A specialized AI project at the Indian Institute of Science has successfully decoded fragmentary palm-leaf manuscripts written in the 11th-century Nandinagari script. The recovered text reveals a sophisticated Sanskrit treatise titled Giri-Trina-Vijnana, which details the systematic classification of montane graminoids (grasses) and their specific roles in preventing soil erosion in high-altitude pasture lands.
The manuscript outlines recursive methods for identifying species based on leaf-venation and root-depth, indicating an advanced level of botanical and ecological understanding. Researchers note that the text provides early algorithmic logic for seasonal pasture rotation, which was essential for the sustainability of livestock in the Western Ghats. This discovery highlights the integration of rigorous scientific observation within medieval Sanskrit academic traditions.