In Hinduism

Ayurveda (science of life)

Source: Wisdom Library: Āyurveda and botany

1) Vanaspati (वनस्पति) is a Sanskrit word referring to the plant kingdom. The concept is used throughout Ayurvedic literature such as the Suśruta-saṃhitā and the Caraka-saṃhitā.

2) Vanaspati (वनस्पति, “forest-tree”).—One the classifications of plants according to their stature. Vanaspatis are trees that bear fruits (without flowers) and possesses woody stems such as the Udumbara (Ficus glomerata). The term is used throughout Ayurvedic literature such as the Suśruta-saṃhitā and the Caraka-saṃhitā.

Vanaspati is listed as a classification for plants in the following sources:

The Manusmṛti 1.46-48 by Manu (also known as the Manusaṃhitā and Mānavadharmaśāstra).
The Carakasaṃhitā (Sūtrasthāna I.36-37) by Caraka.
The Suśrutasaṃhitā (Sūtrasthāna I.23) by Suśruta.
The Praśastapādabhāṣya by Praśastapāda and its two commentaries Nyāyakaṇḍalī and Kiraṇāvalī.
The Bhāvārthadīpikā 3.10.19 (commentary on the Bhāgavatapurāṇa) by Śrīdhara.

Source: Wisdom Library: Raj Nighantu

Vanaspati (वनस्पति) refers to “trees giving out fruit without flowering” and represents one of the five kinds of aṅkura or “substances (dravya) produced (ja) through a sprout (aṅkura)”, as defined in the first chapter (ānūpādi-varga) of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu (an Ayurvedic encyclopedia).  The Anūpādi-varga covers some 16 major topics regarding land and vegetations (e.g., Vanaspati) .

Vanaspati (वनस्पति) also refers to a “tree”, as mentioned in a list of twenty-five synonyms in the second chapter (dharaṇyādi-varga) of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu (an Ayurvedic encyclopedia).

Source: gurumukhi.ru: Ayurveda glossary of terms

1) Vanaspati (वनस्पति):—One among 4 categories of medicinal plants; big trees having fruits but having rudimentary or modified flowers like Ficus bengalanesis

2) Those plants / trees having only fruits (without visible flowers) such as vata, udumbara.

context information

Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

1) Vanaspati (वनस्पति).—Those trees which produce fruits without flowering are called Vanaspati according to Manusmṛti Chapter 1, Stanza 47. Atti (fig tree) is an example. (Apuṣpāḥ phalavanto ye te vanaspatayas smṛtāḥ).

2) Vanaspati (वनस्पति).—One of the seven sons of the King Ghṛtapṛṣṭha. (Bhāgavata, Skandha 5).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Vanaspati (वनस्पति).—A son of Ghrtaprstha.^*

• * Bhāgavata-purāṇa V. 20. 21

1b) Born of Latā;¹ a king of trees;² three yonīs of, gāyatrī, triṣṭub and jagatī;³ for homa and śrāddha.⁴

• 1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 7. 460; 50. 39.
• 2) Vāyu-purāṇa 49. 88.
• 3) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 13. 145.
• 4) Matsya-purāṇa 8. 8; 17. 19; 39. 11; 59. 10; 163. 49.

context information

The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

Dharmashastra (religious law)

Source: Sacred Texts: The Grihya Sutras, Part 2 (SBE30)

Vanaspati (वनस्पति) is the name of a sacrifice mentioned in the Āpastamba-yajña-paribhāṣā-sūtras.—“at the Vanaspati sacrifice, which is a modification (vikāra) of the Sviṣṭakṛt, the addresses (nigama) of the deities should take place in the Yājyā, because they are included in the Prakṛti”. Commentary: These nigamas of the deities are not mentioned in the rules of the Vanaspati sacrifice, but they are mentioned in the rules for the Sviṣṭakṛt sacrifice of the Darśapūrṇamāsa, which is the Prakṛti, and should therefore be taken over. Here again, because a reason is given, it is understood that the same reason would apply to other portions of Sviṣṭakṛt also, such as the “dvir abhighāraṇa”, which is to be retained in the Vanaspati sacrifice.

context information

Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.

General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Hinduism

Vanaspati (वनस्पति, “Lord of the Forest”) is a deity presiding over the forest and described as the “bright golden hued Vanaspati, with its thousand branches.” (Ṛgveda 9.1.5)

In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: De Gruyter: A Buddhist Ritual Manual on Agriculture

Vanaspati (वनस्पति) or Vanaspatisaṃdhāraṇī refers to the “(protection of) trees” as occurring in the Heart-mantra (hṛdayamantra) taught to Vajrapāṇi, according to the Vajratuṇḍasamayakalparāja, an ancient Buddhist ritual manual on agriculture from the 5th-century (or earlier), containing various instructions for the Sangha to provide agriculture-related services to laypeople including rain-making, weather control and crop protection.

context information

Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Jainism

Vanaspati (वनस्पति) refers to “plant-bodies” (the kingdom of plants). Due to karma, the souls (jīva) of living beings are reborn as plants in the animal world (tiryaggati). The animal world is one of the four divisions (gati) of saṃsāra where souls are reborn.

