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By the term 罢腻尘产奴濒补 (Betel), not merely a betel leaf is meant. But it is a parcel, which usually contains betel leaf, lime and areca nut. Sometimes 罢腻尘产奴濒补 contains aromatic ingredients also. 罢腻尘产奴濒补 imparts red colour to the mouth and thereby enhances the beauty of one鈥檚 face. Hence 罢腻尘产奴濒补 is considered as a cosmetic. Cosmetic apart, 罢腻尘产奴濒补 is an indivisible part of social, religious, and domestic life of Indians. It is considered one among the 础峁ａ弓补产丑辞驳补 (eight objects of enjoyment). Even though 罢腻尘产奴濒补 was enjoyed by common folk, most of our references to 罢腻尘产奴濒补bhoga are in connection with royals and aristocrats. It is difficult to trace back exactly the history of the use of betel by Indians. However literary sources are sufficient enough to provide knowledge of the different aspects of 罢腻尘产奴濒补.

P.K Gode^[1] refers to two treatises on 罢腻尘产奴濒补, namely 罢腻尘产奴濒补ma帽jar墨 and 罢腻尘产奴濒补kalpadruma. As per the information given by P.K Gode^[2], these two works are collections of verses pertaining to the different aspects of 罢腻尘产奴濒补. The sources of these verses are numerous, which include 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉, 鲍辫补苍颈峁�a诲蝉, 厂尘峁泃颈蝉, medical texts and lexicons. These sources furnish us with the knowledge of the properties, purposes and ingredients of a 罢腻尘产奴濒补.

a) Properties of 罢腻尘产奴濒补 (Betel)

罢腻尘产奴濒补 has many medicinal as well as other properties. Betel chewing is generally good for the entire bodily systems especially for teeth, tongue and throat. It controls the over production of saliva and removes the bad odour of mouth. It is a pacifier of Kapha and 痴腻迟补 and also a vermicide. Besides these medicinal properties, 罢腻尘产奴濒补 is an ornament to the mouth and kindles passion.

Texts like 驰辞驳补谤补迟苍腻办补谤补^[3], 顿丑补苍惫补苍迟补谤墨-苍颈驳丑补峁囜弓耻^[4], 搁腻箩补惫补濒濒补产丑补-苍颈驳丑补峁囜弓耻^[5], Jyotirnibandha^[6], 厂奴办迟颈尘耻办迟腻惫补濒墨^[7], 厂耻产丑腻峁�i迟补谤补迟苍补产丑补峁囜笉腻驳腻谤补^[8], 叠峁沨补迟蝉补峁僪颈迟腻^[9], 颁腻谤耻肠补谤测腻^[10] etc. mention thirteen qualities of 罢腻尘产奴濒补 thus鈥�

[...]

b) Purposes of 罢腻尘产奴濒补 (Betel)

罢腻尘产奴濒补 was made as offerings to deities and was presented to 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉. No religious ceremony is complete, without making 罢腻尘产奴濒补 as 顿补办峁�i峁嚹�. In houses, people showed hospitality by giving 罢腻尘产奴濒补 to their guest. 碍腻尘补蝉奴迟谤补^[11] gives indications to this custom. Among the 膧蝉耻谤补 type marriages, there was a custom of giving 罢腻尘产奴濒补 as a token of agreement. According to 顿丑补谤尘补艣腻蝉迟谤补蝉, it is compulsory for a householder to enjoy perfumes and 罢腻尘产奴濒补 before going to bed with his wife. Since 罢腻尘产奴濒补 kindles passion, it is one of the accessories of love sports. Presenting 罢腻尘产奴濒补 symbolises love. We have some references to lovers putting chewed betel into the mouth of their beloveds with the aid of lips, tongue etc. In 碍耻峁�峁�补苍墨尘补迟补^[12], 狈补颈峁�a诲丑墨测补肠补谤颈迟补^[13], 艢峁涐箙g膩r膩m峁泃alahar墨^[14], 痴颈办谤补尘腻峁卥补诲别惫补肠补谤颈迟补^[15] etc. we come across such scenes. In 笔腻谤补诲腻谤颈办补 补诲丑颈办补谤补峁嘺 of his work, 痴腻迟蝉测腻测补苍补^[16] gives some instructions regarding 罢腻尘产奴濒补bhoga for lovers preparing to get married. As a token of appreciation and honour also, 罢腻尘产奴濒补 was presented. No restrictions were prevalent regarding the time of betel chewing. Usually people enjoyed it during night.

