History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c27.s2: Written Literature

History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c27.s2

Language: English

Written Literature

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Reviewing the sources of ancient literature on veterinary sciences, Garg (1987) refers to several manuscripts, their authors, availability and possible historicity.

Among the ancient authors are found the names of Śālihotra, Pālakāpya, Rājaputra, Vaiśampāyaṇa, Vyāsa, Nakula, Sahadeva, Garga, Mṛgasarmā, Bṛhaspati, Nārada, Gaṇa, Jayadatta Sūri, Dinapathi, Malladeva Paṇḍita, Siṃhadatta, Nala, Vatsya, Śukra, Manu, Kauṭilya and Paraśāra ; and among the authors of later date come Jayadeva, King Indusena, Bhoj, Sāraṅgadhara, Someśvara, Vahada, Bāsavamantri, Girvana, Yuddhavikrama, Viśvanath Vajpaye, Śivarāma Bhupati, Dipaṅkar, and the poet Rudradeva. Each one of them is reported to have contributed a book on veterinary science; many of these works are now lost either in part or in full but some fragments of a few of them are still available here and there, in libraries and oriental institutions. Of all the authors mentioned, names of Salihotra as the authority on horses, and Pālakāpya on elephants stand pre-eminent.

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Śālihotra is said to have lived in Salutar, a country near Gandhara, the modern Kandahar. Manuscript entitled Aśvayurveda Siddhayoga Saṃgraha (P.P.S. No 11251 and Burnell Catalogue No 12302, S.M. Library, Tanjore) is ascribed to Salihotra, who seems to be the foremost and indeed, the father of all Indian authors on veterinary science. Antiquity of Śālihotra may be inferred from the fact that he has been quoted by Hemadri in Vratakhaṇḍa. Some portions from his work have been quoted in the Agni Purāṇa, the Matsya Purāṇa and Garuḍa Purāṇa. This tends to prove that Śālihotra’s work is pre-Puranic.

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Śālihotra is again mentioned in his commentary called Tikasarvasya of Nāmaliṅgānuśāsana, the dictionary of Amarsiṃha. Moreover, many other authors on horses, who are equally antique and authentic began their writings by paying respect to Śālihotra as the originator of the science.

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Śālihotra’s work on horses appears to be a very comprehensive one, consisting of eight parts (16,000 ślokas in 120 chapters) dealing with practical farriery. It is a complete guide to the science of horses, dealing with their breeding, training, feeding, watering, stabling, grooming, and their care in health and disease; with an elaborate description of several diseases they are susceptible to, and their treatment. The entire work is not extant. A portion of it is available at Tanjore, and other portions in stray parts are reported from Calcutta, Lucknow, Baroda, and Nepal.

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Next in importance is Pālakāpya, the first and most ancient author on Elephantology. Edgarton, Professor of Sanskrit, Yale University, USA, remarks in the introduction to his book ‘The Elephant Lore of the Hindu’, ‘All known texts agree in attributing the founding of scientific elephantology to a mythical sage, Pālakāpya. They likewise agree in making this elephant lore to an apparently mythical Romāpada, the king of Aṅgas, whose name is not otherwise known’ etc. The name of Romāpada, the king of Aṅgas, occur in Bālakāṇḍa of the great epic Rāmāyaṇa, where it is stated that king Daśaratha had invited to Ayodhya the sage Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, the son-in-law of Romāpada. This points to the indication that Pālakāpya’s book on elephantology must be older than epic period.

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The works of other ancient persons, their availability, probable period and source is compiled in Table 3. The works of authors on Veterinary Sciences in ancient India can be classified in three periods as below:

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The Vedic Period: Atharvaveda contains treatise on medicine and some information on veterinary science belongs to this period.

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Epic Period: During this period Ayurveda or the sciences of knowledge of life came to existence. To this period Śālihotra, Pālakāpya, Rājputra, Mṛgaśarmā, etc belonged. In the age of Mahābhārata, Nakula and Sahadeva flourished.

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Period of Purāṇa and Sūtra: Several puranas wherein copious information on veterinary matters is available are Matsya, Garuḍa, Agni, Brahmāṇḍa, Viṣṇu and Liṅga Purāṇas. Several books on polity like Manu Saṃhitā, Kauṭilya’s Arthaśāstra, Bṛhaspati Mātā, Parāśara Saṃhitā and Sukranīti, where much information on veterinary matters exists, belong to this period.

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Table 3 — Ancient Veterinary Literature and related information

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* Exact place/ library or availability not specified.

Linked texts (14)

Agnipurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Garuḍapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Liṅgapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Matsyapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra — Kauṭilya, Sanskrit
Mānava Dharmaśāstra — Manu & Bhṛgu, Sanskrit
Nāmaliṅgānuśāsana (Amarakośa) — Amarasiṃha, Sanskrit
Bṛhaspatismṛti — Bṛhaspati, Sanskrit
Parāśarasmṛti — Parāśara, Sanskrit
Raghuvaṃśa — Kālidāsa, Sanskrit
Viṣṇupurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
Atharvavedasaṃhitā — Atharvan & Aṅgiras, Sanskrit
Vālmīkirāmāyaṇa — Vālmīki, Sanskrit