Economics of Kautiliya Shukra and Brihaspati.pmd

He opines that Shali (winter season paddy) and other paddy
breeds provide the maximum return, vegetables’ return is intermediate
in nature, and sugar-cane provides the least return. For sugarcanes are
fraught with many dangers and require much expenditure. Thus paddy
farming was considered to be least expensive and farming of sugarcane
most expensive. Here Kautilya compares the agriculture production
with the cost for sowing and the return provided by them. This analysis
provides the information that ancient economists used, though implicit,
cost benefit analysis and cost recovery analysis in agriculture
production.
What should be sown near canals, rivers and other sources of
water and what should be sown on the land away from these sources
were also specified on the basis of Science of Agriculture. He says,
'Vegetables should be grown near rivers, canals, wells etc'. Different
herbal plants were grown on different places according to suitability
of different types of land.
According to Kautilya, lands that are near the banks of rivers
and ponds are suitable for growing pumpkin, gourd and other same
species of creeper plants. He suggests that lands that are frequently
over flown by water for long are beneficial for pepper, grapes, and
sugarcane. According to him, vegetables and root crops should be
sown near wells and low grounds because these places are useful for
green crops. For the maximum utilization of farm lands he again
suggests that marginal spaces between any two rows of crops are
suitable for the plantation of perfumed plants, and medical herbs like
usira grass, hribera, pindaluka and other same species. He clearly
states that The Superintendent of Agriculture should grow
recommended plants on dry lands and wet lands to get maximum
agriculture production.(ibid)
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Preparation for seed bed has been discussed in Kautiliya
Arthashastra in detail. He suggests to put seeds for paddy farms in wet
climate for seven moon-lit nights and then for seven days in sun-light.
Pulses should be kept for three days and nights or five days.
(ibid, 2.24.24)
Kautilya has given some valuable suggestion for the treatment
of seeds to keep away from crop diseases. He suggests getting good
harvest sugarcane should be smeared at the cut with honey, ghee and
pig’s fat, and mixed with cow dung in the stalks before sowing. He
opines that smearing with honey and ghee in the case of bulbous roots,
smearing with cow-dung in the case of stone like seeds, and in the
case of trees, burning in the pit and fulfillment of the longing with
cow-bones and cow dung at the proper time will yield better and more
yield. (ibid)
It is a well known fact that whatever the manual labour be,
agriculture production is affected by the nature. Therefore, good crops
are possible only when nature is suitable. Whatever the efforts of
farmers be, if nature is against him, the crops will suffer. Therefore,
prayer of nature was performed before cropping. Kautilya suggested
the farmer that, the first sowing of all kinds of seeds, he should sow
the first handful (after it is) immersed in water containing gold and
should recite a mantra. This beautiful mantra is given in Arthashastra
as follows-
Prajapataye Kasyapayadevaya namah sada,
Sita me radhyatam devi bijesu ch dhaneu ch5 .
(Kautilya’s Arthashastra,1967, 2.24)
(We salute to Prajapita, Kasyapa and God of rains. May Goddess
Sita bless not only the seeds to grow but also to grow our wealth.)
Obviously, without the support of nature good harvest is not
possible. Nepalese farmers are still using this customry function in
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