Peepal Tree Significance and Facts: Scripture, Science and Myths (2026 Guide)

The peepal tree (पीपल, Sanskrit aśvattha, botanical name Ficus religiosa) is sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism: Krishna calls himself the peepal “among trees” in the Bhagavad Gita, and the Buddha attained enlightenment under one at Bodh Gaya. It is also a remarkable tree in its own right, a long-lived native fig with heart-shaped leaves, a single dedicated pollinating wasp and a place in India’s ecology that few other trees can match. This guide separates the religious significance, the scientific facts and the popular myths, and explains how to plant and care for a peepal responsibly.

Peepal in Hindu Scripture

The Vedas and Upanishads

The ashvattha appears from the earliest Vedic texts. The Atharvaveda describes the ashvattha as a seat of the gods (devasadana). In Vedic fire ritual, the araṇi, the pair of wooden pieces rubbed together to kindle the sacred fire, was traditionally made from an ashvattha growing on a shami tree, which is one reason these two trees are so often linked. (For the shami’s own story, see our shami plant guide.) The famous Rigveda verse of the “two birds on one tree” (1.164.20), repeated in the Mundaka Upanishad, says one bird eats the sweet pippala, here meaning the fig fruit, while the other simply watches. Commentators read it as an image of the individual self and the witnessing Self.

The Bhagavad Gita

In chapter 10, where Krishna lists his most glorious manifestations, verse 26 begins: aśvatthaḥ sarva-vṛkṣāṇāṁ (अश्वत्थः सर्ववृक्षाणां), “among all trees I am the ashvattha”. You can read the full verse and translation on Holy Bhagavad Gita.

Chapter 15 opens with a very different image: an eternal ashvattha with its roots above and branches below (ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śākham), whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. Here the tree stands for the world of worldly existence, and the text says it must be cut down with the “axe of detachment”. The peepal is thus both a symbol of the divine and a metaphor for the tangled world the seeker must see through.

Folk worship

Across North India, people water the peepal and light a diya beneath it, especially on Saturdays and on Somvati Amavasya, and walk around it (parikrama) while tying sacred thread. Many believe the tree is home to Vishnu, or to the Trimurti (Brahma at the root, Vishnu in the trunk and Shiva at the top). Cutting a peepal is widely considered inauspicious, which has protected countless trees in villages and temple courtyards. These are religious beliefs and customs rather than claims that can be tested scientifically.

In astrological tradition, the peepal is the tree of the Pushya nakshatra and the samidha (sacred firewood) associated with Brihaspati (Jupiter). See our nakshatra tree list and navgrah vatika plants guide for the full lists.

Peepal in Buddhism and Jainism

Siddhartha Gautama meditated beneath a peepal at Bodh Gaya in present-day Bihar and became the Buddha, which is why the species is called the Bodhi tree (“tree of awakening”). The tree now standing at the Mahabodhi Temple Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002, is described by UNESCO as a supposed direct descendant of the original. A cutting from the original tree was taken to Sri Lanka by Sanghamitta, daughter of Emperor Ashoka; the resulting Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi at Anuradhapura is the oldest living human-planted tree with a known planting date, over 2,000 years old. In Jain tradition, several Tirthankaras are associated with attaining omniscience under particular trees, and the peepal is also venerated.

Scientific Facts About the Peepal Tree

• A fig with a private pollinator. Like all figs, the peepal’s flowers are hidden inside the fig. Only one tiny wasp, Blastophaga quadriceps, can pollinate it, and that wasp can breed only inside peepal figs. Neither can survive without the other.
• The drip tip. The long tail on the leaf helps rain run off quickly. It also explains why peepal leaves flutter and rustle in the lightest breeze.
• Briefly leafless. In the dry North Indian spring, peepals shed their leaves for a short time and then flush with coppery-pink new leaves that turn green.
• A born climber. Birds eat the figs and drop the seeds on walls, roofs and other trees. The seedling can start life as an epiphyte, sending roots down that can split masonry or even the host tree from within.
• A food tree for wildlife. Peepal figs feed barbets, bulbuls, mynas, parakeets, green pigeons, squirrels and fruit bats. If you want to see the common birds of Noida, a fruiting peepal is a good place to wait.
• Very long-lived. Individual trees can live for many centuries; ages of more than 2,000 years are documented for the Anuradhapura tree.

Does the peepal give oxygen at night?

This is the most repeated peepal “fact” in India, and it is not supported by good evidence. Photosynthesis, the process that releases oxygen, needs light. At night, all plants, including the peepal, respire and take in oxygen. Some desert plants use a pathway called CAM, which lets them absorb carbon dioxide at night, but even they do not release net oxygen in the dark, and there is no strong evidence that the peepal is a CAM plant. The peepal is a large, long-lived tree that does a great deal of photosynthesis in daylight, which is reason enough to plant it.

Peepal vs Banyan vs Other Sacred Figs

Tree	Botanical name	Key identification	Main association
Peepal (Ashvattha)	Ficus religiosa	Heart-shaped leaf with long drip tip; no hanging roots	Vishnu, Bodhi tree, Pushya nakshatra
Banyan (Bargad, Vat)	Ficus benghalensis	Large oval leathery leaves; aerial prop roots	Vat Savitri vrat, Magha nakshatra
Gular (Udumbara)	Ficus racemosa	Figs in clusters directly on the trunk	Shukra (Venus) samidha, Krittika nakshatra
Pakar / Pilkhan	Ficus virens	Pointed, wavy-edged leaves; pink new flush	Traditional shade tree of North India

The Vat Savitri fast is observed at a banyan, not a peepal. The two are sometimes confused because both are large sacred figs.

Traditional Uses

In Ayurveda and folk medicine, the bark, leaves, fruit and latex of the peepal have been used for a wide range of complaints, including digestive, respiratory and skin conditions. The leaves are also used in rituals, such as a string of peepal leaves on doorways. Scientific studies on peepal extracts are mostly laboratory-level, so treat these as traditional uses, not proven treatments, and consult a qualified practitioner before using any part medicinally.

Planting and Caring for a Peepal

Need	What to do
Space	At least 10–15 m from buildings, boundary walls, pipelines and septic tanks
Best planting time	Monsoon (July–August) in North India
Sun	Full sun
Soil	Almost any well-drained soil; very tolerant of heat and poor ground
Water	Regular watering for the first two summers, then largely self-sufficient
Where it suits	Temple grounds, parks, roadsides, village commons and large campuses

Mistakes to avoid

• Planting next to your house. Peepal roots are strong enough to crack foundations and walls. A small balcony pot is only a temporary home for a seedling.
• Leaving seedlings on walls. Remove self-sown seedlings from buildings while they are tiny. Many families prefer to transplant them to a park or temple ground rather than destroy them.
• Heavy puja offerings at the base. Milk, sugar, oil lamps placed against the bark and dozens of wrapped threads can damage the trunk and attract ants and fungus. Plain water and a lamp placed a little away from the trunk are kinder to the tree.
• Believing every viral claim. The peepal’s genuine value is ecological and cultural; it does not need myths like “24-hour oxygen” to be worth protecting.

Few trees carry as much meaning as the peepal: Krishna’s chosen tree in the Gita, the tree of the Buddha’s awakening, and a keystone fig that feeds dozens of birds and animals. Honour it by planting it where it has room to live for centuries, by caring for old trees in your neighbourhood, and by knowing where the tradition ends and the science begins.