The Positive Sciences of the Ancient Hindus c7.9

c7.9

*Amara* :—Amara, the lexicographer, in the *Vanauṣadhivarga* and the *Vaiśyavarga* (enumeration of wild plants and of food-grains) gives some interesting particulars. (1) The trees (the flowering *Brikṣas* and the flowerless *Vanaspatis*) are fruit-bearing, and possess woody stems काण्डारु or trunks (प्रकाण्ड—प्रकाण्डः स्कन्धः स्यान्मूलात् शाखाविस्तरः). Next come (2) arboraceous plants and shrubs (क्षुप, ह्रस्वशाखाशिफः क्षुपः) bearing flowers as well as fruits. (3) The *Latâs* are next noticed, flowering plants with herbaceous stems, some of them creeping on the ground (प्रतानिनो), others succulent (गुल्मिनो), others twining or voluble (सुखाद्योर्यता लता, वृक्षगामिनी लता — Amara, *cf.* Mukuta, तरुमूलात् प्रभृति वृक्षाग्रपर्य्यन्तं गता गुडूच्यादि लताप्यपवरोहः —others call this शिफा). *Cf.* Suśruta—लताः प्रतानवत्यः गुल्मिन्यश्च. (4) Next come the *Auṣadhis* (in the narrower sense), herbaceous plants bearing fruit with or without flowers, and dying or withering away after fructification. Some instances of *Kandaśâka* (tubers, rhizomes, corms) are noticed, *e.g.* the *Palându* (the onion, पलाण्डुस्तु सुकन्दकः), the *Laśuna* (garlic, महाकन्द), etc. But the graminaceae enumerated in the *Vaiśyavarga* are the chief instances of the *Auṣadhis*—plants that die after fructification. These are cultivated *Auṣadhis*, but their affinities with the next class, the grasses (*Triṇas*), are also noted (*e.g.* धान्यं व्रीहि स्तम्बकरो । स्तम्बो गुच्छस्तृणादीनाम् । तृणधान्यानि नीवाराः । नाड़ीनालं च काण्डोऽस्य). Next are enumerated (5) the *Triṇas*, grasses, of which the characteristic is the formation of *gulmas* (culms of grasses with annular knots from which leaves spring—स्तम्बो गुल्मे तृणादीनामकाण्डद्रुमगुच्छयोः). It is worthy of note that, in the enumeration of the grasses, the bamboo is considered as a sort of giant grass (तृणध्वज, grass flag, तुचेषु ध्वज ईव). The reeds (नलादयः) are also placed among the grasses (नलादयस्तृणं गवेधुकाशाकप्रमुसमपि। प्रमुखशब्दात् नीवाराद्याः). (6) Finally, the Palmaceæ (including the cocoanut, date, areca, and other palms) are classed as Tree-grasses, probably because, like the grasses, they are endogens characterised by spikes and parallel veins. तृणद्रुमः। (तृणराजाङ्कयस्तालः नारिकेलस्तु लाङ्गली etc., एते च हिंतालसहितास्तृणयः खर्जूरः केतकी ताली खर्जुरा च तृणद्रुमाः, —*cf.* also the *Râjanighantu*).