वृक्षायुर्वेद (सुरपाल - प्राचीन भारतीय पादप-विज्ञान, कृषि एवं वृक्ष-चिकित्सा सटीक)

Agronomic Aspects
S M Virmani¹
The English translation by Dr Nalini Sadhale of
Vrikshayurveda written by Surapala, around 1000 AD(?)
on the broader subject of 'arbori-horticulture'
comprehensively deals with the development and
maintenance of gardens. It contains knowledge on the
allied concern of sustaining the quality of soils and the
place of plant species to meet food, shelter, and aesthetic
needs of the different strata of society. If scientific
knowledge, as we understand it today, means gathering
accurate and systematic knowledge, then, Surapala's
tome on Indian arbori-horticulture is an organized
attempt on how plants grow and how their production
can be sustained by agronomic management.
Surapala's Vrikshayurveda may be rated as an early
literary work on the Indian philosophical systems of
knowledge, relating to agricultural sciences. After all,
the very term 'science' entered the English lexicon
during early 18th century. It came from France where it
meant (or was synonymously used with) knowledge.
Surapala's text meets all the broad parameters of the
term 'science' because it is an objective unbiased
systematic enquiry into systematic learning on how
plants grow, flower, and can be reproduced. The text is
largely driven by a sense of curiosity by the author on
the phenomena of production of trees. I would describe
the text as a mélange of science, philosophy, and social
sciences. We probably have come a full circle in our
scientific ethos. Today, we place a high value on
science as a tool for social advancement. When
we do not fully understand all the components
of a scientific system, we bridge the gap with what we
today call 'fuzzy' knowledge. When all steps of a
phenomena are fully documented within a scientific
regime—we call it science. Seen in this perspective
Vrikshayurveda, may be one amongst the early texts
that ushered in a scientific ethos in Indian agricultural
sciences.
In this commentary I will briefly discuss a few
important subjects that I have picked up from the
text. These are: the place of Vrikshayurveda in
contemporary agricultural sciences; an analysis of
suggested methods of successfully growing trees of
various kinds—ornamental, fruit-bearing, shade-giving,
etc., and their relevance to contemporary science and
the practice of arboriculture; the ecological niche for
trees during Surapala's time and today; and finally, what
use the knowledge base contained in the
Vrikshayurveda can be made as a springboard for
sustaining modern agriculture in the approaching
millennia to provide food and nutrition for the growing
populations.
Vrikshayurveda in contemporary
times
In today's world, global environmental issues relating
to sustainable development have emerged as topics of

1. Principal Scientist (Agroclimatology), International Crops
   Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru
   502 324, Andhra Pradesh, India.
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