Seed Preservation and Sowing Techniques in the Context of Kṛṣi-Parāśara

Abstract

Agriculture has long been revered as the foundation of human sustenance, with seeds at its very core. The ancient treatise kṛṣi-parāśara embodies a wealth of agricultural wisdom, particularly in the domains of seed preservation, selection, and sowing, which remain strikingly relevant to modern agronomy. This paper explores the systematic techniques prescribed by Parāśara—including the sanctification of seeds, their collection in specific lunar months, auspicious constellations for sowing, and prohibitions against inauspicious days and environments. While contemporary agricultural science emphasizes hybrid technology, genetic modification, and mechanized seed processing, there exists a research gap in examining how traditional Indian agricultural philosophy may inform sustainable practices and ecological balance in the present age. By revisiting the Vedic and Purāṇic injunctions on seed purity, soil fertility, and cosmic alignment, this study aims to highlight the continuities between ancient and modern methods, thereby situating kṛṣi-parāśara not merely as a relic of the past but as a living framework for ecological resilience. The objective of this research is to examine the principles of seed preservation and sowing in kṛṣi-parāśara, highlighting their ritual, ecological, and practical dimensions, and to contextualize these traditional insights within Indian agricultural history as enduring foundations of sustainable seed management.