Saraca asoka (Asoka tree)
| A medium-sized handsome evergreen tree upto 9 m in height with numerous spreading and drooping glabrous branches; leaves pinnate, 30-60 cm long having 2-3 pairs of lanceolate leaflets; flowers orange or orange-yellow in dense corymbs, very fragrant ; fruits flat black pods, leathery, compressed; seeds 4-8 per pod, ellipsoid, oblong and compressed. The bark is dark brown to grey or black with a warty surface, fresh cut ends are pale yellowish red. The thickness of the bark varies from5 mm to 1 cm. The entire cut surface turn reddish on exposure to air. Flowering-fruiting January to July. (Ashok Sheth (Ed.). 2005 The herbs of ayurveda vol.4 Gujarat : Ashok Sheth. p1010) |
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रक्ताशोकश्चलकिसलयः केसरश्चात्र कान्तः प्रत्यासन्नौ कुरबकवृतेर्माधवीमण्डपस्य । एकः सख्यास्तव सह मया वामपादाभिलाषी काङ्क्षत्यन्यो वदनमदिरां दोहदच्छद्मनास्याः ॥ ७५ ॥ The red Aśoka tree’s fresh leaves are wavering and Kesara is lovely 赤きアショーカは若葉を揺らし、ここで ケーサラは愛らしく |
Somewhere near the Yakṣa’s home in Alakā. The first is Aśoka and the other is Kesara. According to Kale (1999: 132), “The Aśoka is said to put forth flowers when kicked with her left foot by a beautiful woman” and Kesara “is poetically described as putting forth blossoms when sprinkled over with mouthful of wine by young ladies”. [Reference: Kale, M. R. 1999. The Meghadūta of Kālidāsa. Corrected Edition. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited.] |
(c) Tomomi Sato 2013.
Plants of Meghaduta 