Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 52
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications
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MAY, 1923]
EARLY HISTORY OF INDIAN FAMINES
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and the chief food-supply of men " (R. A. Nelson, Law of Property, p. 26). Thus, frequent famines led to the transition from the hunting to the pastoral stage of civilisation (E. Jenks, History of Politics, ch. iv, p. 24). Dr. Schrader (Pre-historic Antiquities of the Aryan Peoples, ch. v, p. 286) has admirably shown how famines again caused the transition from the pastoral to the agricultural life.
To labour and to store, the fundamental laws of man's existence on earth,--are the offspring, so to speak, of their parents, Hunger and Famine.
Vedie Period, 2000 B.C.-1400 B.C. The transition from the pastoral to the agricultural life of the Indian man lands us in the Vedic period of Indian History (2000-1400 B.C.). The four Vedas constitute the chief sources of information for this period. "The ends of Vedic Hymns were practical. The Vedio Hymns were designed to persuade the gods to deal generously with men:
As birds extend their sheltering wings,
Spread your protection over us." (Rig Veda.)3 Therefore we find in the Rig Veda, the most ancient of our records, the first famine cry:
"The waters of the upper sea in Heaven were prisoned by the gods,
But the wise priest released them all (removed the drought and wet the sods), He, praying the magic verse; the rain compelling voice had he, God! free us from the hunger-ill; and give the magic word to me.
Let loose for us on earth the rain—the waters of yon heavenly sea!" But this is only one of the many voices raised in the Rig Veda in supplication to the gods who are over and over again besought to drive away the plague of hunger caused by frequent droughts :
“O! Indra (Rain-god) give food and strength to us who are hungry, Help us with thy help, powerful god, save us from this present plague, hunger
and wretchedness, Indra, do thou keep drought and hunger from our pasture; So well-known for thy might, O ever beneficent showerer,
Set open thou, unfretting towards us, this moving cloud." Compare also the significant remark :
The gods did not give hunger as the only death. A measure of the frequency of droughts and, consequentially, famines) in the Vedic period, can bo had from the rain-hymns (to invent a word) in the Rig Veda :
0 Mitra and Varuna, bedew with showers of hoavenly fluid the pasture where our kine graze and bedew our realms with honey, Q gods of the noblest deeds. Through their help alone we shall earn, and be able to lay by; and still there will be over-abundance.
I invoke Mitra of holy might and Varuna the exterminator of the wicked, both cherishing a desire to pour down rains.
Thy benevolence, Agni, O god, which like the downpour of a rain-cloud, is undefiled and wondrous and promotes our advancement.
"O Mitra and Varuna, the rain is giving out surprisingly loud thunders foreboding plenty and puissance, the Maruts (too) have clad themselves in cloud. Induce, therefore, by your clever words the reddish but stainless heaven to pour down showers. "O Maruts, cry out from the ocean. O showerers, pour down showers (of rain),
3 A. Coomarawami, The Dance of Siva, etc., ch. I. (p. 18).
