Trees are alive, just like people and animals. How do we know this? Living things all do certain things:
They grow and die.
They need energy, nutrients, air, and water.
They produce young.
They are made up of cells.
They react to what's around them.
From the analysis of the variation of the cell membrane potential of plants under different circumstances, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose[1858-1937] deduced the claim that plants can "feel pain,understand affection etc."
We have heard about people adopting children. But the Tamil Sangam poem,Natrinai verse 172, give some interesting information about adoption of trees. A Tamil woman adopted a Punnai tree [(Alexandrian Laurel Tree)] and watered it with milk and honey according to 2000 year old Sangam literature!.Love towards animals is known throughout the world. But love towards plants is rarer in literature.‘’Do you remember? When we were young we were playing with Punnai seeds and left one forgetfully under the soil. It grew up big and we watered it with milk mixed with honey. When it became a tree, your mum commented ‘Oh this Punnai tree is better than you. It is like your sister’. Now I feel shy to date my lover under the tree’’.Since the girl considered the tree as her own sister, she refused to date her lover under the tree. What a great poem! She truly believed her sister is watching. Ancient Tamil girls didn’t date boys in front of others, particularly relatives.A Tamil saint of our times Vallalar Ramalinga Swami said in a song that he withered whenever he saw a withered plant. This was an echo of 2000 year old literature. In Natrinai verse 230,"...For our sorrow to be removed,we will watch the cool flowing waters in the dry fields,which will be sweet like seeing you!"/"...நனி புலம்பு அலைத்த எல்லை நீங்க புதுவறம் கூர்ந்த செறுவில் தண்ணென,மலி புனல் பரத்தந்தா அங்கு இனிதே தெய்ய நின் காணுங்காலே"-- a simile is used by a poet: ‘’I feel (happy) like a withered plant getting water’’.The one more best examples are in the stories of Pari.He is among the Last Seven Philanthropists (Kadai Ezu Vallalkal). Pari gave his chariot to a Jasmine creeper when he saw it fluttering in wind without any support.
Natrinai 172, unknown poet, Neythal thinai - What the heroine said to the hero
"When we were playing
with our friends on the seashore,
we pressed a mature punnai seed
on the white sand and forgot all
about it. The seedling sprouted
and flourished. It was fed ghee
and sweet milk and raised with
love. Mother said, “It is your sister,
and she is better than you”.
Oh lord of the thriving seaport with
vibrant waves where white,
right-spiraled conch shells sound
like the new tunes of bards!
she is shy to laugh and play with
you under this tree.[front of elder sister]
If you desire,we can seek
another shade tree!"[ away from sister]
"விளையாடு ஆயமொடு வெண் மணல் அழுத்தி
மறந்தனம் துறந்த காழ் முளை அகைய
நெய் பெய் தீம் பால் பெய்து இனிது வளர்ப்ப
நும்மினும் சிறந்தது நுவ்வை ஆகும் என்று
அன்னை கூறினள் புன்னையது நலனே
அம்ம நாணுதும் நும்மொடு நகையே
விருந்தின் பாணர் விளர் இசை கடுப்ப
வலம்புரி வான் கோடு நரலும் இலங்கு நீர்த்
துறை கெழு கொண்க நீ நல்கின்
நிறை படு நீழல் பிறவுமார் உளவே."
What do you understand from above poem[of over 2000 years old]?
Also Natrinai 226 clearly says "My friend with a fine forehead!,People don’t extract too much medicine that could kill trees" as:"மரம் சா மருந்தும் கொள்ளார் மாந்தர்...... நன்னுதல்,நாம் தம் உண்மையின் உளமே அதனால்;",which again point out that Trees are alive, just like people and animals.
[Kandiah Thillaivinayagalingam]
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