उपवनविनोद (आचार्य शार्ङ्गधर - वृक्षायुर्वेद, भू-जल संधान एवं उद्यान-विज्ञान सटीक)

SCIENCE OF ARBORI-HORTICULTURE IN ANCIENT INDIA 11
(Koṅkaṇa), and the foot of the Himalayas. The author finally directs that
"Lands that are beaten by foam (phenāghātaḥ, i.e., banks of rivers, etc.) are
suitable for growing valli'phala (pumpkin, gourd and the like); lands that are
frequently overflown by water (parivahanta) for long pepper, grapes (mṛdvīkā)
and sugarcane; the vicinity of wells for vegetables and roots, low grounds
(hariṇīparyantaḥ—moist bed of lakes) for green crops; and marginal furrows
between any two rows of crops are suitable for the plantation of fragrant
plants, medicinal herbs, cascus roots (uśīnāra), hira(?) beraka (?) and piṇḍāluka
(lac) and the like”.¹
Our survey in this section distinctly shows that classification of soil was
based on two grounds—medicinal and economic. The medical authorities,
like Charaka and Suśruta, had in view the efficacy of vegetable drugs which
depends on the nature of soil in which they grow. And politicians like
Chānakya cared for the productivity of different types of soil, an attention to
which is necessary on the part of a good Government to prevent famine.
IV. CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS, AND MEANS OF PROPAGATION²
A. CLASSIFICATION
A broad classification of plants, probably based on habits, into trees,
shrubs, herbs and creepers, is to be found as early as in the texts of the
Ṛgveda (X. 97. 15). Charaka classifies plants into 4 orders, namely,
Vanaspatis, Vānaspatyas (Vṛkṣas of Suśruta), Oṣadhis and Virudhs.
Vanaspatis are trees that bear fruits without flowers; Vānaspatyas are trees
that bear first flowers and then fruits; Oṣadhis are those herbs that wither
after fructification, and Virudhs are herbs with spreading stems, e.g. creepers
and gulmas ( लतागुल्मादिः ).³ Chakrapāṇi in his commentary on Charaka notes
that Virudhs comprise two classes (1) Latās—creepers, and (2) Gulmas—herbs
with succulent or cactaceous stems and shrubs, The Oshadhīs are subdivided
into (1) annuals or perennials, bearing fruits, and (2) plants that wither away
after maturing and without fructification, like the Durvā (grasses).
The commentator Dalvana gives us some details: The Plakṣa and the
Udumbara are given as instances of Vanaspatis; the mango, the Jambu, etc.,
of Vṛkṣas. The Virudhs are of two classes (1) creepers with stems spreading
on the ground ( प्रतानवत्यः ), and (2) herbs with succulent stems ( गुल्मिन्यः or
स्तम्बिन्यः वर्त्तुललतासन्ततिविशिष्टाः ).
The Oṣadhis are divided into two classes: (1) those that wither away
after fructification, e.g., wheat, barley, linseed, pulses, etc., (फलपाकनिष्ठा गोधूमादयः),
1 Chap. XXIV, 116-117, (Shyama Sastri Ed. (1915), pp. 143-145).
2 See Vanaspati, Sec. VII, for elaborate dealing of the subject, pp. 79-127.
3 Sūtrasthāna, I. 36, 37; (cf. Suśruta-Sūtrasthāna, I. 23),