The Sacred Durba Grass
Durba Grass stands foremost in Puja ceremony, and in Yagna
this grass is used for each offering to Gods. The Pujari or the
priest must invoke this grass and makes a ring which he wears
round his finger throughout the course of the religious rites.
Botanically this Durba grass is referred to as Poa cynosuroides
and belongs to the genus borge. It is found everywhere,
especially in dams or marshy fields. It grows up to two-foot
height and has three sharp blades at the top. Every devout
Hindu cultivates this grass in his courtyard.
However, scholars differ about the origin of Durba grass.
One school of thought states that this sacred Durba grass was
produced at the time when the Gods and Asuras (evil spirits)
were busy churning with the mountain Mandara the sea of
milk in order to extract nectar or Amrita, which would render
them all immortal. Another school of thought opines that
when Gods were drinking Amrita or nectar desperately a few
drops of Amrita had fallen on this grass which made this Durba
grass a sacred one. Thus goes the story of Durba which from
time immemorial remained sacred and found its pronounced
prominence in all the ritualistic ceremonies of the Hindus.
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