Kalpavriksha

Kalpavriksha or Kalpataru is a wish-fulfilling divine tree which is a common trope from the earliest Sanskrit classical sources onwards – see Rig Veda (1.75; 17.26). Along with the [kamadhenu], the wish-giving cow, the [kalpavriksha] originated during the Samudra manthan or "churning of the milk ocean", and the King of the gods, Indra returned with it to his paradise. While there is no attested Sanskrit source conclusively identifying this mythological tree with any real, known tree kalpavriksha can figuratively refer to a source of bounty. In India, therefore, the coconut tree is conventionally known by the synonym kalpataru on account of its ability to amply provide for human needs. At the recently renovated cave shrine in Joshimath, Uttaranchal, a commemorating the residence of Adiguru Shankaracharya, there is a large, ancient bodhi tree known locally as the kalpavṛkṣa.

Other attested synonyms include: kalpataru, kalpadruma and kalpapāda.

Reference

• Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dhallapiccola

V.S. Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Kyoto: Rinsen Book Company, 1992.