Essential Oils Science

‘Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit many months, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for medicines.’

Old Testament
Ezekiel 47.12

Scent that has risen from thee, O Earth, the fragrance which growing herbs, and plants, and waters carry, shared by Apsarases, shared by Gandharvas, therewith make thou me sweet; let no one soever disfavour me.

Thy scent which entered and possessed the lotus; the scent which they prepared at Sūryā’s bridal (setting forth)—scent which Immortals, O Earth, of old collected—therewith make thou me sweet; let no one soever disfavour me.

Atharva Veda
Kāṇda 12, Sūkta 1,
Atharvan 23–24

Rāmāyaṇ, Valmiki Yuddha-Kanda

Cantos 73 and 74

• 73 A missile presided over by Brahma and loosed by Indrajit renders Shri Rama and Lakshmana, as well as the whole army of monkeys unconscious.
• 74 Under instructions from Jambavan (the lord of bears) Hanuman fetched a hillock clothed with celestial herbs, and inhaling the odour of those herbs, Shri Lakshmana and all the monkeys regain their normal health.

An excerpt from Canto 74

Inhaling the unique fragrance of the powerful herbs, both the aforesaid sons of a ruler of men were healed of their wounds then and there, and other eminent heroes among the monkeys (who were lying unconscious on the battlefield) sprang on their feet.

Nay, even those eminent heroes among the monkeys who had been killed were healed of their wounds and rid of their pain in an instant by (inhaling) the fragrance of these most excellent herbs, even as those who are asleep would feel when fully awake at the close of night.

…Thereupon the monkey sprung from the wind-god (literally the wafter of odour) for his part, who was endowed with tremendous speed, bore the aforesaid mountain full of medicinal herbs, with all speed right to the Himalaya mountain and joined Shri Rama once more.

Rāmāyaṇ, Valmiki

Yuddha-Kanda

An excerpt from Canto 91

[Lakshmana, Vibhisana, and others approach Shri Rama with the news of Indrajit’s fall. Delighted with the news, Shri Rama embraces Lakshmana and applauds him and gets Lakshmana and others treated by Susena.]

Having restored his aforesaid brother to confidence and hugged him, and accosting Susena, the celebrated Shri Rama, a scion of Raghu, joyfully spoke to him as follows:

‘Treat Lakshmana properly in such a way, O highly intelligent one, that this son of Sumitra, who is fond of his friends, may be rid of pain caused by arrows that have penetrated into his body and may be completely healed.

‘Let this son of Sumitra, along with Vibhisana, be speedily rid of pain caused by arrows that have penetrated into their body. Nay, let all the others too among the gallant bear and monkey warrior fighting with trees, who have fought on the battlefield and stand pierced with arrows and wounded, be healed by you with all care.’

Requested as aforesaid by Shri Rama, the high-souled Susena, a commander of monkey troops, administered a sovereign remedy to Lakshmana through the nose.

Inhaling the odour of the herb, Lakshmana was freed from arrows then and there and rid of his pain, and his wounds too got completely cicatrized [formed scar tissue and healed up].

At the command of Shri Rama, Susena (also) forthwith treated his friends, Vibhisana and others, as also all the monkey chiefs.

Restored to his normal state and freed from the arrows, his lassitude having gone and his anguish disappeared in an instant, the son of Sumitra felt delighted on the occasion.

On that very occasion Shri Rama as well as Sugriva as also Vibhisana and the valiant Jambavan with their troops rejoiced for a pretty long time on beholding the son of Sumitra sound, active, and full of joy.