नामरूपज्ञानम् (Characterization of Medicinal Plants) /16

- IV -
 
2. That which imparts knowledge of the forms

of substances on the basis of names. ( नामभी रूपं

ज्ञायतेऽनेनेति )
 

 
3. That which deals with proper correlation of

names and forms so that the entity can be identified

correctly. (नामरूपयोः सामञ्जस्यं ज्ञायतेऽनेनेति )
 

 
In the present book, the second one has been

followed which deals with characterization of me-

dicinal plants on the basis of etymological deriva-
tion of names and synonyms.
 

tion of names and synonyms.
 
'Nama'¹āma'[^1] denotes basonyms (mukhya nāma) as

well as synonyms (paryāyas ). 'Rūpa' is specific

character (svarūpa or prakrṛti) which includes mor-

phology (ākṛti) as well as properties and actions

(gunṇadharma ). Study of naāma and rūpa together of

medicinal plants constitute the branch known as

pharmacognosy which deals with cognition (identi-

fication) of medicinal plants.
 

 
[^1]. Nirukta defines 'nāma' as that which predominates in

sattva (सत्वप्रधानानि नामानि ). Durga interprets 'sattva' as

'existence of gender and number. He further quotes from

Brṛhaddevatā (1.42) as follows-

'शब्देनोच्चारितेनेह येन द्रव्यं प्रतीयते ।

तदक्षरविधौ युक्तं नामेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः ॥'
 

 
('Nāma' is defined by the learned as the word which on

being pronounced suggests some entity and is also used in

alphabets. )
 

 
--Durga on Nirukta 1.1.