Eclipse and Darbha/Durva grass

At the time of Grahana (Eclipse) be it Surya (Solar) or Chandra (Lunar) my Amma used to drop a piece of Darbha grass in the pickle jar, curds and milk container, rice wheat flour and cereals boxes. I did not know why she was doing it, when asked she used to tell me that the grass prevents the food from getting stale during the eclipse time.   

When I started reading Bhagavad-Gita, I came across the mention of Darbha grass by Sri Krishna in Chapter 6 titled “Atma Samyama Yoga” (Dhyana Yoga). In the verse 11 Sri Krishna while explaining Arjuna the process of meditation says, a layer of Kusha (Darbha) grass should be spread and the seeker should sit on it to meditate. 

The interest on knowing more about this grass swelled in me. So I got to know from Puranas that this grass came into existence at the time of Samudra Manthan (Churning of Ocean). During the churning, the hairs of the Kurma (Tortoise) shedded due to the friction of the Mandara Parvatha on its back. The hair which washed away to the shore became Darbha grass. Further when Garuda fetched the pot of Ambrosia to get his mother released from bondage he had placed the pot on the Darbha grass for his cousins, the nagas to take it. Indra hurriedly wished away the pot depriving the nagas the nectar of immortality. In the melee a few drops of the Amritha fell on the grass hence it is also called “Pavithra” (Auspicious).    

Botanically called Desmotachya bipinnata this tropical grass is considered a sacred material in Vedic scriptures; it is used as a purifier of the offerings made during rituals. It was important to validate scientifically for our younger generation who seldom have faith in our scripture and hence the Centre for Nanotechnology and Advanced Biomaterials (CeNTAB) and the Centre for Advanced Research in Indian System of Medicine (CARISM) of the SASTRA University, Thanjavur, under the supervision of Dr. P. Meera and Dr. P. Brindha took up the responsibility to list the importance of this unique grass. In their research they observed that this grass had the ability to block X-Ray radiation.

Electron microscopy of the surface of this grass revealed stunning nano-patterns and hierarchical nano or micro structures which can attract enormous number of bacteria into the hierarchical surface and hence it could find applications in health care where sterile conditions is a must. 

At the time of eclipse the wavelength and intensity of light radiations available on the earth’s surface gets altered. The blue and ultraviolet radiations, which are known for their natural disinfecting properties are not available in sufficient quantities during eclipse. This leads to uncontrolled growth of micro-organisms in food products during eclipse and such food products are not suitable for consumption. Darbha is thus used as a natural disinfectant on specific occasions. This grass could be used as a natural food preservative in place of harmful chemical preservatives.

Courtesy: Sreeram Manoj Kumar, https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1652147334804420&id=100000275079859