Honey in arka shrubs
Somdev Vasudeva
somdev.vasudeva at oriental-institute.oxford.ac.uk
Wed Aug 30 19:28:27 UTC 1995
Perhaps the citation does not refer to honey but to the apparently
well-known sweet smell of the arka plant. Cf. for instance the
Ga"u.davaho of Vappa"iraaya (Vaakpatiraaja), Verse 535, BSPS 34, from
the section describing the charms of the forest:
iha viisama"iva hiyaya.m phullakkasamiirasurahigandhesu
aavaayagha.diyakamalaamoesu va.nantamaggesu GV 535 (ara.nyavar.nanam)
The Nyaaya may thus imply that since a sweet fragrance can be obtained
from the common arka shrub there is no need to bother with costly
perfumed fragrances acquired from inaccessible mountain regions. But I do
not know if any of the arka varieties actually smell pleasant.
Somdev Vasudeva
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