Plants mentioned in earliest Buddhist literature -1
Flora in Early Buddhist Literature (Pali Tipitaka) -1
Botany in Mahajanapada Era or Buddhist Literature (1425 to 323 B.C.E) – 1
BOTANY History of Indian Subcontinent –47
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By: Bhishma Kukreti M.Sc. {(Botany), B.Sc. (Honours in Botany), Medical Tourism Historian)-
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There is Buddhist literature of different ages as early, mid and later stages. Vinaya Pittak is (rules of Buddhist Union), Sutra Pitaka and Abhidhamma are earliest Buddhist literature.
Tipitaka is terms for three (Ti) books (Pitaka or Basket) for earliest Buddhist literature, Tipitaka consists of following three books or texts in Pali language (1) –
Sutra Pitaka (Sermons of Buddha)
Vinaya Pitaka (Rules of Monks)
Abhidhamma Pitaka (scholastic reworking of Buddhist literature)
Tipitaka or three books s(baskets) were composed between 550 to start of Christ era (2).
S. Dhammika offers us detailed list of plants mentioned in various early Buddhist literature in title ‘Nature and the environment in early Buddhism ( 3) including following Jataka information -
Pali Common Name Plant ---------Botanical name ---------Reference
Ja= Jataka tales (4)
Vin= Vinaya Pitaka (7)
M.=Majjhima nakaya (6)
Th= Theragata (
Ap= Apadana (5)
Agaru ------------- ------------Aquilaria agallocha -------Ja.VI,144:510, 530
Ankola -------------- - Alangium lamarcii ------------ Ja.VI 535
Acchiva (a plant) ------Drum stick tree ------- - Ja.VI 535
Ajjukana – Terminalia arjuna ------------------------- Ja.VI 535
Anjanrukkha -- black tree ------------------------------------- Ja .I 333
Atthikadali - a banana type ----------------------------------- Ja.V 406
Atimuttaka --perhaps Hiptage madablota (3)---- --------Ja.V, 422
Anoja -------------------Red flowered plant --- -----------Ja. I, 9
Apphota (creeper) ------------------------------------------ Ja.VI 336
Amba ---------------------Mangifera indica ----------------- Ja.II 393
Ambataka ------- Spondias mangifera -------------------Tha 466
Avaka -------------------Blyxa oryzetorum ----------Ja.III 522
Asana -------------------- Terminalia tomentosa ----- Ja.VI 535
Asi (a palm tree (3)----------------------------------------- Ja.VI 336
Asoka ------- -----------Sara asoka ------------------------- Ja VI 188
Assatha ----------- Ficus religiosa --------------------------- Ja. V 328
Ahicchataka ----------- Mushroom ----------------------------- Ja. II, 95
Abhuji (a type of tree ) -------------------------------- Ja V,95
Amalka -------------- Emblica officinalis –------------Ja. IV , 363
Alu means tuberous roots ------------------ Ja.IV 371
Aluka – atubor ------------------------------------ Ap. 17
Asitika (Omiya name) – Entada scandens ----------M.I .81
Balance plant list from Earlier Buddhist Literature will be concluded in the next chapter
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References
1-Tipitaka I Buddhist canon, Encyclopaedia Britannica
2-Barbara Crandall, (2012) Gender and Religion 2nd edition, The Dark Side of Scripture , Bloomsbury Academic page 56-58
3-Dhammika, S. (2015), Nature and the environment in early Buddhism, Buddha Dhamma mandala Society, Singapore pages 1to 206
4- Jataka with Cemetery, ed. V. Fauseboll PTS 1877 -97
5-Ap =Apadana edited Marry E. Litty PTS Oxford 2000
6- M= Manjhima Nikaya editor V. Trenckner , R Chalmers London 1887-1902
7- Vin =Vinaya Paitaka , edi . H. Oldernberg PTS London 1879-83
8- Th =Theragata edi. H. Oldenberg, Pischel 2nd edi , London PTS London 1966
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, bckukreti@gmail.com , Mumbai India, 2019
History of Botany from Pali/Maghadi literature, Applied Botany in India in Buddhist literature, Plant Science in early Indian Buddhist Literature
HISTORY of BOTANY in Indian Subcontinent will be continued in next chapter
