History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c32.s2.t9.4

v1.c32.s2.t9.4

The mechanical contrivances worked by animals, particularly bullocks, were also clearly known and made use of in ancient India as early as the fourth century B.C., as indicated by the term *yugavaratra*. But Pāṇini, the celebrated grammarian, has mentioned in his *Aṣṭādhyāyī* (IV. 2.45; see also Agrawala, 1931, p. 204) the *yugavaratra* to mean the yoke and the rope or strap by which the bullocks were driven for raising water. The word *udamcana* denotes a large earthen bucket which must have been used to lift water from wells for irrigation (AŚ. III. 3.123).