Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study)

by Mrs. Nandita Sarmah | 2014 | 67,792 words

This page relates ‘Importance of Flora’ of the English study on the Harshacharita: A Sanskrit (poetical work) which can be studied as a Historical book of Indian society during the 7th century. It was originally written by Banabhatta who based his Harsacarita on the life of the Gupta emperor Harshavardhana. This study researches the religion, philosophy, flora and fauna and society of ancient India as reflected in the Harsha-Charita.

4. Importance of Flora

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From the ancient times and till date, people are giving importance to flora. They make good names such as—Jutikā, Mallikā etc. Flora was so important in the pauranic time that the people, even the dvīpas and janapadas were named after some plants.^[1] The study of the Harṣacrita reveals that in 7^th century A.D. India was covered with long betel of forests. In the Harṣacrita, the writer Bāṇabhaṭṭa has given very interesting description of Vindhyāṭavī; such that seeing the beauty of this forest the vanadevatā came to have entertained there.^[2] In the Kādambarī also, there are many names of trees and plants mentioned while giving the description of Vindhya forest.^[3] It is found in the Matsyapurāṇa also that the gods and the goddesses liked to live in and around floral environment.^[4] In this context, various types of flora were referred in the Harṣacrita. They are mentioned in brief below-

1 Trees:

Udumbara (p.21), śālmali (p.124), candana (p.108), agaru (bark, p.116), nālikela (p.118, 126), sahakāra (mango tree, p.123), gauśīrṣa (a kind of fragrant sandal, p.117), rodhra (p.124), ikṣu (p.123), śāladruma (a big tree, p.125), khadira (a very tough tree, p.125), nameru, sarala (pine tree, p.126), mucukunda (p.127), devadāru (p.127), tāla (p.127), karañja (a wild tree, p.23), sadāphala (a kind of tree, p. 126) etc.

2 Plants:

Vidārī (p.131), śatāvarī (known as nārāyaṇī,p.131), agaru (bark,p.116), kṛṣṇāgaru (black aloe, p.116), kadalikā (plantain tree,p.549), tāmbula (betel,p.121), bijadhāni (granaries of wild corn,p.123), picavyānā (a cotton plants,p.124), kalpadruma (p.34), kuṣṭha (p.124), snuhā (a milk hedge plant,p.124), urubuka or eraṇḍa (castor plant, p.124), agasti (p.124), syāmalatā (p.127), nāgadamana (p.126), hiṅgu (p.126), kapikacchū (p.22), kalpalatā (a mythical plant, p.132), kalpavṛkṣa (p.132), vacā, vaṅgaka, suraja (p.124) etc.

3 Flowers:

Bāṇabhaṭṭa describes a significant flower known as aṣṭapuṣpikā^[5] in both his gadyakāvyas in the Harṣacrita and in the Kādambarī. Here, aṣṭapuṣpikā is a bunch of eight flowers. Other various flowers are Navamallikā (Jasmine, a white flower of the hot season,p.139), pāṭala (a kind of fragrant summer flower, which sent is very strong.p.23), karṇikāra (a flower with excellent colours but no fragrance (people also adorn it) p.126), ketakī (p.137), sephālikā (p.127), kuṭaja (p.127), raktāśoka (p.126), yuthikā (p.125), campaka (p.126), mandāra (p.23), madhuka (p.124), mallikā (p.137), dhātakī (p.124), kamala, padma (a pale lotus,p.108,28,69), kumuda, kaumudī (a white night lotus,p.60,117,71), kuvalaya (a blue lotus,p.61), kairava (white lotuses that expand it nightfall,p.93), tagara (p.118), kadamba (p.127), kiñcuka (p.124), pārijātaka (p.62), kuravaka (p.135), sindhuvāra (p.2), śirīṣa (p.63), kāśa (p.137), bandhuka (a kind of red flower, p.93) etc.

4 Grasses:

Kuśa (p.35,130), durvā (p.108), śāra (p.131), kāśa (p.123), darbha (p.133), lāmajjaka (a kind of fragrant grass, p.124), gavedhukā (a grass eaten by cattle, p.124), valvaga (p.124), garmut (p.124), nala (a kind of fragrant grass), vaṃśa (bamboo) etc.

5 Creepers:

Śyāmalatā (p.125), lavalī (p.127), kaṭuka (long and black pepper,p.120) etc.

6 Vegetables:

Pīlu (p.127), śāka (vegetables or leaves and shoots of bamboo, p.113), trapuṣa (cucumber, p.123), lakuca (a bread fruit tree, p.128) etc.

7 Crops:

Various types of crops are also mentioned in the Harṣacrita. They are nīvāra (a wild rice growing without cultivation, p.21,128), śāli, ṣaṣṭḥika (a kind of rice, p.123), vanyadhānya (wild corn, p.123), rājamāṣa (a kind of bean, p.123), khaṇḍa (candied sugar, p.113), śyāmāka (a king of grain, p.21) etc.