Abstract
Indigenous plantlore is a manifestation in a given community, based on adaptation and wisdom of local people and environment. It develops over times and continues so also. This treasure of traditional knowledge is used to sustain the community and its bioculture. In long past, people of great understanding, christalized their wisdom in some treatises such as the Panini’s Astadhyayi. This treatise is understood and well known for the genesis and development of Sanskrit knowledge. Ancient Sanskrit scripts usually contain information concerning culture and sustenance based on plant world. The present author analysed it in view of plant invasion on Indian landmass in Panini’s time. Total 45 exotic plant species belonging to 44 genera and 29 angiospermic families are divulged from it. These belong to nearly all corners of the Old and New Worlds. Majority of them (28 species) are cultigens and still continue even in modern period in India. Of course, rest of them are wild, naturalised and presently constitute integral part of Indian biodiversity. The importance of such ancient treatises is dilated in this communication.
Highlights
Panini (520 BC-460 BC.) was a Sanskrit grammarian, philologist and a revered scholar in Ancient India. He was born in Shalatula, a town near to Attack on the Indus river in present day Pakistan
He gave about 4000 sutras and virtually built the whole structure of the Sanskrit language. This treatise contains many-sided data pertaining to social, literary, religious, political and geographical aspects of the ancient India. It is a reliable source of Indian history
The present author, thought worth to throw light on plant species with particular emphasis on exotic ones which are indicative of plant introduction, naturalisation and plant invasion on the Indian subcontinent in Panini’s time
Summary
Panini (520 BC-460 BC.) was a Sanskrit grammarian, philologist and a revered scholar in Ancient India He was born in Shalatula, a town near to Attack on the Indus river in present day Pakistan. He gave about 4000 sutras (rules) and virtually built the whole structure of the Sanskrit language. This treatise contains many-sided data pertaining to social, literary, religious, political and geographical aspects of the ancient India. It is a reliable source of Indian history. This treatise sheds light itself on the life and thought of the population of ancient India. The present author, thought worth to throw light on plant species with particular emphasis on exotic ones which are indicative of plant introduction, naturalisation and plant invasion on the Indian subcontinent in Panini’s time
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