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

30 UPAVANA VINODA
In the Arthaśāstra,¹ Bṛhatsaṃhitā² and the Agnipurāṇa,³—all non-Botanical
treatises, we find distinct sections devoted to "Vṛkṣāyurveda", or "the
treatment of plants in health and diseases.⁴ In the Arthaśāstra we find that the
Officer in charge of the department of Agriculture (सीताध्यक्ष) must be versed in
kṛṣitantragulmavṛkṣāyurveda (कृषितन्त्रगुल्मवृक्षायुर्वेदः). Varāhamihira, author of the
Bṛhatsaṃhitā, gives the following etiology and diagnosis of the diseased
condition of a plant (एतैश्चिह्नैस्तरः सरोगोर्ज्ञेयः) :—
"Cold climate (low temperature), wind (dryness) and sun (high temperature)
are the causes of diseases. (When the plant is diseased), the leaves become
yellow (etiolated), buds (प्रवालानां) do not develop, or their growth arrested,
branches become dry and the sap exudes." 14. Kāśyapa, another autho-
rity, says, "those plants that have yellow leaves (पाण्डुरैः पत्रैश्च), that are fruitless
and denuded of leaves,—and these caused by coldness, excessive heat, too
much rain, dry wind, and by the intermingling of roots of different plants, are
to be known as diseased, and are to be treated accordingly."
He then prescribes the following remedies :
"To cure the plants first scrape off, or otherwise remove, the parts affected
with a knife, then apply mud kneaded with ghee and viḍaṅga to these parts,
after which milk diluted with water should be poured at the roots." 15.
The Agnipurāṇa has almost a similar prescription : शस्त्रेनादौ हि शोधनम् ।
विड़ङ्गघृतपङ्काक्तान् सेचयेच्छीतवारिणा ). 9 & 10.
Varāhamihira then prescribes a recipe for the cure of barrenness. He
recommends that "as a remedy against barrenness (cause may be anything) a
hot decoction should be made of Kulattha, Māṣa, Mudga, Tila and Yava,
which when cooled should be poured round the roots." 16.
Almost an identical recipe occurs both in the Śukranīti and the Agnipurāṇa.
Thus :
The Śukranīti—"If trees have their fruits destroyed, the pouring of cold
water after being cooked together with Kulattha, Māṣa, Mudga. Yava and
Tila would lead to the growth of flowers and fruits" (IV. iv, 107-108).
The Agnipurāṇa—"Viḍaṅga and ghee kneaded with mud and sprinkled
with cold water together with Kulattha, Māṣa, Mudga, Yava, and Tila should
be used in a case of barrenness." 10.
As a prophylactic measure the Agnipurāṇa further prescribes :—
"Viḍaṅga mixed with rice, fish and flesh,—all these mixed together con-
stitute a remedy invigorating to the plants and curative of their diseases." 13.
1 Chap. 24. Eng. Tran. Syama Sastri (1915) p. 142.
2 Chap. 54, Vol. II, pp. 743, et sqq.
3 Chap. 281, pp. 43. Biblio. Ind. Vol. II, 1876.
4 Vanaspati—Majumdar, pp. 1-7.