Roots of Wisdom, Branches of Devotion: Plant Life in South Asian Traditions

Roots of Wisdom, Branches of Devotion is the natural continuation of the two previous edited collections on animals and minerals in South Asian religions. This volume reflects on plant life in South Asian traditions. It explores the way in which various religious traditions, including Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, have represented and reflected upon the botanical environment - the sacred nature of trees and flora, the significance of plants as food and medicine, agriculture and the use of plants in ritual and myth. The volume is multidisciplinary in its approach and includes studies ranging from anthropology, history, religious studies, medicine and medical humanities to folklore, literature, hermeneutics and philosophy.

Fabrizio M. Ferrari is Professor of Indology and South Asian Religions in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Chester. Thomas Dahnhardt is Assistant Professor in Hindi and Urdu Languages and Literatures in the Department of Asian and Mediterranean African Studies at the Ca' Foscari University of Venice.