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History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c28.s1: II

History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c28.s1

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II

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Fisheries occupies an important place in Indian tradition and mythology. The Ṛgveda-Saṃhitā throws light on the mode of hunting of fish and the food and drink of people. The Vedic Aryans appear to be meat eaters rather than fish eaters. However, matsya as fish is mentioned in the Ṛgveda. Muksija is also found in one passage of the Ṛgveda which clearly means a “net” for catching fish or animals.

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In Atharvaveda and Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, reference to fisheries has been made by narrating a legend in which a fish saved Manu from deluge. The Vedas, the Saṃhitās, Brāhmaṇas, the Āraṇyakas and Upaniṣads contain several references of fisheries.

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Fish names appear in these texts. However, these names may refer to an individual species or to a genus as a whole. For example, the terms like Purikaya, Jasu Matsya and Sakula may refer to some genera or species of fishes.

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In the post-vedic period, fish was caught by nets, hooks hands or by damming streams and baiting with poison as evident from the various names mentioned in Yajurveda.

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Sāyaṇa (Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa) says that Dhaivara is one who takes fish by netting a tank ; Dāsa and Sauskala do so by means of fish hooks (Baḍisa) ; Kaivarta and Mainala by means of net (Jāla) ; Margara by means of hands; Aṇḍa by putting pegs in dams and Parṇaka by putting a poisoned leaf in the water.

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After the Vedic period, separate treatises were written which framed rules concerning social laws, rituals and domestic ceremonies. These were respectively called *Dharma-Sūtras*, *Śrauta-Sūtras* and *Gṛhya-Sūtras*. The *Smṛtis* deal with the same subjects but in a more elaborate way. It gives more prominence to social laws. Hence, it is also known as the *Dharma-Śāstras*.

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We find only casual references to fish in the *Sūtras* and the *Smṛtis*. Nevertheless, they reveal to a considerable extent the part played by fish in man’s affairs in those early days in India.

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References to specific types of fish have been made in different contexts particularly either in connection with the ‘*Śrāddhas*’ (i.e. ceremonies wherein food is offered to the manes but is actually consumed by Brahmana priests) or with certain forbidden foods.

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The *Mahābhārata* is full of references to a large variety of animals many of which are common to *Rāmāyaṇa* and Vedic literatures. Vedavyās, the writer of *Mahābhārata* is a son of Matsyagandhā and sage Parāśara. Arjuna of *Mahābhārata* married Draupadī by shooting the target of a fish eye. His daughter-in- law Uttarā, wife of Abhimanyu, is said to have a fish origin. Sage Sauvari was attracted to a family life by seeing a fish moving happily with its off-springs.

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The names of three fishes have been frequently referred to in the *Ramayana*. These are :

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(i) *Cakratuṇḍa* or *Garra mullya* (Sykes)

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(ii) *Nalamīna* or *Mastacembelus armatus* (Lecepede)

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(iii) *Rohita* or *Labeo fimbriatus* (Cuvier & Valenciennes)

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In the north-western recessional of *Rāmāyaṇa*, instead of *Cakratunda* and *Nalamina*, *Sakula* and *Pathina* are mentioned. *Sakula* of the *Rāmāyaṇa* or *Saula* of Bengal is the snake-headed fish, *Ophicephalus striatus* (Bloch). *Pathina* of the *Rāmāyaṇa* or *Boal* of Bengal is a cat-fish known as *Wallago attu* (Bloch).

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In *Rāmāyaṇa* Lakṣmaṇa is advised to use an arrow (shot from a bow) for catching fish (iii. 73) in the crystal clear water of the Pampa lake and in the marshy areas around, full of reed. The second method of catching fish is referred to by means of a baited hook or angle.

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At the lake Pampa, Lakṣmaṇa is advised to have the scales cleared and the fishes roasted in an iron pan over the rife (iii. 73. 15). In *Araṇyakāṇḍa* (76.24), Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa are advised to cook rice and salt with red pepper on reaching an *āśrama* on the west bank of the Pampa lake. Thus, roasting fish on fire and the use of salt and red pepper appear to be very ancient traditional practice in India.

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There has been a lot of references regarding animal sacrifices in the Vedas but unfortunately, the Zoological knowledge of the Vedic period has not yet been fully elucidated. The *Chāndogya Upaniṣad* has classified animals on the basis of their ovum or seed (*bīja*) into three groups.

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(1) Born of eggs (*Aṇḍaja*)

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(2) Born of fully developed or viviparous (*Jīvaja*)

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(3) Born of plant-like organism (*Udvījja*)

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Further, the animals have been classified into eight classes on the basis of their feeding habits and habitats. The animals living in water logged areas, marshy lands or even grazing on river bank were called *Anūpa*. The class *Anūpa* appears to represent an important class as it also included the group “Matsya” which according to Rao (1956) represented both fresh water and sea water fishes.

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