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Vanaspati: Plants and Plant-Life as in Indian Treatises and Traditions c6.s1: Section VI. Amarakosha on Agriculture

Vanaspati: Plants and Plant-Life as in Indian Treatises and Traditions c6.s1

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Section VI. Amarakosha on Agriculture

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The last comprehensive glimpse of the Art of Agriculture we get in the Lexicon of Amara which gives us an all-comprehensive information about the subject in the chapters called *Bhūmivarga*, *Vanaushadhivarga* and *Vaiśyavarga*.

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In the *Vaiśyavarga* he deals with the class of people one of whose professions was agriculture. In the hierarchy of castes the *Vaiśyas*, the third in order, have come by this time to be exclusively professional cultivators of the lands, one of their names being *Bhūmisprśaḥ* (भूमिसृशः), i.e., who touches (cultivates) the land, the husbandman being called *Kshetrājīvaḥ* (क्षेत्राजीवः).

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Next, in the *Bhūmivarga*, he gives us a general classification of the soils based on fertility. The soil is called *Mrttikā* (मृत्तिका); and excellent soil *Mrtsā* (मृत्सा); a fertile soil with every crop *Urvvarā* (उर्व्वरा) or *Sarvaśasyādhyā* (सर्व्वशस्याढ्या); a salt ground—*Kshāra mrttikā* (क्षार-मृत्तिका); a spot with such soil *Ūshavānūshara* (ऊषवानूषर); barren soil—*Anurvvarā* (अनुर्व्वरा); a region devoid of water *Maru* (मरु); untilled or waste land—*Aprahate*, *Khile* (अप्रहते, खिले); the soil watered by a river—*Nadī-mātṛkā* (नदीमातृका) and that watered by rain *Deva-mātṛkā* (देवमातृका).

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This is a nomenclature which is at once suggestive, exhaustive and sound, displaying a perfect mastery over the fundamentals of agriculture so far as the soil is concerned.

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Then he gives us, in the *Vaiśyavarga*, again different names for the different kinds of soils peculiarly fit for the cultivation of different kinds of crops—a fact from which we can incidentally gather a knowledge of the staple agricultural products of India which is not substantially different from those that we see to-day. Thus he calls the field fit for cultivating corn and rice, *Kshetram vraiheya śāleyam* (क्षेत्रं व्रेहेय-शालेयं); that fit for barley as *Yavyam*, *Yavakam* (यव्यं, यवक्यं); that fit for Sesamum as *Tilam*, *Tailinam* (तिलं, तैलिनम्); that fit for other grains, pulses, such as, mungo, lentil, gram, etc., as *Maudgīnam*, *Kaudrabīnā* (मौद्गीनं, कौद्रबीना), etc. A field is called *Bapraḥ* (वप्रः), *Kedāra* (केदारः), *Kshetram* (क्षेत्रं); a multitude of fields *Kaidārakam* (कैदारकम्); land twice ploughed is called *Dviguṇākṛtam* (द्विगुणाकृतम्); thrice ploughed *Trihalyam* (त्रिहलं), *Trisītyam* (त्रिसित्यं); and anyhow ploughed or tilled *Sītyam* (सीत्यं), *Kṛṣṭam* (कृष्टं); a field sown with certain measure of seeds *Drouṇikāḍhakikā* (द्रौणिकाढकिका) and land ploughed after sowing *Vījākṛtam* (*tu*) *Prakṛṣṭam* (वीजाकृतं (तु) प्रकृष्टम्).¹

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¹ In this connection might be added the following directions from the Matsya Purāṇam as to the selection of soils favourable to the growth of different types of corns: "The cultivator should sow some seeds of the type of corn he wishes to grow in a portion of the particular soil designed for the

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Next he enumerates the agricultural implements:

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A harrow is called *Kauṭiśam* (कौटिशं, लोष्टभेदनः); a goad, *Prājanam, Todanam* (प्राजनं, तोदनं); a spade or hoe, *Khanitram* (खनित्रं); a sickle, *Dātram, Labitram* (दात्रं, लवित्रम्); the tie of the yoke (with which the ox is yoked to the plough, or, with which the yoke is fastened to the plough), *Yotram* (योत्रं); the body of the plough (the wood exclusive of the pole and share), *Nirīsham, Kūṭhakam* (निरोषं, कूठकम्); the plough-share, *Phāla, Krishika* (फालः, कृषिकः); the plough, *Lāngalam, Halam* (लाङ्गलम्, हलम्); the pin of yoke, *Yugakīlakaḥ* (युगकीलकः); the pole or shaft of the plough, *Lāngal-daṇḍaḥ* (लाङ्गलदण्डः); a furrow, *Sītā* (सीता); the post of the threshing floor (round which cattle turn to tread out the grain), *Medhiḥ* (मेधिः); a pestle for clearing rice, *Ayogram, Musalaḥ* (अयोग्रं, मुसलः); a mortar, *Udūkhalam* (उदूखलम्); a winnowing basket, *Śūrppa, Prasphoṭanam* (शूर्पं, प्रस्फोटनं); sieve or cribble, *Chālanī, Titabhaḥ* (चालनी, तितभः); a sack, *Syūtaḥ, Praseva* (स्यूतः, प्रसेव); threshed out and winnowed grain *Pūtam* (पूतं) and a granary *Kāṇḍāla* (काण्डाल).

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purpose, and if the seeds planted sprout in three nights he will regard the soil as of the first order; and if in five nights as of the second order; and if in seven nights as of the last order. The soil which takes a longer time than this must be abandoned for good and all." (*Matsyapurāṇam*—Bangabāsi Ed., 1316 B.S., Chap. 253, Slokas 17, 18, p. 880.)

Cites (2)