Relevance of Ancient Indian Agricultural Wisdom in Modern Context

Contents: Preface. 1. Importance and cattle management practices in ancient India. 2. Farming system in ancient India. 3. Modern scientific interpretations of some natural phenomena as inscribed in ancient Indian maxims. 4. Ancient Ahimsak Rishi-Krishi technique. 5. Field experiment on use of KUNAPAJAL as suggested by SURP AL in Virikshayarveda. 6. Homa therapy the ancient science of healing. 7. Physiological studies in Agnihotra treated pulses. 8. Rain forecasting in ancient Indian literature. 9. Rain forecasting in Andhra Pradesh almanac. 10. Rainfall prediction in Panchangs: a comparative study of Varanasi Panchangas with actual rainfall. Subject index.

There is no shortage of literature by the scholars of Sanskrit in this field. However, this attempt is to interpret the knowledge in a specific context only. Therefore, if a person seeks to know about various management aspects of cow keeping or growing food crops, fruit plants, he has to labour hard to go through the rich store house of ancient literature. Many a times, all are not available at one place. Hence, there is tendency to ignore the ancestral wisdom or brand it as orthodox.

This enormous knowledge, experimented and observed by thousands of learned persons over a period of time, cannot be discarded as concocted stories. However, western world has not left any stone unturned to make us believe so. The greedy modern man, who only thinks in terms of ownership of knowledge, finds it unpalatable when confronted with the notion that knowledge is for mankind at large. The ancient individuals who have shared their rich experiences do follow this norm. They did not claim any patent out of their efforts. At the same time their exercise vividly establishes he relevance of ancient wisdom in modern context. Looking to the enormous material in our hand, this is a peanut.

This book is an open invitation to the scholars who believe in humanitarian science, to come forward and face the new challenges of our time by experimenting in this vast knowledge field. Although it is late but not very late to take the note of knock at our door. (jacket)