MeraPahad Community Of Uttarakhand Lovers

Trees mentioned in Ashtadhyayi 

Plant Science in Panini’s Ashtadhyayi -3
BOTANY History of Indian Subcontinent –117   

Information Compiler: Bhishma Kukreti   

   Based on Panini Kalin Bharatvarsha by Vasudev Sharan Agarawala and Ashtadhyayi, Dabral offered details of trees, forests, medicinal and economic plants of Uttarakhand including Saharanpur (1, 2)
   There are following tress mentioned in Ashtadhyayi of Panini (3) –
 Sanskrit name in text ---------------Botanical name ------ Ref Ashtadhyayi
Amra --------------------------  Mangifera indica ------------VIII 4.5
Asvattha  ----------------------- Ficus religiosa -------------------IV, 3.48
Badara -------------------------Zizyphus  jujube ----------------- V 2,24
Bilva ---------------------------- Aegela marmelos ---------------IV3, 136
Daru ------------------  Cedrus deodara  -----------------------------IV 3, 139
Haritaki -------------------- Terminalia chebula ---------------------VI, 1.156
Ingudi ------------------------Ximenia aegyptiaca     -------- IV 3,164
Jambu --------------------------  Eugenia jumbolana -------------IV 3, 165 
Kantakara ------------------ Solenum jaquini ---------------------- IV , 3, 152
Karira -------------------- Capparis aphylita -------------------- IV 3, 141
Karshya ---------------------    Shorea robusta ------------------- VIII ,5
Khadira -------------------------- Acacia   catechu ----------------VIII 4,5
Kutja ---------------------     Holarrhena antidysentirica -------------- VI 1, 50
Nipa------------------------ Nauclea  kadama ------------------------ IV 3, 152
Nygrodha --------------------- Ficus bengalensis -------------------- VI, 2, 82
Palasa ------------------------ Butela frondosa -------------------IV 3, 1, 41
Patali ---------------------------- Stereospermum suaveolens ------- IV3, 136
Pilu -------------------------- Salvedora indica ----------------- V 2,24
Plaksha ------------------------ Ficus infectoria ---------------------  IV 3,136
Rohitaka --------------------- Andersonia rohitaka  -------------- IV 3, 152
Salmali ---------------- Bombax malabaricum ------------------IV 2, 82
Sami ------------------------- Prosopis specigera ------------------  V, 3,88
 Simsapa ----------------------Dalbergia sissoo --------------------VII 3.1
Spandana ------------ confusion                                  ----   IV 3.141
Sirisha ---------------------------Memosa sirisa --------------------- IV , 2, 80
Tala -----------------------------Borassus flabelifer ---------------IV 3, 152
Udumbara ---------------------Ficus glomerata ---------------------IV 3, 152
Varana -------------------     Crataeva religiosa -------------------- IV 2, 82
Vibbhitaka ---------------- Terminalia beelrica ------------------- IV 3, 152
Vikankata -------------------Flacourtia spida ------------------- IV 3.141
Vishtara ------------------------Unidentified tree ---------------VIII, 3, 93

References
1-Dabral, Shiv Prasad, 1969, Uttarakhand ka Itihas Bhag -2, Veer Gatha press Dogadda pp 150
2- Dabral, Shiv Prasad 1992,Kuninda Janapad  Veer Gatha press Dogadda
3-Agarawala, V.S, Ancient Indian Flora in Ashtadhyayi of Panini, Palaeobotanist (1952) 1:61-65
4- Vasudev Sharan Agarawala , Panini Kalin Bhartavarsha  (Digitalized book free down load )
5-Agarwal, Ashwini Kumar , Ashtadhyayi of Panini complete

Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti, //2020

Grasses and weeds in ‘Gana’ of Panini’s Ashtadhyayi

Plant Science in Panini’s Ashtadhyayi -5
BOTANY History of Indian Subcontinent –119 
Information Compiler: Bhishma Kukreti   
  Dr. Shiv Prasad Dabral the world famous Historian stated the plants, grasses of Uttarakhand including Saharanpur mentioned in Panini’s Ashtadhyayi referring Panini Kalin Bharatwarsha (1 and 2)).
  Apart in Sutras, Panini mentioned grasses and weeds in Gana division in his Ashtadhyayi (3).The following flora are mentioned in Gana of Panini’s Ashtadhyayi –
Sanskrit Name -----------Ref. Ashtadhyayi ---------Botanical name
Balvaja ------------------------IV 2, 80) ---------------Eleusine indica
Virana --------------------------IV 2, 80------------Andropogon  muricatus
Darbha ------------------    IV 3, 142------------Desmostachya bipinnata
Pudika --------------------II , 4, 11-------------Mimosa  pudika
References
1-Dabral, Shiv Prasad, 1969, Uttarakhand ka Itihas Bhag -2, Veer Gatha press Dogadda pp 150
2- Dabral, Shiv Prasad 1992, Kuninda Janapad  Veer Gatha press Dogadda
3-Agarawala, V.S, Ancient Indian Flora in Ashtadhyayi of Panini, Palaeobotanist (1952) 1:61-65
4- Vasudev Sharan Agarawala , Panini Kalin Bhartavarsha  (Digitalized book free down load )
5-Agarwal, Ashwini Kumar , Ashtadhyayi of Panini complete
Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti, //2020

