In Hindu mythology,
Sanjeevani is a magical herb which has the power to cure any problem. It was
believed that medicines prepared from this herb could restore life in a dead
person. While some references in scientific literature list Selaginella
bryopteris as the Sanjeevani mentioned in Hindu mythology, a search of ancient
texts has so far not revealed any plant that can be definitively confirmed as
Sanjeevani. In certain texts it is written that Sanjeevani glows in the dark.
What is Sanjeevani ?
All of us know that plants
with medicinal properties exist in nature. From Holy Basil (Tulsi) to
coriander, a lot of plants have amazing remedial effects. A quick search over
the Internet will tell you that Sanjeevani is commonly known as Selaginella
bryopteris. Since ages, people have been talking about the magical effects of
this plant. Truly, it is a plant of great importance to the society as a whole
and it should be studied thoroughly.
Has Sanjeevani been
rediscovered in 21st Century?
Some people have claimed
that they were able to locate two groups of plants in the Dronagiri Hills that
could be the ancient miracle plant. This hill is in Joshimath, Garhwal and it
reaches up to a height of 15,000 feet. The truth behind the discovery still
needs to be verified. Agricultural scientists at Indian National Botanical
Research Institute are working rigorously on Sanjeevani to unearth more hidden
facts about it.
Is Selaginella bryopteris
the renowned Sanjeevani?
It is a very important
question for the biologists, medical practitioners, enthusiasts and research
scholars as to which medicinal plant is Mritha Sanjeevani. The name suggests
that this plant has the capacity to bring back life in a dead person. There is
hardly any plant that has been determined to be of this rank among various
medicinal plants – Not even Selaginella bryopteris. And wasn’t it supposed to
emit light?
Latest news around
Sanjeevani
Various studies conducted
on this plant revealed a special feature of resistance to drought in this
plant. This feature makes Sanjeevani capable of standing drought conditions for
long years. Agricultural scientists are planning to insert this gene from the
plant to various other crops. As a result, the crops would become resistant to
drought conditions. Such transgenic plants would help in preventing loss of
crops even when sufficient water is not present.
As per a parallel research
The botanical names of the
medicinal plants which were recognized as Mritha Sanjeevani is Saussurea
Ggossypiphora, which are known as ‘Phena Kamal’ and ‘Kasturi Kamal’ in the
local language.
What makes Mritha
Sanjeevani
Saussurea Ggossypiphora
grows at a height of 4300 – 5600 meters in different parts of Himalayas. It is
full of cotton fiber and looks like a snowball and is around 10- 20 cm long and
has white flowers and Pleurospermum candollei is 30- 40 cm long and these two
collectively make ‘Mritha Sanjeevani’
As per the Locals of
Dronagiri
The local beliefs related
to botanical fields of Himalaya have been made the basis to determine the plant
as Mrita Sanjeevani along with mythological references. The tribal people of
Dhouladhar hilly areas living in western Himalayan areas used to call it Bana
or Shiva. They used to bring both the plants to their homes and pray it as they
believed it to be life saving.
Uses of this herb
Both the above-mentioned
herbs were used to cure unconsciousness, cerebral disorders, respiratory
problems, bodily pains and other problems. The tribal people, villages,
ascetics having knowledge of Himalayan traditions, never revealed about these
plants with the fear of exploitation and extinction.
The divine herb
The most interesting fact
is that the plant is worshipped like god and is an important aspect from
research point of view. Secondly, when these herbal plant grow, it has the
maximum aroma when compared to other medicinal plants growing in that region.It
is also surprising to note that the plant lose all their fragrance in dry
state.
No comments:
Post a Comment