Environnement Engineering

in Ancient India

Presentation By

Dr.A.S.Nene

Professor of Civil Engineering, (Retd.)

VNIT Nagpur

Email: nene_ashok@yahoo.com

The word "Paryavaranam" is combination of

four words , "Pari+ang+vru+lyut"

A Sanskrit word "Paryavaranam" was prevalent in

ancient India Thousand years prior to advent of

modern Environmental sciences

2

Paryavaranam

3

Western Definition: The environment is

defined as the physical, non-living and

living surrounding of a society, with

which it has a reciprocal relationship.

Ancient Indian Definition: The

environment means neighborhood of six

factors i.e. Site, People, Animals, Birds,

Trees and Water.

Environment means neighborhood of

5

1) Earth – Prithwi

2) Water – Aap

3) Air – Vayu

4) Sky – Aakash

5) Light- Tej

Aitariya Upanishad gave the concept of

Panchmahabhotas

6

1- Prithwi-Earth

‘Earth is my mother, I am her son.'

Earth is not for the different races of men alone but for other creatures two or four legged also.

7

O Prithivi! thy centre, thy navel, all forces that haveissued from thy body, Set us amid those forces;breathe upon us.’

38 Names of mother Earth

Prayer of Motherland

Ideal Environment : Land, which contains oceans, rivers

and canals; Whose farmers produce food grains and live

together; Where each living persons works with vigor;

Such our motherland may nurture us with her juices.

Atharvaveda chapter 12

9

2- Aapah- Water

Water occurs in five forms: Rain water, Natural spring,

Wells and canals, Lakes and Rivers

Waters are nectars

The only three precious things on the earth are

water, food and pleasing words. 10

Water is nectar. It is source of allplants and gives of good health.

From ocean waters reach to sky and from sky come back to earth. –Water cycle

Jala Shastra = Water Resources Engineering

• Sanchetan = Water Supply

• Samharan = Drainage

• Stambhan = Storage of water

Three Vidyas (Techniques)

Related to Water

12

3-Vayu - Air

Yadya is best sacrifice

Air is nectar, it gives us long life. The pureair which we inhale enriches good health.Rigved 10-1-86

13

O Air! You are our father, the protector.

Rigveda 10-186-2

Air has medicinal values.Rigved 1-37-2

Prana, Vrana, Apana, Udana andSamano ,Air resides in the body as life.

Two types of ether i.e.- one insidethe body and the other outside thebody.

Do not destroy anything of the skyand do not pollute the sky Do notdestroy anything of Space.

Worship trees which gives us medicines

16Plants came to existence on earth first. Rigveda 10-97-1

Forbidden Trees

• Milky Trees: (with poisonous juices): milk bush .

• Thorny Trees: Babul or Prickly pear.

• Trees having hard through out: Tamarind or

Bunyan tree.

• Bushes: Which give shelter to small animals and

consequently serpents frequent them.

• Fruit bearing Trees: Mango, Guava etc. People are

tempted to throw stones.

• Other Trees (Trees without hard core).

17

Tree Recommended near Habitat

High trees or fruit bearing trees may be

allowed, provided they cast no shadow at noon

or overtop the building. The distance of tree

from house should be twice the height of

tree.

18

Trees permitted to grow near Habitat

19

Confinement of trees (Vratabandha)

Some holy trees may be allowed to grow nearbuildings, but they should be confined to acertain area within a circular wall. Treestransgressing this boundary by breakingthrough it, should be pruned to avoid damageto the building.

20

Forests should not be destroyed.

Rigveda 8-1-13

Chlorophyll is the cause of greenness in trees

Plants are live.

22

Trees save those, who saves trees

One tree is equal to ten sons.

Kills the germs of T.B., measles, smallpox andcow-pox.

Lessens the effect of atomic radiation to agreat extent.

Controls the air-supply and temperaturevariation due to sacrificed substances offirewood

• Creates a pure, hygienic, nutritional and healing atmosphere

It has been proved that Yadnya

Ghee and different types of wood and grasses wereoffered to gods through Yadnya.

23

Yadyna

Yadya is considered as the noblest action.

Yajna cleans atmosphere through itsmedicinal smoke, and provideslongevity, breath, vision etc.

Peace should remain everywhere. peace ofsky, peace of mid-region, peace of earth,peace of waters, peace of plants, peace oftrees, peace of all-gods, peace ofBrahman, peace of universe, peace ofpeace; May that peace come to me!

26

The Arthshashtra contains provisions meant to

regulate a number of aspects related to the

environment.

Kautilya (350 B.C - 283 B.C)

27

28

The fifth pillar edict of Emperor Ashoka contains

such regulations for environment protection.

