z Available online at http://www.journalcra.com INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CURRENT RESEARCH International Journal of Current Research Vol. 7, Issue, 09, pp.19964-19969, September, 2015 ISSN: 0975-833X RESEARCH ARTICLE SANJEEVANI AND BISHALYAKARANI PLANTS-MYTH OR REAL ! *,1Swapan Kr Ghosh and 2Pradip Kr Sur 1Department of Botany, Molecular Mycopathology Lab., Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College, Rahara, Kolkata 700118, India 2Associate Professor in Zoology (Retd) A-9 /45, Kalyani-741235, Nadia, WB, India ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article History: The use of plants to cure human diseases has been coming from ancient cultures, medicine Received 05th June, 2015 practitioners used the extracts from plant to soothe and relieve aches and pains. Medicinal plants, and Received in revised form plant products are known to ‘Ayurveda’ in India since long times. In the very beginnings of Botany, 21st July, 2015 doctors in both Europe and America researched herbs in their quest to cure diseases. Many of the Accepted 07th August, 2015 plants that were discovered by ancient civilizations are still in use today. About three quarters of the Published online 16th September, 2015 world populations relies mainly on plants and plant extracts for health cure. It is true that many species of flora and fauna exhibit medicinal properties but amongst the most talked about are Key words: Sanjeevani ("restores life") and Bishalyakarani ("arrow remover"). In the Ramayana epic, the Hanuman went to search these magical plants in Dunagiri by getting advice of Sushena. Since Ayurveda, beginning of human culture, people have been talking about the magical effects of these plants. Now Sanjeevani, scientists are searching these two plants in Himalayan mountains for the medical benefits in human Bishalyakarani. society and they should be studied thoroughly. Copyright © 2015 Swapan Kr Ghosh and Pradip Kr Sur. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Citation: Swapan Kr Ghosh and Pradip Kr Sur, 2015. “Sanjeevani and Bishalyakarani plants-myth or real ! ”, International Journal of Current Research, 7, (9), 19964-19969. INTRODUCTION queries including the controversy about its existence and identity are percolating with in our culture from time The Ramayana and other mythical stories / puranas that refer immemorial. The objective of this review article is to discuss to Sanjeevani have remained a part of the cultural heritage for its existence, the habit, habitat and medicinal values including several millennia in the Indian sub-continent including certain ‘resurrect’ life amidst modern scientific approach/es. neighboring countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia. The Sanjeevani in literally meaning is something Flora of the Ramayana that offers life; (jeeva = life). Its habitat must be in mountain region. This epic (The Ramayana) tells us that Lakshman in In the ancient epics or Mahakavya, the Ramayana and battle field became dead /near to dead /unconscious by fatal Mahabharata, forest at various places are mentioned. The attack with poisonous/ “Mantraputa” arrows. The Hanuman importance of plants in Indian epics reflected from the fact that went to search this magical plant/s in Dunagiri. This mount each epic devotes one book to the forests. The Ramayana was proper itself is 2,290 m in the Himalaya, with a mountain that divided into Kandas (Books). One Kanda known as ‘Aranya rises up to heights of 7,066 m one of the high peaks of the Kanda’ – Book of the Forest was present. ‘Kishkindha Kanda’ Garhwal Himalayas. From very early times, places such – Book of Kishkindha also described the geography and Drongiri (Dunagiri), Badrinath, Kedarnath have been known as forestry of the region. l Rama and Lakshman were guided to a Soul of Gods (“Devatma’’ Himalaya) since these places are deadly forest on the other bank of River Ganges and acquainted also the meditation spots (‘asanpeeth’ and ‘sadhna-sthali’) of about the provinces Malada and Karusha by the sage many spiritual souls. Dunagiri or Drongiri is counted amongst Vishvamitra. Here ‘shlokas’ 12-18 described about the forest one of the seven ‘Kulparvats of the Purans’. Whether the trees and plants of the region. Aranya Kanda shlokas 46, 49, sanjeevani was a single plant or many plants ? whether it / they 74-76 revealed many trees and plants. Aranya Kanda Sarga 15 was / were herb or shrub or tree ? whether sanjeevani has the mentioned about Panchavati situated on Godavari River in magical curing potentiality for ‘resurrecting’ life? Like many Nasik district in Maharashtra. The biodiversity of the area around Pampa Lake was mentioned in shlokas 12- *Corresponding author: Swapan Kr Ghosh 18.(www.wikepedia.org). Ramayana-Kishkindha Kanda Sarga 1Department of Botany, Molecular Mycopathology Lab., Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College, Rahara, Kolkata 700118, India. 