superb photo to go with a sad lesson in a story thanks usha di On Mon, Jul 16, 2018 at 8:46 PM, J.M. Garg <[email protected]> wrote:
> Thanks, Bimal ji, for the great story and the presentation. > > ---------- Forwarded message --------- > From: Bimal Sar kar <[email protected]> > Date: Mon 16 Jul, 2018, 8:11 PM > Subject: CALLOTROPIS GIGANTIA ( ARKA ) PLANT MENTIONED IN MAHABHARAT ( > STORY OF UPAMANYU ) > To: > > > Mahabharat does not mention many plant species in the narration. In this > regard Ramayan is unique, it mentions almost 150 distinct plant species. > Valmiki was a great observer of nature. > The most important tree mentioned in Mahabharat is SHAMI( Prosopis > cineraria). Another plant I found is ARKA. > This plant is mentioned in story of Upamanyu. Most of you must be aware of > this story. It goes like this. > Rishi Ayoda Dhaumya had three disciples . One of them was Upamanyu. He was > supposed to look after the cattle of Guru. Guru never asked him to take > food but he observed that Upamanyu was healthy. Guru asked him how come he > maintains good health without taking food. Upamanyu replied that he beg and > survives on alms. On this Guru told him he must deposit it with Guru > whatever he gets as alms. Upamanyu told that it would be done. > Few days passed, Guru asked him what did he eat as we was depositing all > the items to the Guru. On this Upamanyu told that he ask for alms second > time. Guru told him that this practice should discontinue. Next time when > Guru asked him the secret of his health, he told that he drinks milk from > the cows. Guru told him to discontinue this practice. Next time he told > Guru that he drank froth thrown out by the calves. Guru told him to stop > that. As there was no other alternative Upamanyu ate Arka ( Callotropis > gigantia ), turnd blind and fell into a well. Guru came with other > disciples and rescued him. > This what available literature says about toxicity of the plant under > reference. > " Callotropis is a poisonous plant .The milky latex sap of the plant is > known to cause keratoconjuncivitis and reversible vision loss. " > Attaching an image of this plant. Incidentally it is a host plant for > Plain Tiger butterfly. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "efloraofindia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- Usha di =========== -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
