उपवनविनोद (आचार्य शार्ङ्गधर - वृक्षायुर्वेद, भू-जल संधान एवं उद्यान-विज्ञान सटीक)

18 UPAVANA VINODA
swing be hung at a spot well guarded from the sun by its leafy arbor
( स्वास्तीर्णां प्रेङ्खादोला etc-4. p. 116 ). An abundance of various flowers should
also be artfully arranged here and there, over the residential house which
must be kept scrupulously clean, the floors should be beautifully smooth and
polished, so as to soothe the eyes."¹
The Matsyapurāṇa ( Chap. 256, 3-10, pp. 299 ) also enjoins that "some
space should be left all round the house. The front of a building should not
be covered with trees, rather the back of the house should be so covered with
them."²
Apart from the pleasure-gardens adjoining a dwelling-house, the parks and
public gardens used to be regarded as important features of social life in
Ancient India. "They were important enough to have given rise to special
classes of skilled artisans who were given patronage and protection by the State
(Śukra. II. 83—who construct parks, artificial forests and pleasure gardens).³
The parks were meant for health, recreation, enjoyment, etc., and constituted
the spending department of the Government pure and simple (Cf. Kāmandaki
XIV, 27-42). The gardens and parks were in charge of Superintendent
(Ārāmādhipati, II. 240). He was "to know the causes of the growth
(II. 317-19) and development of flowers and fruits, the method of planting
and curing trees by the administration of proper soil and water at the suitable
time, and the various uses of plants as medicinal drugs. He was assisted by
gardeners whose business was to collect flowers and fruits after having duly
nourished the plants with care (Śukra, II. 345-346). The knowledge of
grafting was one of the qualifications of the gardener, and it came to be
regarded as one of the 64 kalās or arts (IV. iii, 144).
X. AS A MEANS OF ASCERTAINING THE PRESENCE OF
WATER IN A DREARY REGION
An elaborate chapter in the Bṛhatsaṁhitā⁴ has been devoted to this
topic :—

1. "Forthwith I will explain the meritorious and reputable art how to
   explore springs to obtain water. Just as there are veins and arteries in the
   human system (carrying blood) up and down, so there are passages ( शिराः )
   within the bowels of the earth at different depths carrying water."
   1 Social life in Ancient India—Chakladar, pp. 151-155 (1929) ; & also Kāmasūtra-Mahesh
   Chandra Pal, Cal. 1313 B.S.
   2 Chap. 256, 3-10. S. B. H. XVI, p. 299.
   3 S. B. H. XVI, p. 169.
   4 Chap. 53, Bṛhatsaṁhitā, Vol. II, pp. 706-742. Some of the verses were translated by
   the author for the Book-Vanaspati, pp. 135-139 ; the rest are taken from Verspreide Geschriften,
   Vol. II, pp. 27-37—by Prof. H. Kern. 1913.