
Called ashvattha in
Sanskrit, the peepal (Ficus religiosa) is a very large tree. Its bark is light grey, smooth and peels in patches. Its heart-shaped leaves have long, tapering tips. The slightest breeze makes them rustle. The fruit is purple when ripe.
The peepal is the first-known depicted tree in India: a seal discovered at Mohenjodaro, one of the cities of the
Indus Valley Civilisation (c. 3000 BC - 1700 BC), shows the peepal being worshipped. During the
Vedic period, its wood was used to make fire by friction.
The peepal is used extensively in
Ayurveda. Its bark yields the tannin used in treating leather. Its leaves, when heated in
ghee, are applied to cure wounds.
The
Brahma Purana and the
Padma Purana, relate how once, when the demons defeated the gods,
Vishnu hid in the peepal. Therefore spontaneous worship to
Vishnu can be offered to a peepal without needing his image or temple. The
Skanda Purana also considers the peepal a symbol of
Vishnu. He is believed to have been born under this tree.
Some believe that the tree houses the
Trimurti, the roots being
Brahma, the trunk Vishnu and the leaves
Shiva. The gods are said to hold their councils under this tree and so it is associated with spiritual understanding.
The peepal is also closely linked to
Krishna. In the
Bhagavad Gita, he says: "Among trees, I am the ashvattha." Krishna is believed to have died under this tree, after which the present
Kali yuga is said to have begun.
In the
Upanishads, the fruit of the peepal is used as an example to explain the difference between the body and the soul: the body is like the fruit which, being outside, feels and enjoys things, while the soul is like the seed, which is inside and therefore witnesses things.
According to the
Skanda Purana, if one does not have a son, the peepal should be regarded as one. As long as the tree lives, the family name will continue.
To cut down a peepal is considered a sin equivalent to killing a
Brahmin, one of the five deadly sins or
Panchapataka. According to the
Skanda Purana, a person goes to hell for doing so.

Some people are particular to touch the peepal only on a Saturday. The
Brahma Purana explains why, saying that Ashvattha and Peepala were two demons who harassed people. Ashvattha would take the form of a peepal and Peepala the form of a Brahmin. The fake Brahmin would advise people to touch the tree, and as soon as they did, Ashvattha would kill them. Later they were both killed by
Shani. Because of his influence, it is considered safe to touch the tree on Saturdays.
Lakshmi is also believed to inhabit the tree on Saturdays. Therefore it is considered auspicious to worship it then. Women ask the tree to bless them with a son by tying red thread or red cloth around its trunk or on its branches.
On
Amavasya, villagers perform a symbolic marriage between the neem and the peepal, which are usually grown near each other. Although this practice is not prescribed by any religious text, there are various beliefs on the significance of "marrying" these trees. In one such belief, the fruit of the neem represents the
Shivalinga and so, the male. The leaf of the peepal represents the
yoni, the power of the female. The fruit of the neem is placed on a peepal leaf to depict the Shivalinga, which symbolises creation through sexual union, and so the two trees are "married". After the ceremony, villagers circle the trees to rid themselves of their sins.
The peepal is also sacred to
Buddhists, because the
Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment under it. Hence it is also called the Bodhi tree or "tree of enlightenment".