Journal of Gyansagar Science Foundation 2013 04 01

Author(s): Sanjeev Sogani, Vimal Jain
Publisher: Gyansagar Science Foundation

Page 42

Dr. Shuchita Jain, Volume 1 Issue 1 April 2013
Plants experience and feel pain in the same way as the humans do.
Storage of Medicinal Plants
Medicinal plants collected from forests are eventually sold to big traders in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad etc.
There is very elaborate and comprehensive description of various plant species and their products in Jain scriptures notably Tiloyapannati and Jambudweep Prajnapti.
Traders store them in dingy, dark and moist godowns susceptible to be infected by bacteria and fungi. Using such medicines is against Jainism.
Jain Tradition
Devoted Jains do not take modern allopathic medicines as violence is involved in their research and manufacture.
Preparation of Medicines
Jains depend on medicines of plant origin.
Most pharmaceutical manufacturers of Ayurvedic medicines purchase their requirements from traders in cities.
Jains do not take even Ayurvedic medicines in which honey is used as an ingredient.
Traders continue mixing fresh and old time- barred medicinal plant parts.
Revelations of My Surveys of Medicinal Plants
No pharmaceutical manufacturer has its own expertise and organized system of collecting medicinal plants according to prescribed method.
This adversely affects quality of Ayurvedic medicines.
My surveys of medicinal plantsin sanctuaries and National Parks under U.G.C. Project have revealed discrepancies which are not compatible with Jainism.
Cultivation of Medicinal Plants
Availability of Medicinal Plants
Many important medicinal plants are being cultivated in agricultural fields.
It has been observed that availability of many medicinal plants is dwindling fast even in areas, claimed to be best protected in National Parks.
These are not as effective as those collected from natural sites. The proportion of active constituent is lower.
Growing pressure of exploding population and industry on shrinking forests is accentuating the shortage of medicinal plants.
In natural forests medicinal plants grow under a specific edapho-climatic ecosystem in association of other trees and plants.
Many medicinal plants have become extinct.
Medicinal plants, if to be cultivated, should be done by first creating the specific ecosystems in which they grow naturally.
Many more are on the verge of extinction because of their over exploitation.
Jain Tirthankaras and Trees
Collection of Medicinal Plants
By and large medicinal plants are collected by tribals.
It is interesting to note that all the 24 tirthankaras meditated under the trees and not any other place like caves or river banks etc. to get enlightenment.
Because of abject poverty tribals start collecting prematurely.
There is so much importance of plants and their medicinal values in Jainism that all Trthankaras of present (Avasarpani Era) got their enlightenment meditating under various trees of medicinal value.
There are elaborate instructions in Ayurvedic scriptures about the season, month and even fortnight as well as stages of flowering, fruiting etc. when any medicinal plant should be collected. These instructions are certainly not at all followed.
The Tirthankaras and their respective Kewali Vrikshas (Trees) are given in the following Table.
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