History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c32.s1.4

v1.c32.s1.4

In the Vedic period water was given the utmost importance. The *Rgveda* (VII. 49.2) recognises four main sources of water, viz., waters which come from the sky or rain-water; those which flow in rivers and streams; those which are obtained by digging and those which ooze out from springs. Similarly, the *Yajurveda* (XXII. 25) identifies different types of waters from diverse sources. This amply implies that the vedic farmers were aware of and practised two types of irrigation, natural and artificial.