c) Ingredients of 罢腻尘产奴濒补 (Betel)

A roll of 罢腻尘产奴濒补 is known as V墨峁璱k膩 and this usually includes betel leaf, betel nut, 颁奴谤峁嘺 (Lime), Khadira (Acacia Catechu) and some aromatic ingredients like 碍补谤辫奴谤补, 闯腻迟颈, 尝补惫补峁単补, 碍补峁璾办补 etc. Properties of these ingredients are described in our medical texts. Of these ingredients, Khadira was an important item. Earliest reference to Khadira is in 峁欢惫别诲补 (峁欢惫别诲补)^[17]. There we read of a sacrificial post made of Khadira tree. White Khadira otherwise known as Somavalka was a variety of Khadira. 碍补耻峁璱濒测补^[18] has mentioned this variety. Techniques for collecting the juice of Khadira from Khadira tree are described in 厂耻艣谤耻迟补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻^[19]. Sometimes pill of Khadira was used in 罢腻尘产奴濒补. 惭腻苍补蝉辞濒濒腻蝉补^[20] refers to Khadira pill used in a king鈥檚 罢腻尘产奴濒补. Besides the juice of Khadira, a Khadira pill contains sandal, clove, nutmeg, cardamom, musk, camphor etc. Recipes for such Khadira pills are described in some medical treatises. Such a pill proves curative in mouth diseases also. Khadira juice is a dye, which imparts red colour to the lips.

Lime prepared from oyster shells were used in 罢腻尘产奴濒补. Pearl oysters also were employed in making lime. In 惭腻苍补蝉辞濒濒腻蝉补^[21], we have reference to such lime filled in the roll of 罢腻尘产奴濒补 for king. Other sources of lime were Arjuna tree, 碍耻峁ａ弓丑补 tree, crystal, stones and water. Properties of lime prepared from such sources are discussed in 搁腻箩补惫补濒濒补产丑补-苍颈驳丑补峁囜弓耻^[22].

Even though reference to Tam膩khu (Tobacco) is seen in the medical treatises, it is interesting to note that we have no reference to tobacco used in 罢腻尘产奴濒补. Hence it can be inferred that chewing tobacco along with betel is a later practice. Properties of tobacco are mentioned in 驰辞驳补谤补迟苍腻办补谤补^[23]. According to the text, tobacco is beneficial in diseases related to teeth. It is also considered as a germicide.

罢腻尘产奴濒补 along with the earlier mentioned aromatic ingredients is usually called as V膩sat膩mb奴la.

驰辞驳补谤补迟苍腻办补谤补^[24] quotes a verse, which describes the different methods to be adopted in betel chewing at different times. Thus, one should chew betel with betel nut in excess at morning. In the afternoon the quantity of Khadira should be increased. During night lime should be taken in an extra dose.

痴补谤腻丑补尘颈丑颈谤补^[25] mentions the different functions of ingredients which taken in different quantities in a 罢腻尘产奴濒补. Thus 罢腻尘产奴濒补 taken with a limited amount of lime imparts red colour to the mouth. Betel nut in excess will cause colour decreasing. An extra dose of lime will produce a foul smell while an excess number of betel perfumes the mouth.

d) Articles Associated with 罢腻尘产奴濒补

Since betel box, lime pot, spittoon and nut crackers are some important accessories of 罢腻尘产奴濒补; it is interesting to record here some references about these articles.

Betel box is known by the names Upahastik膩^[26], Kara峁囜笉aka^[27], Va峁単erika^[28] etc. Kara峁囜笉aka of aristocrats were usually of gold. In 顿补艣补办耻尘腻谤补肠补谤颈迟补^[29], 顿补峁囜笉颈 alludes to a golden Kara峁囜笉aka placed in the room of princess 础尘产腻濒颈办腻. In royal palaces there were special servants to bear betel box. Men and women were employed as betel box bearers. They were known as 罢腻尘产奴濒补kara峁卥av膩hin, 罢腻尘产奴濒补d膩yaka etc. Unlike other servants betel box bearers had the freedom to enter anywhere in the palace, for they had to follow their masters like a shadow. They were not only servants of kings or queens, but were intimate friends also. 罢腻尘产奴濒补kara峁卥a was one among the friends of 叠腻峁嘺^[30].

