AGRICULTURE IN THE TIME OF PATANJALI
Dr. (Mrs.) Kalpakam Sankaranarayanan

   Patanjali, the Bhashykara, is to be distinguished from the yoga sutrakara and there is no ground for confusing the two. Patanjali, the Bhashykara was contempory of Pushyamitra Sunga. He seems to have witnessed the yavana invasion and presumably officiated at the sacrifices performed by the Sunga Monarch.

   Of course, it was not the purpose of Patanjali to provide infomation on diverse topics, but simply to comment on those sutras of Panini which were affected by the vartikas of Katyayana. His period is of greatest importance in the political and cultural history of India.

   Patanjali, while discussing grammatical problems incidentally provided all such informations and as the work is so extensive, in course of it, all kinds of topics are touched upon; the amount of such information is inevitable. In order to gain a picture of Indian life and civilisation in the 2nd century B.C., a study of the grammarian is essential.

  The information relating to social standard of life in the Mahabhasya is so exhaustive enough and could be brought under different headings.

 The social standard was fairly high as may be judged by the economic condition in which agriculture was to play the major role. Patanjali provides information on all these topics, so exhaustive enough and suggests a planned economy. Land was the primary source of livelihood.

   Agriculture process has hardly undergone any change, despite political turmoils. The data, furnished by the Mahabhasya, might not suggest innovations; but some interesting details are worth mentioning, like different types of land, method of sowing, agricultural implements, seeds and crops, grain storage and "other miscellaneous items. The Mahabhasya also mentions the employment  of agricultural labour which enabled the cultivator to relax himself and do only supervison work (ekante tusnim asina ucyate pancabhir halaih krsati iti, Patanjali's Mahabhasya III.l.26 p. 33.I.22)

   It was customary to sow the seeds on auspicious day (asvayuji Paurnamasi) IV 3.45. The crop was expected to be good. Thus, in general this period is one of the most interesting in Indian history.

 
About the Author :-

Dr. (Mrs.) KALPAKAM SANKARANARAYANAN
Date of Birth : 06-11-1944
    M A in Sanskrit : First Class 
(Recipient of Kerala Varama Gold Medal.)
Special Subject: Alamkara and Vedanta. (1969) Ph.D (1972).
Thesis on 'Raskalika  of Rudrabhatta :A critical study.

Publications :-
Influence of Rasakalika on the Prataparudriyam. Pratibhanam, Trivandrum ,1970.
Quatations from Rasakalika as found in the commentaries of Mallinaatha.Bhramha Vidya,Adyar Library and Research Centre, Madras 1972.
Kalidasa's Dramas and Greek Dramas. Annals of Oriental Research Centre Jubilee Volume, 1974.
Publication of Doctoral Thesis in a book form titled `Rasakalika of Rudrabhatta : A critical Exposition and Study with English translation."
Adyar Library and Research Centre, Theosophital Society Library, Adyar, Madras 1988
Lecturer in Moral Philosophy & Ethics, K.J. Somaiya Engineering College, Vidya Vihar, Bombay.
Visiting Professor . K.J. Somaiya Bharatiya Samskriti Peeth, Vidya Vihar, Bombay.

         Address :- 

 Bungalow No. 5, Kedar Housing Society,
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    Tel Resi:- 50 34 62