Vanaspati: Plants and Plant-Life as in Indian Treatises and Traditions c4.3

c4.3

In Varāhamihira’s *Brihatsaṃhitā*¹ as well as in the *Agnipurāṇa*², there is a distinct section dealing with the topics of *Vrikṣāyurveda*—a term which may be literally rendered “the knowledge of tree-life.” The very same term with the additional *Gulma* preceding it (*Gulma-Vrikṣāyurveda*) occurs in the *Kauṭilya Arthaśāstra* in the section³ enumerating the functions of the officer in charge of Agriculture, and his assistants. Whether the term has additional word *gulma* (bushes—shrubs and herbs) or not, the meaning is the same, the word ‘tree’ where it occurs alone standing for the whole of plant-life in the kingdom of plants; even in the Vedic hymns the term *Vanam*, *Vriksha*, being used almost as synonyms.⁴ Of the three works in which this significant term is used and a complete section has been devoted to the subject, the first, the *Agnipurāṇa*, is nothing but a popular encyclopaedia of all kinds of knowledge and practices; the second, the *Bṛhatsaṃhitā*, is a manual containing directions for the applications of the knowledge of astronomy and astrology in practice; the third, the *Arthaśāstra*, is also a handbook discussing matters relating to royal polity and the art of government. Thus all of them are non-Botanical treatises; all are intended not so much to acquaint the students with theories as with practices. In each of the three works we come across a section¹ dealing with the subjects of *Vrikshāyurveda*. The matters dealt with in these sections are of the same character. All of these agree in giving us the impression that the subjects within the scope of the ancient science of plant-life consisted of collection and selection of seeds, germination, grafting, cutting, sowing, planting and nursing, selection of soil, manuring and cultivation of soil under favourable meteorological conditions, and the location of plants for improving the aesthetic and hygienic surroundings of the homestead. There are certain points of difference which are of paramount importance in the absence of any ancient Indian treatises or manuals of *Vriksháyurveda* coming down to us. The section of the *Arthaśāstra* leaves out of account the central point doing justice to the title of the ancient science *Vriksháyurveda*, namely, the ‘treatment of plant-diseases and prescriptions for remedies.’ This point comes out prominently in the *Brihatsaṃhitā* and the *Agnipurāṇa*. On the other hand, the section of the *Arthaśāstra* is not without a special importance not only for its antiquity but also for a clear statement in which the ancient science of plant-life appears to be treated as a sub-head of *Krishitantra*, a term obviously signifying a treatise on Agriculture. The statement is quoted below¹: