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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAN
Lonarukkha = Lavaņavşkşa (saltish 42.7). The juicy tree is called Khirarukkha - Kșira-vřkşa (34.37). Various parts of tree are referred to as Vidava=Vitapa (twig or branch); Pallava = leaves (3 50; 33.18); Puşpa=flowers (92.6); Phala (fruits 2.33); Pavāla (Pravāla 92.6); Kisalaya (new shoots).
The vegetable kingdom may be dealt under different heads, namely trees, plants, climbers or creepers, grass, reeds and acquatic plants.
Treis:-A large variety of trees have been mentioned in the PCV. Some of them whose fruits big or small were commonly used as food articles were the Mango: Magnifera Indica (Amba = Amra 42. 7, Sahayāra==Sahakāra 21.49, Sahāra and Caya=Cūta 53.79) which grew richly in Laikā, Dandakāraṇya and on the Vasantagiri; the Bread fruit: Artocarpus Integrifalia (Phaņasa=Panasa) which grew in the Dandaka forest (41. 9), Pariyātra 33. 2 and Lalika (46.74); the Orange (Nāraliga) which grew in the Dandaka (41.9) and Laukā (46. 74); the Pomegranate (Dādima) which grew in the Dandakāraṇya (42. 6) and the Gangetic-highlands (21. 48); the Rose-apple: Eugenia Jambolana (Jambu 20. 39); the Banana: Musa Sapientum (Kayali - Kadali) which grew wildly in the Dandaka (42.9); the Wood-apple: Aegle Marmelos (Villa=Bilva) which was found in the Dandaka (42.6) and Laikā (53. 79); and the Clove-(Lavanga) which grew largely in the Vanaradiva (6. 41).
The trees of the saltish soil which generally grew in the belts of forests lying in the vicinity of the sea-coasts were the different species of the palm-tree; the Coconut tree (Naliera or Nalieri = Nalikera) and the Date: Phoenix sylvestris (Khajjūra or Khajjūri=Kharjūra) grew in the Daņdaka forest (41. 9; 42. 9) and Lalika (53. 79); the Tan-palm:
Borassus flabelliformis or the Palmyra (Tāla) grew richly in the Dandaka forest (42.9); the Areca-catechu: Puyapphali = Pūgaphali grew abundantly in Laikā (53. 79); and the Punnaga, calophyllum grew in Laika and Dandakäranna (6. 101, 53. 79; 46, 74; 42. 6).
The fig-trees belong to the class of the trees having bigger girth. They are resinous and there is a reference to the Khira-rukkha (KșiraVrksa 34. 37) in the PCV. They were the Vada (Vata or Nyagrodha 53. 79; 36. 29; 33. 18)-- Ficus Indica or Banyan tree; the Udumbara: Ficus Glomerata which were very common in the Pāriyātra (33. 2), Avantideśa (33. 18), Dandakāraṇya (42. 6. 7); the Deccan plateau and Laika (36. 29); and the Āsattha (aśvattha): Ficus religiosa which grew in Dandakāraṇya (42. 6). All these trees are mighty and provide abundant shade. They bear fig fruits and their bark yields a resinous
