LOKPAKARA
1.
Lokopakara (¯ÉÆÃPÉÆÃ¥ÀPÁgÀ)
2.
lOkOpakAra
3.
Chaundaraya-2
4.
11th
Century
5.
Encyclopaediac Omnibus
6.
‘Lokopakara’ belongs to that rare category of books that give
useful information on various topics seemingly unconnected. However they are spurred
by a desire to help common people. They assume greater importance in our times because
they present an alternative to the western systems of knowledge. ‘Lokopakara’
a 11th century work was written by Chavundaraya-2. This work contains information about veterinary sciences, aromatics,
horticulture, medicine, astrology, medicine, water resources and water divining
and cookery. There is a detailed discussion of water resources, cloud formation,
water divination with the help of trees, vegetation and ant hills. This science
is called Jalashastra (Hydrology) (For details:
Prof A V Narasimha Murthy: Underground Water in ancient
Karnataka).There is an interesting reference to ‘Kunapajala’
a particular kind of liquid organic manure which helps in the fruiting and flowering
of trees. There is some information about the diseases of the animals and their
management. There is an entire chapter on cookery which gives instructions about
the preparation of every day items such as rice and sambar
(HuLi) and moves on to describe the preparation of exquisite
sweets like laddu (laDDu)
and palunde(pAluNDe) Dr.AV.Narasimha
Murthy has given interesting details about these delicacies mentioned in this book.
(Prof
A V Narasimha Murthy: Ancient Karnataka Cookery) W.W.Nene has made
a mention of ‘Lokopakara’ in many of his research articles.
‘Lokopakara’
was translated in to English in 2006 by Valmiki Srinivasa Ayangarya.
The publication details are as follows: Agricultural History Bulletin No.6, Asian Agri.History
Foundation,
A meticulous study of texts such as ‘Lokopakara’
and ‘Shivatatva Ratnakara’
by Lakkana Dandesha will
help in the act of resurrecting the fast vanishing local systems of knowledge.
7. 1950, Government Oriental Manuscript library Ed.
by H.Shesha Iyyangar
8.
9.
10. ‘For the Benefit of the People’