Living Kalpataru

This poem is a tribute to all the real-life Kalpatarus that rustle gently in the breeze to compete with the mythical Kalpataru.

During one of my Malvan trips, on one fine afternoon, my hammock was swaying gently under the canopy of coconut trees, I looked up. My eyes glanced the length of a towering coconut tree from its sandy roots to its leafy crown.

In that moment of tranquility, a cherished memory of my late grandfather flashed in front of my eyes. When I was a child, he would often tell me stories from Indian mythology.

One of the stories he told was of the Sagar Manthan and the magical Kalpataru, a wish-fulfilling tree that emerged from the cosmic ocean during the great churning.

He also told me a small story about a disheartened man, much like many of us at some point in our lives, seeking food, drink, and shelter. This man found solace under the shade of coconut trees, where, in his dreams, a coconut tree spoke to him. The tree revealed how he could achieve his dreams of sustenance and protection through its bountiful offerings.

My grandfather further explained me that Coconut tree was often refered as Kalpataru or Kalpavruksha, since ancient times in Sanskrit for its ability to fulfill essential needs.

There was something deeply comforting about the old trees. These beautiful trees were whispering stories to my soul. That feeling led me to write Living Kalpataru.

This piece celebrates the everyday miracles bestowed upon us by the selfless coconut tree.

Living Kalpataru

You’ve heard the tales from ages past,
Of Indian myths, rich, deep, and vast.
Where gods and demons went to fight,
Churned the ocean with complete might.

In search of Amrit, nectar divine,
They turned Kshirsagar into a shrine.
With Vasuki serpent used as churning rope,
Mount Mandar, churning rod in tug of hope.

The ocean groaned, the heavens swayed,
As treasures from the deep were laid.
Airavat rose, Moon ascended, Lakshmi too,
Then came Kalpataru, where dreams came true.

Then Indra rose in glory bright,
The gods had won the endless fight.
He claimed the gifts with royal gleam,
Kalpataru crowned his heavenly dream.

He took the tree to heaven's crest,
And placed it where the gods rest.
A wish-fulfilling, sacred prize,
Now hidden high beyond our skies.

But you're no god in heaven's throne,
Neither you have any realm to own.
And so you cried helplessly in vain,
As Kalpataru now, is out of your domain.

You felt a sorrow, deep and true,
That such a gift won’t come to you.
That Kalpataru, high and rare,
Was meant for gods, not yours to share.

Oh child! Still you can't see? 
A miracle stands near to the sea.
Not far in some celestial dome,
But right here near your earthly home.

Do you remember that summer noon,
The ocean breeze, the heat of June?
That tender sip that cooled your soul?
He stood right there, for you to console.

Look near the shore, where winds play,
Where sunlight kisses each new day.
There stands your tree, so tall, so free,
Your living Kalpataru, the Coconut Tree.

He quenches your thirst, he gives you food,
He treats your soul and lifts your mood.
His leaves protect, his shade defies the sun,
His roots seek water for his son.

You touch his bark, feel strength so old,
A strength which storms could not uproot.
No guards, no gold, no guarded gate,
He stands for all, both tiny and great.

Therefore when your dreams run dry,
Don't look above into the blue sky.
Look at coconut tree with closed eyes,
He holds your dreams where silence lies.

He doesn't ask for prayers or praise,
He simply gives, be it night or days.
He is indeed your own living Kalpataru,
For which even Lord Indra envies you!

You are not Indra, with heaven's might,
You don't have Airavat, no palace bright.
But with the coconut tree by your side,
You are not less than him in earthly pride.

Whenever you are in the vicinity of Coconut tree, don’t forget to connect with a living Kalpataru.