Vṛkṣāyurveda treatises

Q1: Is "Vṛkṣāyurveda" a single book?

A: No,
So far about 35 original treatises which are published, 30 others which are found and are available as manuscripts (waiting for editing /publishing) in various ORIs (Oriental research institutes) across India and the world. Many others for which references were available in various Sanskrit texts. Ecologically friendly solutions to many of today's agriculture issues like drought, floods, arid land farming, etc. can be found in "Vṛkṣāyurveda".

Q2: Is "Vṛkṣāyurveda" just a plant science in Sanskrit, similar to Botany?

A: No,
"Vṛkṣāyurveda" includes "plant science /botany", but is much more than that. It includes agronomy, agro-meterology, ecology, hydrology, pharmacognosy, soil science, water-body preservation, etc.

Q3: Why "Vṛkṣāyurveda" is a combination of many subjects?

A: It is to be kept in mind that the “bhāratīya śāstra” are not  compartmentalized like the Western scientific disciplines and there are many overlaps and therefore one has to study the whole gamut of inter-related disciplines to become a 'vidvān' (true scholar and not just one with a certificate).  For example there is a great deal of “jyotiṣa śāstra” in “vṛkṣāyurvedaḥ” as there is a great deal of Mathematics in Indian Astrology

Q4: What are the plant standardization, with respect to "Vṛkṣāyurveda" ?

A: The "amarakośa" (one of the important Sanskrit lexicon), the "bhāvaprakāśa nighanṭu" (one of the important "āyurvedic" herbal encyclopedia) and many other traditional /ethno-botanical texts in Sanskrit follow the nomenclatures of 'Vṛkṣāyurveda' - this helps in identification, collection, storage, processing, seed-preservation, propagation and preservation of all kinds of flora and fauna.

Q5: Which are the original texts of "Vṛkṣāyurveda" ?

A: The following table gives the lists of published works on "Vṛkṣāyurveda"

	Treatise
1.	Kṛṣi Parāśara
2.	Kṛṣi Samānya nirṇaya
3.	Śālihotra Vṛkṣāyurveda
4.	Arthasāśtra
5.	Vṛkṣa-āyur-jñānam (Agni Purāṇam)
6.	Druma-āropaṇa-nirūpaṇam (Vishṇudharmottara Purāṇam)
7.	Vṛkṣotsava -vidhi, Vṛkṣa vimarśa, Vṛkṣavaikṛtyam (Matsya Purāṇam)
8.	Go mahātṃyam – sṛṣti khāndam (Padma Purāṇam)
9.	Kṛṣi-saṅgraha
10.	Kṛṣi-tantra
11.	Parāśara Vṛkṣāyurveda
12.	Gulmavṛkṣāyurveda
13.	Pramododyānam
14.	Vanauṣadi varga (Amarakośa)
15.	Bṛhat Saṃhitā
16.	Bhūgarbha-vijñānam
17.	Kāshyapīya Kṛṣisūkti
18.	Vṛkṣa-āyurguṇa
19.	Surapāla Vṛkṣāyurveda
20.	Abhilaṣitārtha-chintāmaṇi (Mānasollāsa)
21.	Bheṣaja-vidyāsūkti
22.	Lokopakāra
23.	Upavana Vinoda
24.	Saddarśana samucchaya
25.	Pṛthvīnirāparyam
26.	Nyāyavidūtika
27.	Upaskāra
28.	Viśvavallabhā
29.	Kṛṣi shāstram
30.	Kṛṣi Gīta
31.	Vṛkṣāropaṇam
32.	ṛtu vijñānam
33.	Kṛṣi śāsana
34.	Tāmbūlamañjari
35.	Vanaspati

M/s. Asian Agri-history foundation, have published many of the "Vṛkṣāyurveda" books in addition to publishing detailed research almanac called "Indian agricultural heritage", containing many details on the agricultural practices in ancient Bharatam.

