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

INTRODUCTION xvii
weighed by standard weights (pramāṇena tu māpayet) before they are
stored up in the granary on prescribed days. In the granary, one
should place a piece of paper or any other writing material containing
two incantations. The last thing to be done is the Lakṣmīpūjā
(worship of the Goddess of wealth) which, therefore, marks the
conclusion of the business of the owner of the paddy-field for the
season.
From the foregoing survey of the contents of the work, we find
that it divides itself into two broad parts, the one being speculative
and the other practical. In the speculative part, we find various
observations regading the influence of planets and stars on rainfall
and the various agricultural operations. One may legitimately question
the accuracy of these observations which, however, should not be
rejected outright so long as they are not tested by competent persons
in the proper scientific manner. In this part, we may include also the
superstitious ideas, e.g., the touch of a barren woman rendering the
seeds useless, the voiding of dung by a bull engaged in ploughing the
field, foretelling a bumper crop, etc. The rites and ceremonies,
associated with the various agricultural operations, may lead the modern
agriculturist, with a scientific bent of mind, to brand the work as a
priestly manual adding to the widespread sacerdotalism of ancient
India. But, one must not lose sight of the fact that religious practices
were closely interwoven into the texture of life of the ancient Indians
so that even such practical things as agriculture could not escape the
association of religious rites. The book undoubtedly contains very
valuable instructions regarding the important business of agriculture;
these instructions, shorn of the superstitious matters, the speculative
astronomical observations and the religious practices, cannot fail to
impress us even to-day. One feels tempted to pose the question—in
this modern age, when the world is proud of various scientific
achievements, what material advance has been made in the matter
of collection, preservation and sowing of seeds, the collection and
transplantation of seedlings, the preservation of water in the field,
etc. the rules concerning which were laid down in remote antiquity
by the author of the Kṛṣi-parāśara? One may bring the charge
of special pleading when it is said that works like the present
THE ASIATIC SOCIETY,
CALCUTTA-16.