The subject matter of the work is the studies of the medicinal plants recorded in the compilation of Dhanvantari Nighantu The compilation in one of the oldest available nighantu and the topmost authority on the subject of Ayurvedic botany and the pharmacodynamical actions of drugs on human body.
The original work of this compilation is the nearest to the classical texts of Ayurveda such as Caraka, Susruta, and Vagbhatta, etc. hence the compilation is helpful to know and identify the plants recorded in the classical books.
To understand the arrangements of the subject (of identification) and confirmation of plants of this nighantu, a particular method is adopted in this work and unless it is carefully studied, the work cannot be understood thouroughly. The Author has explained this method under the heading "Proforma".
Two chapters with comments by Late Vd. D. K. Kamat were published in 1972 and in 1979. Due to paucity of funds the Sanskrit text was not included at that time. In the present edition all the chapters with Sanskrit text, with different readings from various manuscripts and books, english translation of the text and notes, latest nomenclatures changes of the plants are included.
Born on 21st of February 1936, Dr. Sadanand Digambar Kamat did his D.S.A.C. from Mumbai in 1957 securing gold medal. He completed his Ayurvedacharya Course from Delhi in 1960 and M.F.A.M. from Maharashtra in 1969. He served as an advisor in Ayurvedic Formulations to Franco-Indian Pharmaceuticals from 1974 to 1975. He received Vanoushadhi Puraskar from Khadiwale Vaidyak Sanshodhan Sanstha, Pune in 1988. He is a general Practitioner in Ayurvedic Medicine since 1960 and is currently working for Literary Research in the Board of Research in Ayurveda, Mumbai as a Research worker. He has published many articles in Ayurvedic journals and magzines. Dr. S.D. Kamat is also an elected Trustee & President of Ayurvidya Prasarak Mandal, Mumbai since 1991.
The first volume of the studies on medicinal plants in Dhanvantariya Nighantu. गुढच्यावि वर्ग Guducyadı chapter was written and published by my Late father Vd. D.K. Kamat and Prof. S.D.Mahajan in 1972. The second volume शनपुष्यावि वर्ग Satapuspadi chapter was published by me in 1979. Out of the remaining five chapters viz. चंदनावि तृतीय पर्ग 3rd Candanadi chapter, करपीदि चतुर्थ वर्ग 4th Karaviradı chapter and the आमादि पञ्यम वर्ग 5th Amrådı chapter which consist most of the herbal drugs of this Dhanvantarı Nighantu were commented upon by Late Vd. D.K.Kamat and the Mss in his own hand writing was ready in different files. After the publication of the Vol. II. I was very eager to complete and publish the remaining 5 volumes, but I could not do so for various reasons. I am now happy in completing the remaining work of my Late father and publishing the निषष्ट्र Nighantu - with its full text for the benefit of scholars. Here in this present book I have made certain additions and insertions without doing any harm to the original substance of the comments of Mss. The additions or insertions are as noted below:
1) As stated earlier the Mss of the above mentioned Dhn.Ni. was ready only upto the Vth Chapter i.e आमावि वर्ग Amradi Chapter, the remaining chapters 1.e. मुवर्णादि वर्ग Vith the Suvarnadi Chapter and the मिथकादि वर्ग VII th Misrakadi Chapter were not commented upon, but to complete the work I have myself commented upon in the same style and proforma. It is up to the scholars to decide to what extent I have been succeeded in this attempt.
2) As the published volumes and also unpublilshed Mss did not contain the Sanskrit text, the reader has to depend on other books containing the text. The edition published by आनन्दाश्रम मुद्रणात्य्य Anandasrama mudranalaya was referred by Late Vd. D.K.Kamat. It is out of print for a long time. Therefore I have included the text in संस्कृन्त Sanskrit. As the text is added and also all the Chapters brought together, made it necessary to rearrange the contents, index etc.
3) Two editions of this Nighantu are published recently. One is commented by Dr. Guruprasadjı Sharma, edited by Prof. Priyavratji Sharma and published by Chaukhamba Publishers (Sometimes I have mentioned as Chaukhamba edition) and the second by Dr. Jharkhande Ojha.
In the meantime Prof. Priyavratji Sharma, the great scholar of Ayurveda has edited a number Nighantus, the important one from the point of Dhanvantarı Nighantu is शोदर्लानघण्टु Sodhala Nighantu. I have also obtained 3 other Mss of Dh. Ni. from the University of Mumbai and 2MSS from Bhandarakar oriental library Pune. All these have been referred for the present edition of Dhn. Ni.
The commentators of अमरकोश Amarkosh, क्षीरस्यामी ksiraswamı. and चीवल्लभ उपाप्याय Shrivallabha Upadhyaya the commentator of Nighantusesha' had quoted Dhanvantari Nighantu very often. There are some different readings mentioned in Anandasram edition. Such different readings which I felt important are mentioned in the foot notes of this book.
The commentators interpret or comment on the basis of the original text, therefore, it is necessary to have the correct text. I have tried to provide the correct text in the light of all these available Nighantus, Mss and other works mentioned above. Some of the verses of this Nighantu are taken from the classical texts, (1.e. Samhitas) the references of the same are also mentioned in this book.
4) The properties, medicinal uses etc. of the drugs are not commented here, because the aim of the study is limited only to the correct identification and confirmation of the plants in this Nighantu, though it is true that the final confirmation requires further substantiation by pharma-cological, clinical experimental and other methods of studies.
However, for the purpose of completion of the work I have translated the properties and actions of the drugs which are mentioned in the text.
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