Many of these treatises contain details on types of lands, social structure, life-styles of people in respective regions and time periods, food habits, etc. The critical manuscript editing and publication of "Arthaśāstra" of "ācārya Kautiya" from many manuscript collections in 1909, which details about "Vṛkṣāyurveda" and also responsibilities of agricultural superintendents, etc., had helped scholars to further search for other treatises on "Vṛkṣāyurveda". Thus the scholars have found many manuscripts on "Vṛkṣāyurveda", many of them are critically edited and published during the past 100 years. 

More on "Vṛkṣāyurveda"  - the holistic ecological agriculture to come...

अन्नम् - Food

What constitutes "अन्नम्" (Food) ??

Everything is indeed food... for everything else. This is the cyclical "prakṛti" "प्रकृति" (nature) - the 'ṛta' "ऋत" (cyclic /seasonal /repetitive) of "Life" - precisely the "expressions of life".

We become what we eat - this can also be looked at as we become what we "absorb" everything through our sensory organs including the edible stuff, therefore everything is food in a way... food for hunger (edible), food for pleasure (entertainment), food for the ears (music), food for thought (knowledge), etc. Yet still the food (edible) that we consume influences everything in "our worlds". 

The primary source of food (edible) on Earth is "vṛkṣa" "वृक्ष" (plant). The primary source of energy on earth is also "vṛkṣa" "वृक्ष" (plant). If everything that we perceive is indeed energy, then everything is indeed food.

If energy, is food then food indeed is "The Absolute". "विद्युत् ब्रह्म" (energy is verily the "brahman") - "bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad"

"॥ अद्यते अत्ति च भूतानि तस्मादन्नं तदुच्यते ॥" - This clear definition for "अन्नम्" in "nirukta" states, that which eats lifeforms (recycles), and also eaten by lifeforms is "annam". Bhagavadgita proclaims "अन्नाद् भवन्ति भूतानि..." - Life(forms) exist due to food.

Only recently through the glass of "Systems biology", scientists are getting glimpses of the complex multi-dimensional inter-related "Food-web". Doctors and psychologists are now getting to know more and more about the complex relationship of food and thought.

Thus, food protection - safety, security and sovereignty is of paramount importance for the humankind 

The holistic health science  of "Āyurveda" (science of life) is not just limited for the well being of human beings, it also has branches for the well-being of animals (Cow, Horse and Elephant). In addition the most important branch of "Āyurveda" is “Vṛkṣāyurveda”. Which is for the well-being of all plant lifeforms.

अन्नरक्षणं वृक्षायुर्वेदलक्ष्यम्

“Vṛkṣāyurveda” - what is it ?

• “Vṛkṣāyurveda” is a complete integrated branch of Science that covers Agronomy, Botany, Ecology and Agro-meteorology, etc.

• “Vṛkṣāyurveda” is the branch of 'plant life science' (which also includes plant science /botany, agriculture and ecology) originated from “Atharva Veda”.

• “Vṛkṣāyurveda” as a twin of Ayurveda, is part of the 18 "vidyāsthānāni" (branches of education)

• “Vṛkṣāyurveda” is an important form of 'Art/Science' among the 64 essential “kalā” (Art/Science).

• “Vṛkṣāyurveda” as the integrated poly-culture, chrono-biological, positive-allelopathy supportive (inter-cropping), biodiversity-protective, holistic agricultural science has been in practice in India since 5000 years. 

The purpose of "Āyurveda" is 'the protection of well-being, of the healthy and correction of the illness of the ill'. ("स्वस्थस्य स्वास्थ्य रक्षणम् । आतुरस्य  विकार प्रशमनम् ॥"). 

In a similar way the purpose of “Vṛkṣāyurveda” is 'total protection of "annam" through the protection of its source, the plants, with their essence of life promotion' ("अन्नं सरसं तस्य परिरक्षणं वै वृक्षायुर्वेदलक्ष्यम्")

More to come in this space...