The First References on plants and forests, and of grasshoppers and cicadas in Rig Veda (Rg Veda):. The first references on forests and forest goddesses are available in Rig Veda, the oldest known document of the Indo-Iranian Aryan civilizations. Some parts of the Rig Veda are among the oldest documents known to mankind. The general consensus is that the composition of the Rig Veda was completed before 1200 BC. Rig Veda consists of 1028 hymns arranged into 10 mandalas (Parts). In the 146th hymn of the 10th mandala, we get the vivid representation of gods and goddesses of trees and forests (vanaspati, the lord of wilderness and Aaranya devatha, the goddess of the forest). Let me give Griffith’s translation of a Rig Vedic hymn: HYMN 10‑146 1. GODDESS of wild and forest who seemest to vanish from the sight. How is it that thou seekest not the village? Art thou not afraid? 2 What time the grasshopper replies and swells the shrill cicala's voice, Seeming to sound with tinkling bells, the Lady of the Wood exults. 3 And, yonder, cattle seem to graze, what seems a dwelling-place appears: Or else at eve the Lady of the Forest seems to free the wains. 4 Here one is calling to his cow, another there hath felled a tree: At eve the dweller in the wood fancies that somebody hath screamed. 5 The Goddess never slays, unless some murderous enemy approach. Man eats of savoury fruit and then takes, even as he wills, his rest. 6 Now have I praised the Forest Queen, sweet-scented, redolent of balm, The Mother of all sylvan things, who tills not but hath stores of food. In ancient texts, we come across many references on the origin of plants. The Satapatha Brahmana (one of the most ancient texts of the Vedic period), contains such a reference: “….. Hiranyagarbha , who sprang from apah, assumed the work of a creator. After having created the elements he reclined to rest……from his hair his thought flowed and became the millet plant. From his skin his honour flowed and became the aśvattha tree. From his flesh his vitality flowed and became the udumbara tree. From his bones honey flowed and became the nygrodha tree. From his marrow soma juice flowed and became the rice plant. …vilva tree sprang up from his marrow and khadira from his bones, and palāsh from his flesh…..” (hiranyagarbha– Brahma; apah – water). The picture at the bottom is a portion of a palm leaf document preserved in the British Library