(269 BC to 231 BC)

King Piyadarsi (Ashoka), speaks thus:Animals are declared to be protected ……..

Germination property, temperature & humidity ,

oxygen present, Smell and and taste of soil.

A site is selected on the basis of

These tests indicate the level of ground pollution.

29

30

Germination Test

In this test certain types of seeds are sown at the

proposed site. Depending upon the time taken for

germination (three, five or seven days) the site is

considered as good, average or bad respectively.

31

Flower Test

In this test flowers of four colors namely white, red,

yellow and blue are placed in leaf cones at the four

corners of a pit in the evening and the condition of

the flowers is observed at the next day morning. The

freshness of flowers indicates the suitability of site.

32

Lamp Test

In this test four oil lamps are lit in the four directions

(east, north, west and south) in the foundation pit. Out

of this the lamp which lasts for longest period indicates

the suitability of site.

Nitisutras of Chanakya predicts;

God Vishnu and River Ganges would abandon this

earth after ten and five thousand years

(respectively), but only after twenty-five

hundred years the earth would be a barren land.

(Prediction of Global warming?)33

Ants coming out from their caves usually

excavating or storing food.

Frogs croak near swampy areas

Lesser coucal makes mournful sounds

Dogs defecate in the middle of the road or at higher

elevation.

Ancient text “Kadambini" describes forecasting

of rains based on traditional methods.

Dragonflies fly low.

Ring around the moon or sun (Lunar / Solar corona).

Feathery clouds.

Fruits of trees ripen early or shed early.

Rock outcrop, Types of trees and their foliage, Presence of anthill, Presence of hibernating animals.

Brihat Samhita of Varahmihir

The prediction of depth, quality andquantity of water on the basis of surfacefeatures.

Chapter 54 - Water divining

36

One who destroys wells, tanks or temples is a

wicked person.

The person who pollutes waters of ponds, wells or

lakes goes to hell.

37

One who renovates wells, tanks, temples gets eight times results than that of constructingnew structures.

38

If ground is waterlogged, then the water should be

drained out by digging drains parallel to north east

and refilling the trenches by brickbats and stones

so that excess water drains out.

Waste Disposal -Bhrugusamhita

39

Water drains should be below ground, The bottom

surface should be smooth and sloping, If such drain is

not provided then the owner should be fined (54 coins).

Bhrugusamhita

40

Waste disposal sites should be on north east side and

far away from residential areas.

Rivers, roads, agricultural fields, greenlands, sunshades and public places shouldnot be polluted (by urination or excreta).

41

One should not excrete or urinate in water,one should not spit or take bath without anycloths on the body .

Taittiriyaranyaka

42

43

Waste Disposal

Kautilya fixed Fines for social offences

44

Noise pollution- Aapstamb Gruhyasutra

Students should observe silence from evening tillthe stars appear in the sky.

The vow of silence (Mauna) is prescribed invarious rites and rituals.

Speech is restrained after the performance ofprincipal rites.

The consequences of sound pollution wereforeseen by Vedic Seers .

45

Pollution of Space

Effect of wireless communication on birds.

46

Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from mobile

communication towers is largely responsible for the

bird's declining numbers. 50 eggs of house sparrows

were exposed to EMR for 5-10 minutes. It was found

that all the 50 embryos were damaged.

47

Effect of mobiles on human health.

A Danish group's study report of 2006 indicates

a close connection between mobile phone use and

cancer.

The INTERPHONE study group from Japan

published the results of a study of brain tumour

risk and mobile phone use.

• Sage Parashar developed astronomical

methods to predict rain fall.

• Brihatsamhita contains a chapter on

Earthquakes.( 5th- 6th Century)

• Ballal Sen in his book AdbhutSagar describes

four main and six sub types of earthquakes

and their zones in India. ( 10th- 11th Century).

48

•Nighantu" mentions one hundredmeaningful names of water.

•Sage Vashishtha and Sage Bhrugu werethe first to describe properties offlowing and steady water. (Much beforeArchimedes).

•Kautilya gave guidelines for constructionof dams, canal, wells, pollution preventionetc. 49

Conclusions

1. The term Environment was first well defined in

ancient Indian texts.

2. The residential sites were selected on the basis of

environmental factors such as land, trees and water

etc.

3. Methods for pollution prevention were described in

these texts.

4. The ancient knowledge is consistent with modern

environmental engineering.

50

51

Ancient References

52

Visit

Late G.G.Joshi Shilpa Sanshodhan TrustLibrary, 53 Ramkrishna Nagar, Nagpur.

This presentation is based on texts available inAncient Indian Shilpashastra libraryestablished by Late Shri G.G.Joshi of Nagpur.