Chandragupta Maurya and His Times c15.30

c15.30

These were of various kinds and were distinguished by their products such as *Dāru* (timber), *Veṇu* (bamboo), *Vallī* (cane), *Valka* (bark), *Rajju* (fibres for rope-works); *Patra* (material for writing such as palm—leaves or bark of birch, *tāla-bhūrjapatra*); *Pushpa* (flowers for dyeing like *Kiṁśuka*, *Kusumbha* or *Kuṅkuma*); *Aushadha* (medicinal herbs), *Visha* (poisons) ]II. 17[, firewood, and fodder (*Kāshṭha-yavasa*). Specially favoured were the forests of elephants so necessary for war and of timber as building materials for towns and fortifications. Elephant forests were in the keeping of the Conservator called *Nāgavanādhyaksha* [II. 2].