English names of the 5 Vegetables in Hatha Yoga Pradipika?

[Guest guest]

I have been re reading the Hatha Yoga Pradipika of Swatmarama. In

Chapter 1 Verse 62 or 63 depending on which translation you read,

Yogi Swatmarama describes the ideal food for Yoga practitioners. He

mentions "The Five Leafy Vegetables". In one edition the commentary

states that these vegetables are; Balasaka, Kalasaka, Patolapatraka,

Vastaka and Himalochika. In another edition the commentary states

that the vegetables are; Seendil, Chakravarthi, Ponnangi,

Chirukeerai, and Valloi-charnai keerai. I assume that those are the

Sanskrit or another Indian language's name for those vegetables. My

question is what are the English names of those vegetables? Does

anybody out there know, or know how we can find out? Thank you.

David Wells

[Guest guest]

>

> Message: 4

> Thu, 16 Oct 2003 21:50:12 -0000

> "dwellsohm" <dwellsohm

> English names of the 5 Vegetables in Hatha Yoga Pradipika?

>

> I have been re reading the Hatha Yoga Pradipika of Swatmarama. In

> Chapter 1 Verse 62 or 63 depending on which translation you read,

> Yogi Swatmarama describes the ideal food for Yoga practitioners. He

> mentions "The Five Leafy Vegetables". In one edition the commentary

> states that these vegetables are; Balasaka, Kalasaka, Patolapatraka,

> Vastaka and Himalochika. In another edition the commentary states

> that the vegetables are; Seendil, Chakravarthi, Ponnangi,

> Chirukeerai, and Valloi-charnai keerai. I assume that those are the

> Sanskrit or another Indian language's name for those vegetables. My

> question is what are the English names of those vegetables? Does

> anybody out there know, or know how we can find out? Thank you.

> David Wells

>

 

This is what I came up with after a quick search

 

Apart from Vastaka I'm not sure there are English names for most of

these, and anyway most English names for Indian herbs are silly and

mean nothing

 

its an unfortunate fact that most vegetables indigenous to India have

largely been supplanted by European spp like carrot, potato, tomato,

cauliflower etc.

 

Balasaka- ?, leaves of Bala (Sida spp)?

 

Kalasaka - Corchorus microphylla, C. capsularis

 

Patolapatraka - Trichosanthes dioica?, but this is a gourd that is

commonly used, not the leaf

 

Vastaka - Chenopodium album, Lamb's Quarter

 

Himalochika - Hilamochika (spelt differently) is a synonym of Brahmi,

probably either Bacopa but probably Centella asiatica if anything

(which is used as a salad green in SE Asia)

 

 

best...

Caldecott

phyto

http://www.wrc.net/phyto