Author: P V Sharma
Publisher: Chaukhambha Orientalia
Year: 2003
Language: multilingual
Pages: 337
ISBN/UPC (if available): N/A
Description
Medicinal plants have been matter of interest from time immemorial. Osadhi-sukta of the Rgveda is perhaps the earliest document of the knowledge about medicinal plants which culminated in Samhitas and Nighantus of Ayurveda. During this long period, a large number of terms developed relating to names, synonyms, properties, actions and uses of medicinal plans which are found in Ayurvedic literature.
They reflect the knowledge of the Ayurvedists about this miraculous green drapery of Nature who identified each and every plant with specific names, described them by way of synonyms, defined their properties and actions and discovered their uses in various conditions of health and disease.
Consequent to this continuous process extending for millenniums a sizeable number of terms accumulated which required a dictionary to interpret them correctly. Due to several nighantus coming to light in recent years another fresh material was added to this wealth.
This work contains terms relating to medicinal plants, their properties and actions with exact references of the source text. They are selected from all possible sources and arranged in two sections one on Dravya and the other on Guna (including Karma). Their names in Sanskrit, Hindi and other regional languages, as well as botanical names are given so as to make their identification clear. Commentator's view is also mentioned wherever necessary.
The present dictionary is an attempt to present the achievements of Ayurveda in the field of medicinal plants with interpretations so that scholars all over the world may share this ancient wisdom for the benefit of the living beings for the well beings of which Ayurveda was evolved by the great seers.