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Bel Fruit and Leaves

(1) Creeper.

(2) A fruit - wood-apple. It is called Bilva also. Its tree is a medium-sized deciduous tree. It has thorny branches and trifoliate leaves. It is a kind of fruit which is very hard from out side and fleshy from inside. Sometimes because of this hardness it is called Bel Patthar (stone). Its covering is really hard as stone. Its fruit is large and round with a greenish-grey woody shell. It has medicinal properties. Its leaves make poultice for the eyes and are good for diabetes and the roots help reduce fever. Its fruit is a remedy for dysentery. It is also believed to promote fertility.

Its fruit and leaves are normally offered to Shiv Jee on Pradosh day and Shiv Raatri day for their trifoliate shape signifies Shiva's three eyes. Since they have a cooling effect, they are offered to the Shiv Ling to soothe this hot-tempered deity. Even a fallen bel is never used as firewood, for fear of arousing Shiva's wrath. Its wood is used only in sacrificial fires.

According to the Agni Purana, on any auspicious day in Bhaadrapad, Shiv should be worshipped with a daylong fast and the eating of Bel leaves at night (see Vrat and Fasts-Type).
The Padm Puraan and the Brahma Puraan say that Shiv once hid in the Bel to escape conquering demons.
The Skand Puraan holds that the Bel grew from Paarvatee's perspiration, which fell to the ground while she performed penance. It also says that the various incarnations of Paarvatee reside in each part of the tree. The Brihad-Dharm Puraan relates how Lakshmee prayed to Shiv every day and offered him 10,000 lotus buds. One day she fell short by two buds. Remembering that Vishnu had compared her breasts to lotus buds, she decided to offer them instead. She cut one off and offered it humbly. Before she could cut the other, Shiv, pleased with her devotion, stopped her doing that. Her cut breast became the fruit of the Bel.
The Bhavishya Puraan says that after the Sagar Manthan, Lakshmee, who had just emerged from the ocean, rested in the Bel. It was the 9th bright day of Bhaadrapad Maas. Therefore, the Bel is worshipped every year on that day.

Bilva Ashtakam is a Sanskrit Stotra extolling the virtues of offering Bilva Patra or the sacred Bel Leaf to the Shiv Ling. Please visit the following site for the full Stotra in Sanskrit and its English translation thereof   http://www.ganesh.us/mantara/bilvasthakam.html

In the book "Religious & Useful Plants of Nepal and India"
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=942736208&
searchurl=st\s%3Dt%26tn%3Dreligious%2Band%2Buseful% 2Bplants%2Bof%2Bnepal%2Band%2Bindi\a%26x%3D14%26y%3D13

by Majupuria Joshi, the author devotes 8 pages to Bilva and is to lengthy for me to quote here. He also describes the traditional and medicinal uses of about 100 other significant plants and trees in Hinduism.
 

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