PLANTS AND HERBS ‘OSHADHI’
The knowledge about the origin and significance of plants can be traced out from Vedic Literature in detail. In Rigveda one Aranyani sukta is addressed to the deity of forest. Aranyani, queen of the forest, received high praise from the sage, not only for her gifts to men but also for her charm. Forests should be green with trees and plants. Oshadhi Sukta of Rig-veda addresses to plants and vegetables as mother, ‘O Mother! Hundreds are your birth places and thousands are your shoots.’ The plants came to existence on their earth before the creation of animals.Chandogya Upanishad elaborates šwater have generated plants which in turn generated food.
The Atharvaveda mentions certain names of Oshadhis with their values. Later this information became important source for the Ayurveda. The Rig-veda instructs that forests should not be destroyed.The Atharvaveda talks about the relation of plants with earth, ‘The earth is keeper of creation, container of forests, trees and herbs.’Plants are live.There is an important quotation in a Purana which says, ‘One tree is equal to ten sons. The Atharvaveda prays for continuous growth of herbs,‘O Earth! What on you, I dig out, let that quickly grow over.’And another prayer says, ‘O Earth! Let me not hit your vitals.’
The ‘Avi’ element referred in the Atharvaveda, as the cause of greenness in trees, is considered generally by Vedic scholars as ‘Chlorophyll.’ The term ‘Avi’ is derived from the root ‘Av’ and thus gives the direct meaning of ‘protector.’ Hence, plants were studied as a part of environment and their protection was prescribed by the Vedic seers.
Shashi Tiwari
The knowledge about the origin and significance of plants can be traced out from Vedic Literature in detail. In Rigveda one Aranyani sukta is addressed to the deity of forest. Aranyani, queen of the forest, received high praise from the sage, not only for her gifts to men but also for her charm. Forests should be green with trees and plants. Oshadhi Sukta of Rig-veda addresses to plants and vegetables as mother, ‘O Mother! Hundreds are your birth places and thousands are your shoots.’ The plants came to existence on their earth before the creation of animals.Chandogya Upanishad elaborates šwater have generated plants which in turn generated food.
The Atharvaveda mentions certain names of Oshadhis with their values. Later this information became important source for the Ayurveda. The Rig-veda instructs that forests should not be destroyed.The Atharvaveda talks about the relation of plants with earth, ‘The earth is keeper of creation, container of forests, trees and herbs.’Plants are live.There is an important quotation in a Purana which says, ‘One tree is equal to ten sons. The Atharvaveda prays for continuous growth of herbs,‘O Earth! What on you, I dig out, let that quickly grow over.’And another prayer says, ‘O Earth! Let me not hit your vitals.’
The ‘Avi’ element referred in the Atharvaveda, as the cause of greenness in trees, is considered generally by Vedic scholars as ‘Chlorophyll.’ The term ‘Avi’ is derived from the root ‘Av’ and thus gives the direct meaning of ‘protector.’ Hence, plants were studied as a part of environment and their protection was prescribed by the Vedic seers.
Shashi Tiwari
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