Sage Sushruta :  The father of Surgery and Plastic Surgery

BOTANY History of Indian Subcontinent –121
 
Information Compiler: Bhishma Kukreti   

  Sage Sushruta is called ‘Father of Medicines Surgery’ and ‘Father of Plastic Surgery in India’.  There are differences among historians about time of Sushruta. Atrideva shows (1) his period at the Nagavansha period (176-340 AD) and Suhas states based on many sources that the Great Surgeon ever born in India Sushruta lived in 6 century B.C. Mahabharata states that Sushruta was son of Vishwamitra. But the popular Brahmarshi Vishwamitra does not have any relation with father of Sushruta.
 It seems that Sushruta took primary education under his father. (2). Later on in his childhood days, Sushruta saw pain of people. Pain of people affected Sushruta for taking medicine education. Sushruta went to King Kashi, Dhanvantri Divodasa the popular surgeon and physician of his time.  (2)
   Once, when King Divodasa (Dhanvantri) was sitting in his hermitage along with other sages. At that time, Sushruta came with other sages and requested to Sushruta, “O Lord! We are felling very unhappy many people suffering from diseases related to body and mind. We have come to you for studying Ayurveda for curing people.”
 The King Divodasa Dhanvantri taught his students Ayurveda and  Surgery . In Sushruta Samhita, King Divodasa offer lectures to sage of Sushruta and it is clear that King Divodas Dhanvantri did not roam along with his disciple for teaching as Charaka and his Gurus  used to do .
That means that in Sushruta period a few or all Medical Teachers used to live in their Ashrams or medical researches centre  and students used to visit their schools (Hospitals) .
The reference of Sushruta and other students or sages visiting hermitage of Divodasa for taking medical education offer us the direction that there were medical schools at Sushruta period and students used to come to the medical schools. This was nothing but creating infrastructure for medicals services and creating medical services infrastructure is part and partial of medical tourism
Sushruta studied surgery under his Guru King Divodas and later created famous Grantha ‘Sushruta Samhita’. Writing book or Grantha is also part and partial of promoting medical tourism.
 Above article written with the help of both books by Atrideva Vidyalankar and Dr. Suhas
-
References –   
1-Vidyalankar Atrideva   , 1960  Ayurveda ka Vrihat Itihas , Hindi Sahitya Samiti, Banaras pages 188-
2- Suhas, B.R.  2011, Sushruta, Sapana Book House Bengaluru 1-10
3- Atrideva   , 1960  Ayurveda ka Vrihat Itihas, Hindi Sahitya Samiti, Banaras pages 192

 Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti,

Plant Classification in Sushruta Samhita based on Morphology

Glimpses of Botany in Sushruta Samhita -3
BOTANY History of Indian Subcontinent –123   

Information Compiler: Bhishma Kukreti   

 Sushruta Samhita classified plants as per morphology almost same as Charaka as follows (4) –
1-Vanasapti –Trees with fruits
2-Vanaspatay ----- Trees with flowers and fruits
3-oushadh – Plants those whither after fruiting
4-Virudha – Other herbs with spreading stem /branches   
References –
Acharya Balkrishna et all, ‘ Ancient Indian Rishi’s (sages) knowledge ……, International Journal of Unani and Integrative medicines 2019 (3) : 40-44
Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti, for extra description

Medical and  Botanical  terms in Brihat Samhita

Glimpses of Botany in Brihat Samhita 2
BOTANY History of Indian Subcontinent –125   

Information Compiler: Bhishma Kukreti 

N. Chidambaram Iyer offered the readers about medical and botanical terms extracted from chapters 7- 77 of Brihat Samhita as follows Appendix -8 (1) –
Name of Brihat Samhita --------------------- Botanical name
Agara ---------------------------------------------Amyris agallocha
Ambu-------------------------------------------- Androspogan schoeranthus
Anjana ------------------------------------------ Antimony
Aragvadha -------------------------------------- Cathertocarpus fistula
Ashwagandha ---------------------------------- Physalis flexuosa
Cora – A kind of perfume --  Chrysopogon aciculantus
Damanaka -------------------------------- Artemisia indica
Dhana a plant
Dhanyala – --------------------coriander seeds
Drava ---- ---------------------------Myrrh
Ghana ------------------------------------Hexastychus communis
Goksuraka /Iksuraka  ------------------------------ Asteracantha longifolia
Guda --------------------------------- A Kind of bdellium
Haritaka ------------------------------- Terminalia chebula
Hiringuka ------------------------------ The prickly night shade
 Jatamasi -----------------------------------Nardostachis  jatamansi
Kapikacchu -----------------------------------Mucuna pruritus
Katuka ------------------------------------- Trichosnthes dioeca
Kesara ------------------------------------ Mimusops elengi
Kodrava --------------------------------------------- Paspalum scrobiculatum
Kunduruka ------------------------------------------- Resin of Bosewillia thurifera
Kushtha ------------------------------------------------  Costus speciosus
Lavaliphala ------------------------------------------------- Averrhoa acida
Lodhara -----------------------------------------------------Symplocos racemosa
Malaya -------------------------------------- Sandal Wood
Manjishtha --------------------------------     Bengal Madder
Mudra -------------------------------------- Cyperus rotundus
Musta ------------------------------------------- Cyperus rotundus
Nagapushpa --------------------------------- Mesua roxburghi
Nata ----------------------------------------seed of Cassia tora
Patthya ---------------------------------------Terminalia chubhula
Satavari ------------------------------------- Asparagus rcemosus
Spprka ----------------------------------------Trigonnela corniculta
Tagara ------------------------------------ Seeds of Cassia tora
Takkola --------------------------------Pimenta acris
Triphla -        mixture of fruit powder  of Terminalia chebula, Terminialia Polyanthus emblica
Taruska --------------------------------- Kunduruka olibanum, resin of  Bosewellia serrate
Ucchata ------------------------------------Cyperus juncifol
Usira -----------------------------------------Andropogon muricatus
Vala ----------------------------------------- Andropogon  shoementhus
Vidanga --------------------------------------- Ecrycibe paniculata

  References-
1-N. Chidambaram Iyer 1884, Brihat Samhita    (freely available on Internet for readers)
Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti, for interpretation