Vanaspati: Plants and Plant-Life as in Indian Treatises and Traditions c3: Contents

Vanaspati: Plants and Plant-Life as in Indian Treatises and Traditions c3

Language: English

Was there a Science of Botany in Ancient India; the term *Vrikshāyurveda* in Agnipurāṇa and Brihatsaṃhitā, and *Gulma-Vrikshāyurveda* in Arthaśāstra; the object of the three authors in using these terms; the interdependence of the Ancient Botanical Science and the Ancient Art of Agriculture; the term *Krishitantra*—its meaning; *Krishi-Parāśara*—a treatise on Agriculture; Ancient Botanical Science and the Ancient Indian Science of Medicine; Rig-veda, Atharvaveda and Charaka; the use of the significant term *Bheshajavidyā* in Dhanvantarī Nighaṇṭu; the division of the thesis into 3 Books ... 1-10

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Book I

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BOTANY AND PHILOSOPHIC SPECULATIONS

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SEC. I—GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

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Subject-matter dealt with in this Book ... 13-14

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SEC. II—GERMINATION

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Its Sanskrit equivalent; its conditions; seedling; its Sanskrit equivalent; stages of germination . . . . . 15-17

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SEC. III—EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY

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General description of plants; as in Rigveda, Vṛihadāraṇyaka Upanishad and Vishṇupurāṇa; Root and Shoot; Root; different kinds of roots; Shoot; general consideration; Stem; its description; Leaf; simple and compound leaf; Flowers; Inflorescence; Fruits; their classification; Seed; Endosperm; Cotyledons—with Sanskrit equivalents in all cases ... ... ... 18-26

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SEC. IV—INTERNAL MORPHOLOGY

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Twach (skin); Śakara (soft tissue next to skin); Kiṇāta (fibres in Śakara); Dāru or Sāra (wood); Majjā (pith); healing up of wounds ... 27-29

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SEC. V—PLANT PHYSIOLOGY

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Nourishment—general; Absorption; Transport; Transpiration; Assimilation of food; Planting; essential preliminaries of plantation; methods; graftings; cuttings; final directions of planting; Manuring; Rotation of crops; Treatment of plants, general; signs of the diseased condition; Treatment—prophylactic; curative; application of drugs; Respiration; Movement of plants; their capacity for sleep; their sensitiveness to touch, heat, wind, noise, etc.; movements towards favourable and avoiding what is unfavourable; Growth; its stages; the conditions to be satisfied; Age and death; Consciousness in plants; different views held by different authors; existence of the gift of touch, gift of hearing, sight, power of sense and organ of taste in plants as discussed in the Mahābhārata ; Sexuality ; Reproduction ; six methods of reproduction—*Vījarūha*, *mūlaja*, *skandhaja*, graftings, *parṇayoni* and *Saunarudhaja* 30-65

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SEC. VI—ECOLOGY

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Division of lands into three regions—*Jāṅgala* (dry wilderness), *Anūpa* (watery, swampy) and *Sādhāraṇa* (ordinary) : *Jāṅgala*—its topography ; its characteristic flora ; *Anūpa*—its topography ; its characteristic flora ; *Sādhāraṇa*—its topography ; its characteristic flora ; Alpine flora ; Plant Association ; illustrations ... ... ... 66-70

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SEC. VII—TAXONOMY

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Nomenclature : Sir W. Jones' observation on Indian method of naming ; Principles adopted in naming ; Special association ; Special property—medicinal ; Special property—domestic utility ; Special characteristic features ; Special morphological features—according to the number of leaflets in the compound leaf ; according to the nature or shape of the leaf ; according to the shape and colour of flowers ; miscellaneous ; Local association ; Environmental association ; Other characteristics ; Double names for each plant—one based on a salient external feature, the other on some prominent medicinal or other property ... 71-78

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2. Classification : three distinct systems—Botanical, Medicinal and Dietic ; A. Classification on Botanical Principles—general ; different authors—Rigveda, Manu, Charaka, Chakrapāṇi, Suśruta, Dalvana, Praśastapāda, Śridhara, Udayanāchāryya, Bhāgavatapurāṇa, Amara; Further classification of plants into well defined groups or *genera* (?); into individual plants or *species* (?) ... 79-89

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B. Classification based on Medicinal properties : according to Charaka; his 10 primary *Vargas*; according to Suśruta; his 37 *gaṇas* ... 90-104