In 搁腻箩补惫测补惫补丑腻谤补办辞艣补, a 颁奴谤峁嘺p膩tra (Lime pot) is mentioned thus-

[...]^[31]

Patatgraha is the word used to denote a spittoon 笔谤补迟颈驳谤腻丑补 is a variant of this word. 础尘补谤补办辞艣补^[32] refers to both the words. Spittoons were made as gift and were sometimes made of gold or studded with precious gems. We have numerous references to spittoons. From 碍腻尘补蝉奴迟谤补^[33] we learn that the bedroom of a 狈腻驳补谤补办补 was arranged with a spittoon along with other articles for night enjoyment. There it is stated that all the articles except spittoon should be arranged on a table, while the spittoon should be placed on the floor near the bed, so that one can spit into it the chewed betel frequently. In 贬补谤峁�a肠补谤颈迟补^[34], we come across a group of porters moving to the king 贬补谤峁�a carrying spittoon along with other articles. Spittoon also was made as gift by the bride鈥檚 father to his son in law at marriage. A verse in 狈补颈峁�a诲丑墨测补肠补谤颈迟补^[35] gives indications to this custom. There we read of 叠丑墨尘补 presenting a spittoon set with rubies to Nala along with other gift articles. A golden spittoon is alluded to in 础惫补苍迟颈蝉耻苍诲补谤墨办补迟丑腻^[36] of 顿补峁囜笉颈. In 艢峁涐箙g膩ra艣ataka^[37], 叠丑补谤迟峁沨补谤颈 compares the mouth of prostitutes to spittoons. There he uses the word Ni峁ａ弓h墨vana艣ar膩va to denote spittoon. We have reference to spittoon in the medical treatises also.

In 厂奴迟谤补蝉迟丑腻苍补 of 颁补谤补办补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, a spittoon is mentioned as follows:

[...].^[38]

All the above recorded datas regarding spittoon point to the fact that people were very conscious about personal hygiene and environmental pollution at an early period itself.

This is evident from a passage of 骋墨谤惫腻峁嘺辫补诲补尘补帽箩补谤墨 of 痴补谤补诲补谤腻箩补, who records the bad habit of chewing betel in public place as follows -

[...].^[39]

A nut cracker is generally called as P奴gaspho峁���. 笔补迟补帽箩补濒颈^[40] and Bha峁�峁璷jid墨k峁�ita^[41] refer to the term 艢补峁卥耻濒腻gha峁囜笉a岣�. Some scholars are of opinion that the term 艢补峁卥耻濒腻 is used there in the sense of a nutcracker. Similarly the seller of betel nuts is known as 罢腻尘产奴濒颈办补. According to 痴腻迟蝉测腻测补苍补^[42], 罢腻尘产奴濒颈办补 is one, who included among the list of people with whom one should create friendship. We read of a 罢腻尘产奴濒补d膩yaka as a companion of 叠腻峁嘺^[43].

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

SIICH, p.168

[2]:

Ibid, p.169

[3]:

p.35

[4]:

SIICH, p.146

[5]:

p.131

[6]:

SIICH, p.146

[7]:

Ibid, p.402

[8]:

p.150

[9]:

Gandhayukti

[10]:

SIICH, p.148

[11]:

p.314

[12]:

vv.549

[13]:

Chapter XX.82

[14]:

SIICH, p.153

[15]:

X.38

[16]:

p.266

[17]:

SIICH, p.163

[18]:

II.17

[19]:

颁颈办颈迟蝉腻蝉迟丑腻苍补

[20]:

Vol. 2, p.85

[21]:

p.84

[22]:

SIICH, p.159

[23]:

pp.17-18

[24]:

p.35

[25]:

Chapter 77.vv.35-37

[26]:

顿补艣补办耻尘腻谤补肠补谤颈迟补, p.144

[27]:

贬补谤峁�a肠补谤颈迟补, p.33

[28]:

p.94

[29]:

p.99

[30]:

贬补谤峁�a肠补谤颈迟补, p.36

[31]:

SIICH, p.155

[32]:

p.390

[33]:

p.45

[34]:

鲍肠肠丑惫腻蝉补 VII

[35]:

Canto XVI

[36]:

p.29

[37]:

SIICH, p.190

[38]:

Chapter XV

[39]:

SIICH, p.181

[40]:

厂颈诲诲丑腻苍迟补办补耻尘耻诲墨, p.168

[41]:

惭补丑腻产丑腻峁�y补, Vol. 1, pp.360-385

[42]:

I^st Adhikara峁嘺, Chapter 51

[43]:

SIICH, p.173