War over a fragrant flower

Dr. SREENATH ANANTHANENI is a conservation scientist and taxonomist at Forests by Heartfulness. Here he introduces the Butterfly Ginger Lily, and some of the rich Hindu mythology that accompanies the lily’s beautiful white, fragrant flowers. 

The relationship of plants, their uses in daily life, the environment, and mythology holds significant cultural and medicinal value in most cultures. In the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata, the Butterfly Ginger Lily is associated with a story of conflict between Bhima and Hanuman. This story delves into the connection between nature, mythology, and spirituality, highlighting the sacredness of the flower.

The Butterfly Ginger Lily, Saugandhika, Hedychium coranarium, also known as the white ginger lily, is a beautiful and fragrant flower found in the Eastern Himalayas of North-east India and in high altitudes of the Western ghats. The flowers are white, fragrant, and resemble a butterfly. They give way to showy seed pods, full of bright red seeds.

The young shoots and flowers are edible, and are used for flavoring. The root is cooked and eaten. The mashed stem is used to treat cuts and swelling. The rhizomes and stems are traditionally used to relieve headache. The seeds are aromatic and relieve flatulence.

The flowers are white, fragrant, 
and resemble a butterfly. 
They give way to showy seed pods,
full of bright red seeds. 

The flower that caused a war between Bhima and Hanuman.

There is a period during the story of the Mahabharata when the Pandavas were exiled to the forest. During the 12th and final year of that exile, Arjuna went away to do penance, while his wife, Draupadi, accompanied the remaining Pandavas—Dharmaraja, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva. They were walking through a dense forest near the mountain of Gandhamadhana, when a mysterious flower in the shape of butterfly wings, dropped by an unseen bird, gently fell at Draupadi’s feet. The flower exuded the sweetest fragrance, captivating Draupadi’s senses.

Intrigued by the beauty of the flower, Draupadi searched the surrounding forest for more blossoms to offer Arjuna upon his return. When she could not find more, she turned to the Pandavas, in particular Bhima, with his unmatched strength. Draupadi requested him to go and gather them.

Immediately Bhima started the journey toward the Ghandhamadana Parvata, passing through hills and forests until he reached an area where the cursed Gandharva maiden, Saudhamini, and the sacred Saugandhika flowers were under the protection of Lord Hanuman. While Hanuman was deep in meditation, Bhima began plucking the flowers. Saudhamini tried to stop him, but Bhima ignored her and continued gathering the flowers.

When Hanuman came out of meditation, a war of words began between them, which quickly escalated into a physical battle. Narada witnessed the conflict and tried to intervene, but his attempts were in vain. The combat grew fiercer every moment, and the vibrations of their clash were so intense they shook all the fourteen lokas (worlds). The devas in the Devaloka, alarmed by the disturbance, inquired about the source of the turmoil. Narada, who had just arrived, explained to the devas, including Kubera, that the cause of this chaos was the fragrant Saugandhika flowers.

Narada advised Kubera, “Go immediately to the spot, present the flowers to Bhima with your own hands, release Saudhamini from her curse, and unite her with Nalakubara to calm Hanuman’s wrath. Kubera immediately went to the scene, took the Saugandhika flowers in his hands, and personally handed them to Bhima. He also freed Saudhamini from her curse and arranged for her to be united with Nalakubara, in order to earn the grace of Hanuman.

Lord Krishna’s blessings

At that moment, Lord Krishna appeared, offering his divine darshan to both Bhima and Hanuman in their favored forms. Krishna revealed that both were born through the grace of Vayu Deva, and they were brothers. Krishna made Bhima receive the blessings of Hanuman and gave him boons for the Kurukshetra war. Thus, the conflict was peacefully resolved, and both Hanuman and Bhima, united by their common heritage, received divine blessings from Krishna.