In Brāhmaṇa-texts, the branches of an Udumvara tree is referred to as the manifestation of anna and rasa (food and nectre). At the time of Somayāga, the Udumvara branch is grounded onto the mahāvedī (grand altar), and touching that, the Udgātā and his associates sing stotra(s). In Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, about the origin of Udumvara, it is said that in ancient times, gods distributed anna and rasa among themselves. Some portions of that anna and rasa fell on the ground, out of which, emerged Udumvara. So the Udumvara tree bears fruit three times in a year. To touch Udumvara means to touch the consummable anna and rasa.

In Mahābhārata, Udumvara is named among the sacred, divine trees. When Arjuna was coming back from heaven, after gaining divining weapons, the other Pāṇḍava(s), along with Draupadī, was trying to reach a particular place across the lower region of the Gandhamādana mountain. On their way, they found such trees as Plakṣma, Udumvara, Aśvattha, Āmalaka, Vibhītaka, Harītaka, and so on.
In Anuśāsanaparva of Mahābhārata, we have seen that a great king wished to give donations to sages, but they refused. Ever, renouncing good dishes of cooked meat, they went away to the forests. At that time, the ministers of that king started collecting Udumvara fruits for the sages–
pracīyodumvarāṇi sma dātuṃ teṣāṃ pracakrire.
From this, it becomes clear that the fruits of Udumvara were quite respectable as food for the Brāhmaṇa-sages. In this case, however the ministers of the king wanted to give donations of gold to the sages, filling the Udumvara fruits with gold–
udumvarāṇyakhānyāni hemagarbhāṇyupāharan.
Perhaps, udumvara fruits were used for making this kind of donations. However, elsewhere in Mahābhārata, udumvara is a forbidden frui. It is said that one who seeks one’s own good, should not partake of this fruit–
udumvaraṃ na khādecca bhavārthī puruṣottamaḥ.
However, Haridāsa Siddhāntavāgīśa explains the use of the term ‘udumvara’ in this place, in the sense of the śāka part of udumvara, which appears to be right, because partaking of the Udumvara fruit was part of the brāhmaṇas’ food habit at that time. In the account of Śunaḥśepha in Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, it is found that the fruit of Udumvara was sweet and delicious–
caran vai madhu vindati, carantsvādumudumvaram.

It appears that behind this warning against the consumption of Udumvara fruit, remains another reason– may be, the preservation of the Udumvara tree. It must be admitted that the equipments of yajña in those days, were mostly made of the Udumvara-wood. In ancient Vedic and upaniṣadic tests like Taittirīya Saṃhitā and Vṛhadāraṇyaka-Upaniṣad,

it is said that manthahoma is to be performed with four containers made of Udumvara. The sruva, camasa, kāṣṭha and the two churning poles required in manthahom, are made of Udumvara–
caturaudumvaro bhavati.
In Mahābhārata, we have also seen siṃhāsana being made of Udumvara, but it was not so that the restriction about the partaking of the Udumvara fruit was due to the use of its wood. In the ancient Śatapatha Brāāhmaṇa, there is a legend narrated– once a battle took place between the gods and demons, when all other trees were on the side of the demons, and only Udumvara stood by the gods. The gods were victorious and they were pleased with Udumvara. They blessed the tree that the substance and juiciness of all other trees would come into Udumvara. It is because of this substance and juiciness, Udumvara bears fruit like other trees, it is always full of juice, it is milky and Udumvara is a complete food. Other trees seem to have pleased Udumvara, with all their substance and juicy food-element–
sarvamannaṃ yadudumvaraḥ. sarve vanaspatayaḥ
sarveṇaivainaṃ etadannena prīṇāti.
In Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, Udumvara tree becomes representative of all other trees, and it is made clearer while speaking about the making of a seat. Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa says that Udumvara is all vanaspati–
sarve ete vanaspatayo yadudumvara.
In Atharvaveda, there is a sūkta about the holistic nutrient feature of udumvara, and it is further analysed in the Cikitsā-sthāna in Caraka-saṃhitā.

The glory of Udumvara tree is also mentioned in Purāṇa. In In Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇ, the location of Udumvara tree at the south of the house– the direction which is dedicated to Yama (which is called yāmya)– is considered to be a positive sign, yielding virtuous results.