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Bhagavai 7:3:66
23/8—māsapanni-muggapanni-jīvaga-sarisava-kareņuya-kooli-khīrakākoli
bhamgi-nahi-kimiräsi-bhaddamuttha-ņamgalai-payuya-minhā-paula-hadha-hareņuyā-lohī.
In the classification given in the Uttarajjhayaņāni, onion and garlic have been classed as “infinite number of souls.” The Bhagavai and Jīvājīväbhiguma do not mention them in the list of infinite number of souls. In the Pannavanā, these are included under “pratyeka-sariri" souls-each soul possessed of separate individual body.2
The word "ālue" (älukam) deserves special attention. The meaning of ālukam is "an esculent root" and not ālā (Hindi) which means "potato", because
1. The plant of “Alū”-potato is not an indigenous (Indian) vegetable at all. This was brought in India in much later time by the Portuguese people. Originally, the potato plant grew in South America, from where it was first taken to Europe. Its original place of birth is Chile (South America). On the basis of these facts, the ālukam given in the present text is not ‘potato' (ālū).
2. According to Apte's Sanskrit-English Dictionary, “ālu is “an esculent root“ (not applied to potato etc.)"
3. In the Nighantu Ādarśa (pp. 164, 165), it is stated.-- "377 Alū (potato)
"Name—Alū (Hindi), bațātā (Gujarati), potato (English), Solanum Tuberosum (Latin).
"Information in detail (Description and Properties)--The birth-place of the potato is, in fact, South America; still, by considering the Sanskrit word “Alūni" as standing for potato, some people plead strongly for it being originally an Indian product. In our opinion, in the classical Indian works, many varieties of ālū have been described. All of them belong to the class “Dioscoria"—which stand for the tubers of sandy vegetables. The authors of the Nighantus (Dictionary of Botanical Plants) have mentioned many varities of “Alus”.
“Although Alū (potato) grows underground, it cannot be regarded as belonging to the "tuber root" (kandamūla). The "ground nut” grows underground, still it is not regarded as "tuber-root”. In the same way, potato (ālū) also can not be regarded as “kanda". Actually, the plant is like a stick; from this stick arise many branches which again turn down and go underground, and then grow like a tuber. It means it is a "stem tuber” and not a “root tuber". Some Jain people do not eat potato considering it a root tuber; and hence, this much clarification has been given. Whether they eat it or not; that is their own volition but "potato" is not a "kandamüla"." Semantics kşīravidālikā (kşüravirālia)—Ipomoea digitata linn, it is vidārī which is white and with large quantity of milk. krsnakanda(kanhakamde)—red lotus. kelūța (kheluļā)—kautumbakanda. bhadramustā (bhaddamotthā)-mothā, nāgara mothā.
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