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The Science of Clouds in Ancient
Jain Literature
K.G. Sheshadri*
Introduction
Clouds are a collection of ice crystals or water droplets visible to everyone. From time immemorial they have been a source of endless fascination. They can be calming and inspiring or at times they can be terrifying through their constantly changing shapes and colors. Observation of clouds and their varied nature formed an important component of rainfall forecasting practices in ancient India. The shape, color and nature of cloud provided rich information for prediction of rainfall.
Clouds in Vedic and Post-Vedic Texts
The Rigveda' has clear concepts of the rainfall process as in RV (1.164.36), RV (1.164.47-51). They describe the process by which rays of the Sun hold for six and half months the waters capable of fertilizing earth. Agni, the God of fire takes the waters to heavens and Parjanya, the rain God brings them down as rain. The Yajurvedahas descriptions of cloud seeding as is evident from Kārīşti sacrifice in Taittiriya Samhita.? The Kārīra fruits offered in fire produce dense smoke and goes up mixing with clouds. These fruits have properties of Soma and smoke going up aids in squeezing rains from clouds. Sage Vālmīki's eternal Epic Rāmāyaṇa“ has an equivalent statement echoing the rainfall process described in Rigveda in the Ayodhyakanda.
The Brahmanda Purāņa [1.2.22.30-36] classifies clouds into 3 types (Agneya-fire born), (Brahmaja - born of Brahma) and
* Ex-IISc. Proj-Asst with interests in Ancient Indian Sciences, Bangalore.
