Various Hydrological Indications in Ancient Indian Texts

Dr. Shyamdeo Mishra

Water is one of the most precious element our earth has, as it is life. Water
makes our earth most amazing and priceless planet. As we know, water beneath
earth is more valuable than water over the surface, in ocean as it is saulty. In
present, we are facing a major problem in the form of water-crisis. In this dreadful
situation, we need to explore various systems of finding water -resources to eke out
the longevity of human being.
Ancient Indian scientists had several methods to trace out underground
water-resources. These methods were the perfect blend of various principals of
several sciences like Agriculture, botany, zoology, ecology and geology.
Varahmihira, the supreme scientist (as he was an astronomer, astrologer,
geologist, gemologist, psychologist, meteorologist, hydrologist etc with great
poetic ability) expounded various inducive techniques of water-finding based upon
the conducive indications given by terminates and plants. In chapter 53, named as
Dakargalam or Udakargalam (where udak means water and Argala means a
wooden stick) of his magnum opus Brihat Samhita, he explains the state of
hydrological knowledge of ancient India. He elaborated the characteristics of
vegetation (Like presence of a certain tree in a waterless tract, a thorneless brinjal
with white flowers etc) as an indicator of water under surface.
He also exclaimed the different conditions of phreatophytes as an indicator
of water. He predicted under ground water on the basis of morphological
physiological and mutational features of plants.
He predicted the type of underground water on the basis of soil. For
instence , a copper coloured soil mixed with gravel yields astringent water, pale
yellow earth indictes saulty water, blue soil shows sweet water etc. He did not only
discuss the exploration of water but also explained the techneques of water
purification and preservation of water reservoirs too. Thus, he dealt with every
facet of hydrology in his text.
This research paper is an endevor to shed the light on these conducive
ancient techniques of water finding which could add new perspective in the field of
hydrology.

Assistant Professor & Co-ordinator
Jyotish
Mukta-Swadhyay-Peetham
Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan
New Delhi-58