The Geography of the Puranas c7.s1.11

c7.s1.11

The Ait. and other Brāhmaṇas and Sūtras add the names of more trees, animals, shrubs and grasses typical of the Gangetic valley to those mentioned in the Rgveda. The Atharvaveda adds and describes an important class of shrubs with medicinal properties and used as cures, such as kuṣṭha, jaṅgira, apāmārga, arundhati, paṭa, etc. (Atharvaveda, XII, 1, 2). It also gives some of the trees a higher status among plants, for instance, the pipala or aśvattha was supposed to 'protect its worshipper from superhuman foes and help him in overcoming his rivals' (Atharvaveda, III, 6). The udumbara (gūlar), though mentioned in the Rgveda gained paramount importance as a sacred tree in the post-Rgvedic period. Nyagrodha (the banyan tree, meaning literally, 'growing downwards') was also considered sacred and its divine properties are for the first time mentioned in the Ait. Brāh. (VII, 30), Taitt. Saṁh. and Sūtras. Bilva or vilva (bela), karkandhu or badarī (bera), plakṣa (pākhar), karsmaria, khajūra, varaṇa, vikarkaṭa, rajjudata (lesora), rohitaka, talasa, pitūdaru, vibhīdaka (whose nuts were used as dice) and arka are some of the important trees added by the Atharvaveda, Taitt. Saṁh. and the Brāhmaṇas. Gobhila gives a long list of trees, most of which are not identifiable, e.g., tilvaka, bādhaka, the nimba tree, rajavnika, aralu, dadhititha, kovidāra and śleṣamalka. Occasionally veṇu (bamboo), amba (mango) and śiṁśapa (shisham) are also mentioned in the Brāhmaṇas and Upaniṣads. The Purāṇas attach equal importance to sacred trees, shrubs and grasses and add a few more to each class while presenting geographical or non-geographical material. It is to be noted that practically all the plants mentioned above belong to Northern India.