpanaṃ |

arcētpuruṣasūktēṇa praṇavēṇa viśēṣataḥ || 23 ||

maunī pradakṣiṇaṃ kuryātprāguktaphalabhāgbhavēt |

viṣṇōrnāmasahasrēṇa hyacyutasyāpi kīrtanāt || 24 ||

padē padāntaraṃ gatva karacēṣṭāvivarjitāḥ |

vācā stōtraṃ manasḥ dhyānē caturāṅgaṃ pradakṣiṇam || 25 ||

aśvathaḥ sthāpitō yēna tatsatkulaṃ sthāpitaṃ tataḥ |

dhanāyuṣāṃ samṛddhistu narakāttārayētpitṟn || 26 ||

aśvathamūlamāśṛtya śākānōdakadānataḥ |

ēkasmiṃ bhōjitē viprē kōṭibrāhmaṇabhōjanam || 27 ||

aśvathamūla māśṛṭya japahōmasurārcanāt |

akṣayaṃ phalamāpnōti brahmaṇō vacanaṃ tathā || 28 ||

ēvāmāśvāsitō'aśvathaḥ sadāśvāsāya kalpatē |

yajñārthaṃ chēditē'aśvathē hyakṣayaṃ svargamāpnuyāt || 29 ||

chiṇnō yēna vṛthāśvathaśchēditāḥ pitṛdēvatāḥ |

aśvathaḥ pūjitō yatra pūjitāḥ sarvadēvatāḥ || 30 ||

English Translation

Verse 1: Śrī Nārada said: "Let this world easily obtain all desires. O Grandfather, tell me that which is the embodiment of all gods."

Verse 2: Brahma replied: "Hear, O sage (deva), about the Ashvattha (Peepal) tree, the pure tree that embodies all beings. By circumambulating it, the world obtains all desires."

Verse 3: On the south of the Ashvattha is Rudra, on the west rests Vishnu. Brahma is situated in the northern direction, and Indra and other deities in the east.

Verse 4: In the branches and sub-branches are cows, goddesses, and sages. At the root are the Vedas, water, and sacrifices, O sage.

Verse 5: Therefore, with all effort, the wise should seek refuge in the Ashvattha, in which are assembled rivers, ponds, and lakes in all directions.

Verse 6: You are the milky-fruited one and cool one, O tree. By worshipping you, a person obtains both worldly and otherworldly fruits.

Verse 7: Salutations, salutations to the Ashvattha, the trembling-leaved tree, always abiding in Vishnu, for the sake of awakening to the truth, O god.

Verse 8: O Ashvattha, because in you, O king of trees, Nārāyaṇa always stands at all times; therefore, you are always heard of among trees. You are fortunate and the destroyer of misfortunes.

Verse 9: By whom you are milky and by whom Lakṣmī serves you here, by that truth, O king of trees, may Lakṣmī also serve me.

Verse 10: You are the eleven-souled Rudra, the crest-jewel of Vasu, You are Nārāyaṇa among gods, you are the king of trees, the Peepal.

Verse 11: You are fire-garbed (Agni-garbha), Śamī-garbed, god-garbed, Prajāpati, Hiraṇya-garbha, earth-garbed, sacrifice-garbed—salutations to you.

Verse 12: Grant us life, strength, fame, splendor, progeny, animals, and grains, O tree. Grant us also knowledge of Brahman and intelligence.

Verse 13: May Varuṇa always protect you. May rain take refuge in you. May the grass around you be comfortable for those who seek refuge in you.

Verse 14: O Lord, remove the trembling of eyes, the trembling of arms, bad dreams, and evil thoughts. Remove the uprising of enemies, O Ashvattha.

Verse 15: Salutations to Ashvattha, the excellent one, the bestower of all prosperity. Salutations to the destroyer of bad dreams and giver of good dreams.

Verse 16: Salutations to you, O king of trees, who at the root are of the form of Brahma, in the middle of the form of Vishnu, and at the top of the form of Shiva.

Verse 17: By seeing whom one is freed from diseases, by touching whom one is released from sins, by whose refuge one lives long—I bow to that Ashvattha.

Verse 18: O Ashvattha, very fortunate, auspicious, beautiful to behold, grant me my desired desires. Defeat to the enemies.

Verse 19: Grant me life, progeny, wealth, grains, auspiciousness, and all prosperity, O great tree, O god. I have come to you for refuge.

Verse 20: The Ashvattha is the root of the Vedas, whose soul is the Ṛg, Yajus, and Sāma mantras, of all forms, the highest and lowest. This is always proclaimed by the ṛṣis.

Verse 21: A killer of Brahmins, a killer of the teacher, or a poor person afflicted with disease—having circumambulated this stotra a lakh times—becomes happy.

Verse 22: A celibate, one who eats only offered food, one who sleeps on the ground, a conqueror of the senses, even one whose mind is afflicted by sins, should observe this vow.

Verse 23: One should make a paste of cow dung with one hand or two hands. One should worship with the Puruṣa Sūkta and especially with Praṇava (Oṃ).

Verse 24: A silent one should perform circumambulation and obtain the previously mentioned fruit. Or through the thousand names of Vishnu and the repetition of the unshakable one.

Verse 25: Going from step to step, without hand gestures, with speech for stotra, with mind for meditation—a four-fold circumambulation.

Verse 26: By whom the Ashvattha is planted, that family is established. From that, there is growth of wealth and life. That one redeems the ancestors from hell.

Verse 27: Having taken refuge at the root of the Ashvattha and having given water to the branches—feeding one Brahmin is the equivalent of feeding a crore of Brahmins.

Verse 28: Having taken refuge at the Ashvattha root, through japa, homa, and worship, one obtains imperishable fruit. Thus is the command of Brahma.

Verse 29: Thus, when the Ashvattha is comforted, it becomes ready for constant comfort. If it is cut for the sake of sacrifice, one attains imperishable heaven.

Verse 30: By whom the useless Ashvattha was cut and by whom the ancestors and gods were hurt—where the Ashvattha is worshipped, there all gods are worshipped.

Notes

This stotra from the Puranas describes the sacred Ashvattha (Peepal or Ficus religiosa) tree as the embodiment of all deities:

• South: Rudra (Shiva)

• West: Vishnu

• North: Brahma

• East: Indra and other gods

• Root: The Vedas

• Branches: Various divine beings

The hymn describes the ritual of circumambulation (pradakshina) around the sacred tree, the benefits of worship, and the importance of offering water at its roots. It is considered highly meritorious to plant, worship, and protect the Ashvattha tree.

The Ashvattha tree is mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita (15.1) as the "world tree" with its roots above and branches below, symbolizing the inverted tree of creation.