The following are the ten types of plants:

1. mūla (root),
2. kanda (bulb),
3. skandha (trunk),
4. tvac (bark),
5. śākhā (branch),
6. pravāla (sprout),
7. patra (leaf),
8. puṣpa (flower),
9. phala (fruit),
10. bīja (seed).

Also see the Sthānāṅgasūtra 773 and Lokaprakāśa (Dravya) 5.106.

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

Vanaspati (वनस्पति) refers to plant-bodies of ten kinds, according to chapter 3.4 [padmaprabha-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.—(cf. Sthānāṅgasūtra 773; Lokaprakāśa (Dravya) 5. 106 ff.)

Accordingly, as Padmaprabha said:—“[...] When they become plant-bodies of ten kinds (i.e., vanaspati), bulb, etc., they are cut, split, and cooked by fire. They are dried up, crushed, and singed by rubbing each other; they are burned by caustics, and fastened together by consumers. In all conditions they are eaten; they are divided by storms; they are reduced to ashes by fires; and uprooted by floods of water. All plant-lives experience constantly a series of torments from all implements, as they have become food for everyone.[...]”.

The 10 kinds of Vanaspati are:

1. mūla, root;
2. kanda, bulb;
3. skandha, trunk;
4. tvac, bark;
5. śākhā, branch;
6. pravāla, sprout;
7. patra, leaf;
8. puṣpa, flower;
9. phala, fruit;
10. bīja, seed.

Source: Encyclopedia of Jainism: Tattvartha Sutra 2: the Category of the living

Vanaspati (वनस्पति, “plant”) refers to one of the five types of immobile beings (sthāvara), according to the 2nd-century Tattvārthasūtra 2.13. The sthāvara is a type of empirical (saṃsārī) soul, or sentient (jīva). The state of empirical souls due to the rise of ‘stationery-body-making karma’/ sthāvara-nāmakarma, having only one type of sense organ namely body and which cannot move around freely are called with stationery bodies (sthāvara), eg., jala.

What is the meaning of plant (vanaspati)? The crust of the plant having no consciousness is called plant. What is the meaning of plant-bodied living beings? The living being which has plant as its body is called plant bodied living being. How many types of plants are there? There are four types of plants namely plant, plant-bodied, life in plant body and life tending towards a plant body.

context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

Biology (plants and animals)

Source: Google Books: CRC World Dictionary (Regional names)

Vanaspati in India is the name of a plant defined with Ficus benghalensis in various botanical sources. This page contains potential references in Ayurveda, modern medicine, and other folk traditions or local practices It has the synonym Ficus cotonaeifolia Vahl (among others).

Example references for further research on medicinal uses or toxicity (see latin names for full list):

· Enumeratio plantarum (1805)
· Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi (1867)
· Bot. Mat. Med. (1812)
· Species Plantarum
· Plant Systematics and Evolution (1987)

If you are looking for specific details regarding Vanaspati, for example chemical composition, extract dosage, diet and recipes, side effects, health benefits, pregnancy safety, have a look at these references.

context information

This sections includes definitions from the five kingdoms of living things: Animals, Plants, Fungi, Protists and Monera. It will include both the official binomial nomenclature (scientific names usually in Latin) as well as regional spellings and variants.

Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

vanaspati : (m.) a big tree which bears fruit without flowers.

context information

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

vanaspati (वनस्पति).—f (S) A tree or plant in general, yet especially one of medicinal virtues.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

vanaspati (वनस्पति).—f A tree or a plant in general, herb.

context information

Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Vanaspati (वनस्पति).—[vanasya patiḥ ni° suṭ]

1) A large forest tree, especially one that bears fruit apparently without any blossoms; अपुष्पाः फलवन्तो ये ते वनस्पतयः स्मृताः (apuṣpāḥ phalavanto ye te vanaspatayaḥ smṛtāḥ) Manusmṛti 1.47.

2) A tree in general; तमाशु विघ्नं तपसस्तपस्वी वनस्पतिं वज्र इवावभज्य (tamāśu vighnaṃ tapasastapasvī vanaspatiṃ vajra ivāvabhajya) Kumārasambhava 3.74.

3) The Soma plant.

4) A stem, trunk.

5) A beam; pole, post.

6) A sacrificial post.

7) An offering to Vanaspati.

8) A wooden amulet.

9) A scaffold.

1) An ascetic.