1 described of Pampa Lake and about many forest trees in 19965 Swapan Kr Ghosh and Pradip Kr Sur, Sanjeevani and Bishalyakarani plants-myth or real ! shlokas 73-83. In Kishkindha Kanda Sarga 40, Sugreeva another been used in some culture for medicinal purposes can commissioning Vinata explained the topography and only be estimated. An enumeration of the WHO from the late geography of Eastern side of the Jambudvipa, where trees have 1970s listed 21 000 medicinal species (FAO, 2013). However, been mentioned in shlokas 39, 53 and 56. in China alone 4941 of 26092 native species are used as drugs in Chinese traditional medicine (Duke and Ayensu, 1985), an Present biodiversity of plants in India astonishing 18.9 percent. The data presented in the table 1 indicated that in India 3000 sp of medicinal plants of total Biodiversity encompasses all biological entities occurring as an 15000sp of plants are being used in the traditional medicine, it interacting system in a habitat or ecosystem and plants is 20% and highest in the world. In global scenario total of constitute a very important segment of such biological systems. 422000 flowering plant species are present (Govaert, 2001), India is a treasure chest of biodiversity which hosts a large while the number of plant species used for medicinal purposes variety of plants. Although its total land area is only 2.4 percent is 52885 (Table 1). of the total geographical area of the world, the country accounts for eight percent of the total global biodiversity with Table 1. Number of plant species and number of medicinal species an estimated 49000 species of plants of which 4900 are in different countries including India and World endemic (Kumar and Asija, 2000). In India vascular plants (Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and angiosperms) account Country No. of plant No. of medical Percentage (%) 20,648 sps of described plants (BSI, Kolkata). The ecosystems species plant species of the Himalayas, the Khasi and Mizo hills of northeastern India 15000 3000 20.0 China 26 092 4941 18.9 India, the Vindhya and Satpura ranges of northern peninsular Viet Nam 10 500 1 800 17.1 India, and the Western Ghats contain nearly 90 percent of the Sri Lanka 3 314 550 16.6 country's higher plant species and are therefore of special Thailand 11 625 1 800 15.5 importance to traditional medicine. Although, a good USA 21 641 2 564 11.8 Nepal 6 973 700 10.0 proportion of species of Medicinal Plants (MP) do occur Philippines 8 931 850 9.5 throughout the country, peninsular Indian forests and the Malaysia 15 500 1 200 7.7 Western Ghats are highly significant with respect to varietal Pakistan 4 950 300 6.1 richness (Parrota, 2001). Indonesia 22 500 1 000 4.4 Average 13 366 1 700 12.5 World 422 000 52 885 Medicinal plants which constitute a segment of the flora Sources: Duke and Ayensu (1985); Govaerts (2001); Groombridge and Jenkins provide raw material for use in all the indigenous systems of (1994, 2002); Jain and De Fillipps (1991); Padua et al. (1999), FAO (2013) medicine in India namely Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Tibetan Medicine. According to the World Health Organization In Himalaya region, 8500 sp of plants are recorded, out of them (WHO), 80 percent of the population in developing countries 2500 sp are medicinal. In Trans Himalaya regions, medicinal relies on traditional medicine, mostly in the form of plant drugs plants are estimated as 700 (FAO, 2013). In all medical for their health care needs. Additionally, modern medicines systems (Ayurvede, Unany, Homeo, Siddha, Western, Floke, contain plant derivatives to the extent of about 25 percent. Floke (V.) TCM, Tibetan), 6,198 sp are recorded (Ravikumar, http://www.apforgen.org). On account of the fact that the derivatives of medicinal plants are non necrotic having no side effects, the demand of these Mythology behind Sanjeevani plants is on the increase in both developing and developed countries. There are estimated to be around 25000 effective Hindu mythology referred the Sanjeevani (literally meaning plants based on formulations available in Indian medicine. something that offers life; jeeva = life) as a magical herb which Over 1.5 million practitioners of the Indian system of medicine has the power to cure any diseases. It was believed that in the oral and codified streams use medicinal plants in medicines prepared from this herb could revive a dead person. preventive, promotional and curative applications. It is This herb is mentioned in the ‘Yuddha Kand’, the Ramayana. estimated that there are over 7800 medicinal drug In the Valmiki Ramayana, Indrajeet strikes down most of the manufacturing units in India, which consume about 2000 tons Devas and Ram's army with arrows by aerial attack under sky of herbs annually (Singh, 2001). According to Exim Bank, the cover. Jambavan tells Hanuman, "O Hanuman you are the only international market for medicinal plant related trade is to the one who can save the lives of the two brothers, as well as the tune of US$ 60 billion having a growth rate of seven percent lives of all the Vanaras.