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

KṚṢI-PARĀSARA 77
Parāśara are to be invoked. Perform hala-prasāraṇa after worshipping
fire, a twice-born man and god.
134. A pair of black bulls or red ones or red-and-black bulls is
commendable in the plough. The sides of their faces are to be
besmeared with butter or ghee.
135-136. Facing northward, one should give an offering of milk
mixed with white flowers, curd and condensed milk¹ —(with the
incantation) 'O lord of Śacī, god of gods, accept the offering, (and)
grant a good rainfall.'
137-138. The devout cultivator, being on a seat with a con-
centrated mind and placing the knees on the ground, should bow
to Indra with this incantation : 'O lord, obeisance be to thee; render
the wealth of crops free from impediments'.
139. Then, for a rich harvest, give without fail an offering and
a lamp of ghee to Wind-god accompanied by cloud.
140. (Then utter this incantation): O goddess Earth, with gold
within, resting on Śeṣa² and supporting the moving and the unmoving,
grant me the desired fruit.
141. A bull, with a useless hip, is to be discarded by cultiva-
tors in the act of ploughing ; so also one, with the tail and ears cut
off, and an all-white one.
142. As Parāśara declares, there should not be a broken furrow.
The furrows are declared to be one, three and five.
143. One furrow is conducive to victory, three are the givers of
success and furrows numbering five give abundant crops.
144. If the plough, while driven, raises a tortoise, (then) the
wife (of the cultivator) dies, and there is fear from fire.
145. There being forced raising of, and a breach in, the plough-
share, there will surely be desertion of the native land. The plough
being broken, the master perishes there.
1 The word 'kṣīra' has been used twice presumably to denote two different
substances.
2 Name of the celebrated mythological thousand-headed serpent (also
called Ananta) believed by the Hindus to support the entire world on its hood.
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