India’s Glorious Scientific Tradition - Plants too have life

In Chapter 184 of the Shanti Parva in the Mahabharata, there is a dialogue between Sages Bharadwaj and Bhrigu. In it, Sage Bharadwaj asks that since trees can neither see nor hear, nor smell, nor feel pleasure, nor have the sense of touch, then how are they animate or living and how are they constituted by the five elements?

Sage Bhrigu replied: “O Sage, although the trees seem solid, yet there is no doubt that they have the space. That is why it is possible for them to bear fruits and flowers.

“The heat that the trees have shrivels or withers the leaves, the bark, the flowers and the fruits and they fall off. Therefore, it also proves that they have the sense of touch.

“It has also been seen that when there is a loud sound like that of the harsh winds, fire, thunder, etc. the flowers and the fruits of trees fall off. This proves that trees can hear also.

“The creeper covers the tree from all sides and climbs right to the top. No one can find his way unless he can see. This proves that trees can see too.

“With pure and holy fragrance, the tree becomes healthy and grows better. This proves that they can smell also.

“They drink water from their roots and if they are suffering from some disease we can put some medicine in their roots. This way, we can treat them too. This proves that trees have the sense of taste.

“Such as a man sucks water through a lotus stem into his mouth, likewise trees suck water through their roots upward with the help of wind.

Sukhdukhyoshcha grahanaacchinnasya cha virohanaat Jeevam pashyami Vrikshanam chaitanyam na vidyate.

“When a tree is cut, it sprouts again and they accept joys and sorrows. Hence, I see that trees also have life and that they are not non-living things.

“The wind and the heat inside the tree help it to digest the water that it takes in from its roots. Complete assimilation of the food gives it glossiness and it grows well.”

Besides this, the sages Charak and Udayan have also described the feelings of life that one can observe or notice in trees and plants. Sage Charka says: Tachyetanaavad Chetananch meaning they (trees) also have life like living creature.

He further says Atra Sendriyatvena Vrikshadinaamapi Cetanatvam Bodhavyam meaning trees also have feelings. Therefore, we must know that they too have organs and hence life.

Udayan also says, Vrikshadayah pratiniyatbhokytradhisththitah jeevanamaranaswapna jaagaranarogabheshaja prayogabaajasaja ateeyanubandhanuku lopagampratikoo lapagamaadibhyah prasiddha shareerawat. —(Udayan-prithvinirupanam)

“Like a human body, trees also experience the following feelings-life, death, dream, waking up, disease, medicinal treatment, seed, grafting, accepting what is suitable and rejecting what is not.”