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C. Classification based on Dietic value : Charaka's division into 6 groups : all bearded grains, all pulses, vegetables, fruits, greens, sugarcane and oil; Suśruta's division into 15 groups; Amara's illustrations of the *Śaka Varga*; Bhābaprakās combines medicinal properties and dietic value and classifies plants into 10 *Vargas*... 105-127

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SEC. VIII—PLANTS AND EVOLUTION

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Ideas of different authors—Uddālaka; Varuṇa; Yājñavalkya; Buddha—distinct mention by Buddha of the evolution of plants in themselves from the low to the higher grade; Rāmāyaṇa—prior appearance of plants on earth ... ... 128-130

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SEC. IX—MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF THE SCIENCE

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(1) As a means of Economic Predictions—inference of the cheapness of various commodities by looking at the abundance of the growth and development of flowers, etc.; Signs of coming rains 131-134

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(2) As a means of ascertaining the presence of water in a dreary region; Jātaka story ... 135-139

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SEC. X—CONCLUDING REMARKS ... 140

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APPENDIX A—HEREDITY

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Transmission of specific characters; Charaka's enquiry; Charaka and Suśruta's theory of ‘palin-genesis’; Charaka's theory—its comparison with Darwin's ‘gemmules’ and Spencer's ‘ids’; Saṅkara's explanation; Acquired characters; their inheritance; Charaka's solution after Ātreya; the parental *Vīja* is an organic whole independent of the developed parental body and its organs (*cf.* Wiesmann's ‘germplasm’ theory); Ātreya's ‘germplasm’ theory; transmission of acquired characters—Ātreya's explanation ... ... 141-146

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Book II

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BOTANY AND SCIENCE OF MEDICINE

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SEC. I—GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ... 149

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SEC II—BEGINNINGS OF MEDICAL SCIENCE

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Genesis in Rigveda; names of certain plants with *Soma* at their head; innumerable applications of plants are referred to though not definitely named . . . . . 150-157

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SEC. III—DEVELOPMENT IN ATHARVAVEDA

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Maladies, their classification and remedies—(1) Physical *maladies*, such as, leprosy, fever, obstruction of urine, head diseases, evil of the eye, abortion and injury and diseases in general; (2) *Supernatural maladies*, such as, influence of demons, *Yakshas*, ghosts, curse of gods, etc.; (3) *Procreation and Protection of children* such as, to procure the conception of male offspring, against abortion, to guard against a pregnant woman from demons, etc.; (4) *Curing wounds*, etc.—such as, serious wounds, bruise, burns, etc.; (5) *Poisoning*—against venom of snakes and other insects; a distinct class of people treating patients suffering from snake-bites, the *Kirātas*; the germ of snake worship; (6) *Prosperity and Prolongation of life with plants*—treatment of man not only in a state of disease but also in a state of health. (7) *Virility and Erotic success*—problem of virility and amatory success ... ... ... 158-175

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SEC. IV.—MISCELLANEOUS USES OF PLANTS IN ATHARVA VEDA

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Utility of plants in the growth of hair; atonement of hereditary sins; warding off foes; attainment of prosperity, for a variety of material blessings, etc. ... ... ... 176-179

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SEC. V.—DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL SCIENCE IN CHARAKA AND SUŚRUTA

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Genesis of the *Āyurveda* or the Science of Life; division of the Science into six departments; their correspondence with the classification in the Atharvaveda; later development ... ... 180-184

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Book III

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BOTANY AND SCIENCE OF AGRICULTURE

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SEC. I—GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

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The three eternal factors in agriculture ... 186

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SEC. II—BEGINNINGS OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

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Rigveda—Agriculture, a dignified occupation ; distribution of land by measurement ; hospitality a holy duty religiously upheld ; Atharvaveda—For successful agriculture; for abundance of grain; the idea of village construction with the “ village common ”; five races of men; for good rain; against animal enemies of corn; Barley, once the staple food; for protection of cattle; praise of kine . . . . . 187-197

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SEC. III—DEVELOPMENT DURING MAURYA PERIOD

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Arthaśāstra—Agriculture, an important department of State; Superintendent of Agriculture; his assistants; their qualifications; the function of the Superintendent; Megasthenes—condition of India at his time; his fragments of Indika; observations of other foreigners like Strabo; Aśoka—his Edicts; Manu—promulgation of law protecting agricultural interest; the Vaiśyas ... 198-206