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

xvi KṚṢI-PARĀŚARA
In this part of the work, there are some incantations, with the
invocation of the assistance of Rāma and Hanumat, calculated to ward
off all insects and pests causing harm to crops.
Nala-ropaṇa forms an important part of the cultivator's work. It
consists in the fixing, at the prescribed time, of the plant, called nala
(reed), with leaves at the north-east corner of the field. This is to be
accompanied by the worship of the paddy plants.
This nala is supposed to avert all evils to paddy (v.v. 200-207).
It is interesting to note that the practice of fixing poles of various
designs in the fields in order to scare away mischievous birds and
beasts still prevails in Bengal.
Before harvesting the crops, the owner of the paddy field must
observe the rite called muṣṭi-grahaṇa on an auspicious day in the
month of Agrahāyaṇa. This consists of cutting, along with a religious
rite, of two and half muṣṭis or handfuls of paddy plants and carrying
them to his house and placing them in the prescribed manner
(v.v. 208-215).
Medhi-ropaṇa is another very important part of the business of
the owner of the paddy-field. This consists in fixing a medhi¹⁷ (= post)
made of a prescribed tree in the mārga¹⁸ on an auspicious day in Agra-
hāyaṇa (v.v. 216-222).
The ceremony, called Puṣya-yātrā, to be performed in Pauṣa near
the field, should be performed when the harvesting is not yet over. In
this ceremony, there should be the worship of Indra and a sumptuous
feast with the kinsmen of the owner, consisting of various delicacies
kept on banana leaves (kadalī-dala), the principal item being new rice
(navānna). (v.v. 223-238).
The stage, following the harvest, is mardana, or the separating of
the grains from the stalks. Then the grains of paddy should be
17 The exact purpose, served by the medhī, is not clear. In the text it is
merely said to be conducive to the safety and growth of corns (śasya-vṛddhi—
v. 217; śasya-sukha-pradāḥ, v. 220). R. Ganguli takes it to mean the post of
the threshing floor round which cattle turn to thresh out the grains (Agriculture
and Agriculturists, p. 65). But this meaning is not warranted by the text.
18 Does it mean the way to the owner's house from the paddy field?