Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

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STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SŪTRA
[Ch. V (mahajanta: kolluka) and the house for pressing sugar-cane (jaṁtasālā).
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As regards the horticulture and arboriculture a similar picture as revealed in the BhS is also found in other Jaina works.
In addition, they make references to the collecting and piling up of fruits in a drying place (koṭṭaka) and despatching them to the city-markets for selling purpose. There is also an account of different processes of ripening fruits according to their varieties, such as, mangoes by covering them with the husk or straw (indhana), Tinduka (the fruit of ebony) by the heat treatment (dhūma), cucumber (cirabhata) and citron (bijapura) by mingling them with the ripe fruits (gandha) of their own kinds etc.'
A more definite account of the cattle-rearing and dairyfarming is found in other Jaina texts. It is stated there that the herds of cattle and goats were reared under the care and protection of the cowherds (gopalaka) and shepherds (ajāpalaka), appointed by the owners of these domestic animals which were regularly taken to the pasture grounds (daviya)" for grazing.
The Abhiras (Ahira), a particular class of the people of those days were well known for their profession of animal husbandry on a large scale..
In regard to the dairy farming, a picture of a developed state of this side of agro-economy is presented by other Jaina texts in which mention is made of the milk of cows, she-buffaloes, she-camels, she-goats etc., curd, butter, clarified butter and also the milk-house (khiraghara) where products were obtained.
these
1 Uttaradhyayana Sutra, 19. 43; Brhatkalpa Bhasya Pithika 575.
2 Vyavahara Bhasya, 10, 484. Vide 'Life in Ancient India,' p. 91. Brhatkalpa Bhasya, 1. 872.
4 Ib, 1. 841 f.
5 Acaranga Sutra. II, 3. 2. 350.
6 Avasyaka Niryukti, 471: Ava. Cu, p. 280f.
7 Ava. Cù. II, p. 319.
8 Nisitha Curni, 9, p.
511.