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

KṚṢI-PARĀŚARA
83
victorious one, from his shrine like the Nandana-vana¹ on the slope
of the hill, as white as conch, Kunda flower and moon, commands
Hanūmat, the son of Wind, speedy like wind, the destroyer of hosts
of enemies, remaining on the seashore, with sharp nails and uplifted
tail, among many hundred thousands of monkeys, as follows, and
directs the welfare of others—
If in the field, belonging to such and such person of such and
such gotra, the destroyers of crops like insects, pests, such as Rātā
etc.,² beasts like goat, bear, both domesticated and wild, deer, buffalo,
and birds like sparrow and parrot, etc. do not leave, then disperse
them with your adamantine tail—Om, ām, ghām, ghīm, ghum,
ghuḥ.³
195. Get this mantra, written with lac-dye, tied in the midst of
the crops ; there will never be any fear from disease (of paddy),
insects and malicious animals.
Now the preservation of water
196. What hope of crops can there be to the fool by whom
water is not preserved for paddy in Āśvina and Kārtika.
197. At the advent of autumn, one should preserve water just
as one, desirous of (preserving) the family, protects the ladies of the
house.
198. Then the cultivator, being pure, should plant a nala,⁴
along with leaves, on the north-east corner of the field on the Kārtika-
saṃkrānti day.
199. Then, having worshipped the Nala with very attractive
sandal, garlands and incense, worship the paddy plants there.
200. Then carefully give an offering of curd, rice, particularly
pāyasa as also the kernel of the stones of palms.⁵
1 Divine grove.
2 All the names are not intelligible, and, therefore, not mentioned here
(see text).
3 These are mystic syllables used in Tantras.
4 A kind of reed.
5 tālāsthi-śasya—cf. Bengali tālsāṅs.