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’