Vrksayurveda of parasara--an ancient treatise on plant science.

ABSTRACT

Vrksayurveda of Parasara is a great contribution to the Botany in ancient India. N.N. Sircar and Roma sarkar edited this text with English translation. Notes with comparative references of modern botany were added. This book can be placed in all probability in between 1st century B.C to 4th century A.D by its linguistic style. Many scientific branches of Botany including origin of life, ecology, distribution of forests, morphology, classification, nomenclature, histology and physiology were dealt in this ancient work. Though it is presumed that this book was written by Parasara to teach Botany to preparatory to Ayurveda studies to ancient Ayurveda students, it is true to the Ayurveda personals and other disciplines related to Botany of present day as well. Aim of this article is to attract the attention of all scholars who are related to Ayurveda and Botany and to feel the depth of the knowledge of ancient Indian botany.