Incredible Benefits of Betel Leaf & Nut | Sadhguru

This leaf has the ability to absorb highest amount of solar rays. If you put it on water, the stem will always point towards the north. Human activity could be taken to another level by consuming this leaf. You will see it will not let you sleep. Its stem is so sensitive that it becomes a source of perception. Sadhguru, this is from Sona, who wants to know, what is the significance of betel leaves when they are offered to the gods? Oh, that means you didn't eat it. You know, people look at soot on the betel leaf and tell future or read. So there is a culture where the lamp soot is collected on the… on the betel leaf. Maybe many of you don't know what is a betel leaf. In India, it's very important, it's a very good digestive, it is alkaline in nature, if it… if you have any consumed small quantities of poison in the food that you've eaten, it neutralizes all that. Any acidic poisons are neutralized, including cobra venom, it could neutralize that. And to some extent, it's not that it will completely prevent, but it brings down various aspects. So at the end of the meal, people consume this vettalai or villagalai or thambol. In a martial culture, if… if somebody picks up the Tamil Pakur, it means he's taking on a risky endeavor. He's willing to face the enemy head on. It's like a suicide mission. Today, in modern city, in the urban areas of India, in the… in the crime gangs, they call it supari. That means, I've picked up a supari on you means I'm going to come and assassinate you. So, the… it just… the word spreads. There is a supari on him. Whoever kills him will get the supari. It comes with a price, of course. So, this is coming from a much ancient usage of, if I pick up the thambol, that means I'm ready for a suicide mission. These two things have been related that human activity could be taken to another level by consuming this leaf. And that leaf works only if it has at least an inch of stem. If you cut it close, it doesn't have the same thing. This leaf, I know almost any leaf can be used, but this particular leaf, if you put it on water, the stem will always point towards the north. You know this? If you put it in the water, in still water, it will naturally turn this way and put a point to the north. So, if you're lost in the forest, you have a Tamil Pakur with you, you put it there in the water, it shows you which way is north. Once you know north, you know all the other directions, I believe. Beetle leaf and perception have been connected because it is a neurological stimulant, nervous stimulant rather. If you consume it, your nerves will go into mild, like that. So, your neurological complexity and neurological activity and your perception are directly related. Why a human being is able to perceive things a lot more than any other creature is, we have the most complex neurological system. Actually, you should hear better, you should see better, you should smell better than any other creature. But living in cities, it's been dulled down. If you lived in nature, these things would be very, very alert. Just like that. You would be far better than most creatures in terms of smelling, seeing, hearing, everything. But it's dumbed down because of excessive impact of both visual, auditory and olfactory, everything is overloaded living in a urban society. Because of that, it's kind of gone down. Otherwise, if a human being lives in nature, he has the highest level of five senses. Because we have the most complex neurological system, a little hype on that, you naturally perceive. So, whatever tools which are used for perception, always there is a Vethal Paku. Vethalai, definitely there. So, Devi, Hanuman and various other gods and goddesses are always covered with this particular leaf and then this leaf is used. See, anything that touches anything leaves a certain imprint. Right now, you're sitting here. If we bring your dog after you're gone, he knows where you are sitting, yes or no? No, I'm not saying you're that smelly, but a dog would find out, isn't it, where you have been sitting. It'll not get confused. It will know where you were sitting. That means you left something. So, any contact, you always leave something and take something. This is what we call as runanubandha. This is why a yogi who wants to grow, a yogi who wants to not get confused with different types of imprints, usually avoids physical contact. And if you try to shake his hands, he does this, because unnecessary contact is not necessary. Simply, it'll confuse your perception. Depends what you wish to do. If you are desperate for human contact, then whoever you see, you go grab them, you grab them. But if you're fine within you, you're looking how to enhance this life, then you want to minimize the contact, because too much contact will cause aberrations in your ability to see life the way it is. Now, Vettalapakku or Vettale particularly enhances that. So, anything connected with Devi always is related Vettale. This is strange for, you know, because many Indians fight with this, because they don't know what it is. So, they think they must place the leaf, the point towards the goddess. No, always the stem towards the goddess. It looks like it's being offered to you. But that's what it is. It is for you. Because a betel leaf stem is capable of perceiving things. Betel nut and this leaf are used together. So, English people started calling it betel leaf. It is not a betel leaf. It is Vettale. Pakku is separate. So, this leaf has the ability to absorb highest amount of solar rays per square inch, compared to any other leaf. That's why it grows only in shade. It cannot take sunlight because it absorbs too much. So, because of this ability to absorb, particularly its stem is so sensitive that it becomes a source of perception and it is a pointer towards the north. And if you consume it, it enhances your neurological system and in turn your perception. And if it's been touching, it's been in touch with Devi or its stem is pointing towards Devi, it also absorbs whatever is her quality. And then you want to put it into your system. That is the idea. Or people just put it on their body. Some people put it on their Manipuraka or Anahata or Vishuddhi. Don't do these things because that needs a certain preparation. But you can consume it. Not every day, maybe once in a way if you want. You can consume it, it definitely you can see there's a little up. It is a stimulant unlike coffee or tea. It is not aggressive like that, but it works. If you have a heavy meal and then eat a betel leaf, then you will see it will not let you sleep. But at the same time, you don't feel hyper activated. A gentle activation of the neurological system happens. So it's been in use for a long time. And betel leaf also, there is a tradition you should never tear it vertically. Because the spine of the betel leaf is very important. You should not tear it vertically if you want to share it. If the leaf is like this, you must cut it like this. But never cut it like this. So this for this metaphorically, there is a story. There was a king called Jarasandha. Jarasandha was a very powerful man and ruled with an iron fist. He was in the eastern side of India. He had ambitions to spread across his kingdom. So Krishna didn't want that to happen. They went there incognito, kind of. But then they revealed themselves. Then Jarasandha was a great wrestler and a warrior. So when they invited him for a duel, he said, you choose whichever way you want, I'll fight with you. So Krishna said, you'll have to wrestle with Bhima. Jarasandha was as strong as Bhima and as skilled as Bhima. So he said, fine. So they got into a wrestling match. They say this match went on for thirteen days. Maybe they slept in the night, but thirteen days match went on without a decision. Both were absolutely exhausted. They could barely stand up. Both were so exhausted, but nobody was defeated. Then Krishna just sat there looking at Jarasandha, whatever you do, the guy doesn't die. What is it? He looked at it. Then he saw that he had a boon. Unless he's torn into two pieces, he will not die. So Krishna was sitting there eating beetle leaf and nut. He took a beetle leaf. Out of sheer frustration, Bhima looked at him. What am I supposed to do? I'm finished. That guy is not dying. I won't give up. It's going on endlessly. What to do? Krishna took the beetle leaf and split it vertically. The next thing that Bhima did was he held his two legs and split him up and threw him on two sides of the arena. He died. So splitting the Vettelai in vertically is a wrong thing to do in the homes. It's never done that. If you want to share it, you always break it in half like this, because probably this is just a story to tell you. But the important thing is the most important part of the leaf is the spine. So if you share it with somebody, they must also get a piece of the spine. If you tear it this way, you may get it or they may get it. Both will not get it. So when you break it like this, both will get the spine and the stem in some way. So that's the reason why beetle leaf and Devi are very connected, because both are for perception. Both are for enhancing human perception.