Historical Note: Indian Arthropods in Early Sanskrit Literature: A Taxonomical Analysis

Sagan Deep Kaur, Lakhvir Singh
2018 Indian Journal of History of Science  
Mahai Manu, the author of Manuśmriti (500-400 BCE) classified living beings into four major types -Jarāyuja, Aaja, Svedaja and Udbhija. Insects were kept in Svedaja category. i Manu occupies the same place of honour in Indian literature as Aristotle in Greek philosophy.Insects have been known to man, since Vedic times. There are references of the terms like apada (six legged) in the Mahābhārata. Suśruta Sahitā had six varieties of ants, six varieties of flies, five varieties of
more » ... es, eight varieties of Centipedes, thirty varieties of scorpions and sixteen varieties of spiders. There are various species of bees referred to in Caraka Sahitā. The Tattvārthādhigama Sūtra (1 st BCE) by Umāsvatī gives various details of classifications based on number of senses of animals and insects. Even there are morphological variations and behavior of insects in various works of Kālidāsa like Raghuvamśam and Abhijyān Śakuntalam and others. An attempt has been made here to assess the taxonomic concepts of insects as mentioned in ancient Indian literature.
doi:10.16943/ijhs/2018/v53i1/49364 fatcat:vudlpvx47rb6xkvdj5cpfb5wye