"A sixties issue of the Polish Great Encyclopedia presented Aśoka, quite consistently, as a builder of the hospitals for animals. But not only. In this famous entry he was also a builder of the hospitals for plants."
Presumably only for potted plants, since digging up and moving would put a strain on plants in the ground. Or did Maurya bureaucrats, like their British Indian successors, in anticipation of transfer do their gardening in pots so their favorites could move with them to the next station? ;-)
Allen
Allen W. Thrasher, Ph.D.
Senior Reference Librarian and Team Coordinator
South Asia Team
Asian Division
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20540-4810
USA
tel. 202-707-3732
fax 202-707-1724
The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Library of Congress.