कृषि-पाराशर (महर्षि पराशर - प्राचीन भारतीय कृषि, मृदा-परीक्षण, वर्षा-पूर्वानुमान व बीज-संस्कार)

KṚṢI-PARĀŚARA 75
113. The īṣā should be eight cubits (long), sthāṇu five vitastis,¹
niryola a cubit and a half and the yuga up to the ears (of the
animals ?).
114. The pāsikā of the niryola as well as the aḍḍacalla measure
twelve fingers each, and the śaula one aratni²
115. The paccanikā, known to be hard, iron-tipped and made
of bamboo, should be made either twelve and a half muṣṭis³ or nine
muṣṭis (long.)
116. The ābaddha,⁴ circular in shape, is fifty-four fingers. The
yotra should be four cubits long and the rope five cubits.
117. The phālaka (i.e. the ploughshare), resembling an arka-⁵
leaf, is known to be nine fingers long, or one cubit or a cubit and
five fingers.
118. The viddhaka is declared to have twenty-one spikes. The
madikā, measuring nine cubits, is best-suited to all operations.
119. This (group of) constituents of the plough, conducive to
welfare in all operations and approved by the sage Parāśara, should
be made very strong by cultivators.
120. The constituents (of the plough) which are not strong nor
of the proper measurement, doubtlessly cause obstacle to the draught-
animal at every step at the time of cultivation.
Now the ceremony of hala-prasāraṇa⁶
121. Perform hala-prasāraṇa (lit. driving the plough) in (the
Nakṣatras) Svāti, Uttara-phalgunī, Uttarāṣāḍhā, Uttara-bhādrapada,
Rohiṇī, Mṛga-śiras, Mūlā, Punarvasu, Puṣyā, Śravaṇā and Hastā.
122. For the increase of crops, hala-prasāraṇa should be performed
1 “Defined either as a long span between the extended thumb and little
finger, or as the distance between the wrist and the tip of fingers and said to
be = 12 Aṅgulas or about nine inches”. Skt.—Eng. Dict. by M. Wms.
2 The distance between the elbow and the tip of the little finger.
3 Muṣṭi is equivalent to one cubit measured with the fisted hand.
4 This word is variously read as ābandha and abandha in different MSS.
(Vide text).
5 Calotropis gigantea Br.
6 This appears to be a ceremony to be performed at the commencement
of ploughing the field in a season.