Contents: Vol. I: Preface. I. Introudction. II. Literary Evidences: 1. Vedic and post-Vedic literature. 2. Samhita literature. 3. The Brahmanas. 4. Aranyakas. 5. Upanisads. 6. The Grhya Sutras. 7. The epics. 8. The Puranas. 9. Early Indian polity and classical Sanskrit literature. III. Trees and Plants Kingdom in Buddhism: 1. Literature. 2. Sculptural art. IV. Trees and Plants in Jainism: 1. Literature. 2. Art and iconography. V. Plastic Art: 1. Early seals and sealings. 2. Early pottery. 3. Ring-stones. 4. Early Indian numismatics. 5. Sculptural art. 6. Murals. 7. Miniatures and paintings. VI. Industrial Art: 1. Stone Jali and inlay work. 2. Wood work. 3. Textiles. VII. Forests and Gardens: 1. The mysterious trees and lakes. 2. The mysterious gardens. VIII. Damsel and Tree Motif. IX. Medicinal Plants: 1. Ayurvedic literature. X. Divine Trees and Plants:1. Kalpavrksa. 2. The Parijata tree. 3. Tulasi plant. 4. Soma plant. 5. The Pipala tree. XI. The Lotus: 1. Male deities. 2. Female deities. 3. The Buddhist deities. XII. Agriculture, Pastures, Mountains and Irrigation in Vedic Age: 1. The drought. 2. Water supply and irrigation system. 3. Use of channels or tubes for water supply. 4. The farming and use of plough. 5. Harvesting and storage of grains. 6. The crops. 7. Factors leading to the damage of crops and insects. 8. Insecticide. 9. Manure. XIII. Implements of Vedic Age and their Usages. XIV. Deities Connected with Forest and Vegetation: 1. Vanaspati. 2. Sakambhari. 3. Tree Goddess. 4. Aranyani. 5. Vanadurga. 6. Vindhya Vasini Durga. 7. Katyayani. 8. Vanasankari. XV. The Fruit Trees: 1. Mentioned in historical Mahakavyas of medieval period. 2. Works on Indian system of medicines. XVI. The Flowers. XVII. Poisonous Trees and Plants. Epilogue. Appendices. Bibliography. Index of indigenous terms. Index of botanical terms. General index.
Vol. II: Figures. Black and white plates . Coloured plates.
“The science of Botany is associated with mankind ever since the advent of the human race in the universe. The early Indian texts go further and claim that botanical species emerged on earth three (yugas) ages earlier than the emergence of man on earth. This statement has a veiled suggestion to the fact that vegetation or plant life is an inescapable part of human life. Soon man, who had been surrounded by the plant-life around him, discovered the various usages which he could make of plant life, which included food values, shelters, kindling of fire and medicinal values of the same. This knowledge of the various aspects of plant life is fully projected in the ancient Sanskrit texts, supported by archaeological evidence dating back to the Harappan Culture. The scientists have traced successfully the presence of plant-life from the pre-historic times to the Harappan and post-Harappan periods.
Gradually the trees and plants were conceived to be the symbols of great personalities like Rama, Laksmana, Yudhisthira, Duryodhana and others. Even the Mahabharata has been equated with a huge tree. Then there is ample evidence of divine trees and forests, sacred trees, medicinal plants and herbs, poisonous plants and plants bearing fruits, flowers and the like. An attempt, in this work, has been made to highlight the different aspects of plant life, based on the ancient texts, and archaeological evidence based on antiquarian remains.
The book indeed is an extensive work of meticulous retrieval and co-relation of ornithological, zoological, botanical and ichthyological data collected from different sources.
The work also contains modern scientific terminology together with the locus classicus of different species and genera of plants, and insects which the ancient man observed and recorded them in his inimitable way.” (jacket)
[Shantilal Nagar has also written The Universal Mother and The Indian Monoliths.]
