Modern day search for 'Sanjeevani'
Seema Singh -
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 4:47 PM
So is there, rather was there, a miracle plant called Sanjeevani? If yes, could/can it resurrect life as different versions of the epic Ramayana tell us?
Interesting questions even today, aren't they?
Pulled by many such intriguing questions a team of researchers set out on their own "search for Sanjeevani". The full account can be found here, in today's issue of Current Science.
They started out by logically eliminating the following hypotheses, one by one.
1. It refers to a specific plant, either extinct or extant, with a strong potential for resurrecting life.
2. It is merely a conceptual term referring to a specific group of plants with a potential for invigorating the
dying health.
3. It is a metaphoric term for any plant(s) with a good medicinal value.
4. It is simply an imaginary plant that never existed.
So what did the trio find? It seems they decided, wisely, to not address the issue of whether or not Sanjeevani exists (or existed), rather they proceeded on the assumption that "if it be true", we shouldn't miss out on such an important resource. They were also guided by the logic that the cost of searching is worth even if they fail in their attempts.
"Further, we are aware that our search may not be complete and our approach may not be the best; there may be other, better ways of searching which we think are worth attempting. However, with the criteria and we set up for the search, it appears there are at least two species, viz. S. bryopteris and D. fimbriatum as potential species representing Sanjeevani, on which more work could be attempted," they write.
Pix of S bryopteris; the dry, dead-looking material on the left almost comes alive when watered.
Somewhat deflating, isn't it? But at least there's a semblance of Sanjeevani, in these species, though the wait for the real test of merit could be longer.