Derivable forms: vanaspatiḥ (वनस्पतिः).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Vanaspati (वनस्पति).—name of a ‘gandharva maid’: Kāraṇḍavvūha 4.17.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Vanaspati (वनस्पति).—m.

(-tiḥ) 1. A tree that bears fruit but no apparent blossoms, as several species of the fig, the jack, &c. 2. A tree in general. 3. An ascetic. E. vana forest, and pati lord, suṭ augment.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Vanaspati (वनस्पति).— i. e. van (= vana), + as-pati, m. 1. A tree, [Uttara Rāmacarita, 2. ed. Calc., 1862.] 15, 11. 2. An ascetic.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Vanaspati (वनस्पति).—[masculine] tree (lit. lord of the wood), [especially] a large tree with fruit, but without flowers; stem, trunk, beam, timber, the sacrificial post; the Soma plant (as the lord of plants); [Epithet] of Viṣṇu.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Vanaspati (वनस्पति):—[vana-spati] (tiḥ) 2. m. A tree bearing fruit without apparent blossoms; a tree; a hermit.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Vanaspati (वनस्पति) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Vaṇapphai.

[Sanskrit to German]

Vanaspati in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

Hindi dictionary

Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Vanaspatī (वनस्पती):—(nf) vegetation; vegetable; hydrogenated oil of groundnut etc; -[ghī] vegetable oil, hydrogenated oil of groundnut etc; ~[jña] a Botanist; -[vijñāna/śāstra] Botany; ~[vaijñānika] botanical; a Botanist; -[śāstrī] a Botanist; ~[śāstrīya] botanical.

context information

...

Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Vanaspati (ವನಸ್ಪತಿ):—

1) [noun] any of several trees that bear fruit without apparent blossoms, as fig trees.

2) [noun] any tree (in gen.).

3) [noun] any plant in gen. or the entire class of plants.

4) [noun] any of various mixtures of solid or semisolid triglycerides found in the seeds of plants; vegetable fat.

5) [noun] the plant Sarcostemma acidum ( = S. brevistigma) of Asclepiadaceae family; soma plant.

6) [noun] the stem, trunk or a tree or a beam made of this.

7) [noun] (mus.) any percussion instrument.

8) [noun] (jain.) the life principle in plants.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Vana.

Starts with: Vanaspatigya, Vanaspatijna, Vanaspatikavicara, Vanaspatikavicaraprakarana, Vanaspatikaya, Vanaspatiparipalana, Vanaspatisaptatika, Vanaspatisava, Vanaspatishastra, Vanaspatisittari.

Ends with: Anantavanaspati, Atara Bhara Vanaspati, Atharabharavanaspati, Garalavanaspati, Kshiravanaspati, Oshadhivanaspati, Pratyekavanaspati, Sungivanaspati.

Full-text (+31): Vanaspatya, Oshadhivanaspati, Atara Bhara Vanaspati, Parnakhanda, Rasali, Kshiravanaspati, Vanapphai, Vanappati, Avabhanj, Priyastotra, Vanaspatyadi, Vanaspatikaya, Lata, Nirmuta, Abhivaddhati, Parinaha, Skandhin, Vanaspatikavicaraprakarana, Patra, Skandha.

Relevant text

Search found 40 books and stories containing Vanaspati, Vana-spati, Vanaspatī, Vaṉaspati; (plurals include: Vanaspatis, spatis, Vanaspatīs, Vaṉaspatis). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)

Rig Veda 10.101.11 < [Sukta 101]

Rig Veda 10.110.10 < [Sukta 110]

Rig Veda 9.5.10 < [Sukta 5]

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Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)

Verse 1.47 < [Section XXVI - Different ways of Fruit-bearing]

Verse 3.88 < [Section VII - Duties of the Householder]

Verse 8.339 < [Section XLIV - Robbery (sāhasa)]

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Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study) (by A. Yamuna Devi)

Flora (2): Basic Classification of Plants < [Chapter 5 - Aspects of Nature]

Flora (5): Trees < [Chapter 5 - Aspects of Nature]

Appendix III - Synonyms of Flora (Vanauṣadhi-varga)

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Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita (by Pranab Jyoti Kalita)

16. Goddess Oṣadhayaḥ (Oṣadhayas) < [Chapter 4 - Female Deities and the Glorification of Women in the Atharvaveda]

1. List of Hymns pertaining to Women < [Chapter 2 - The Strīkarmāṇi Hymns of the Atharvaveda]

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Rivers in Ancient India (study) (by Archana Sarma)

2(b). Different epithets of Sarasvatī < [Chapter 2 - The Rivers in the Saṃhitā Literature]

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Asvalayana-grihya-sutra (by Hermann Oldenberg)

Adhyāya I, Kaṇḍikā 2

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