construction machinery - were they used in raamaayanam days 1

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri vaishNava

perunthagaiyeer,

 

 

Recently somebody in a

training session asked me “you say you have written few articles on

sreemadh raamaayaNam, so please clarify whether during sreemadh

raamaayaNam days, machineries for construction like what we have now

were there and used. Can you give evidence for that thru raamayaNa slokams”. Incidentally i wish to

state here 'giving training to Engineers' is my profession these days

and I travel quite a lot on that account.that is why i could not write these days. I answered in the

affirmative and said there are several instances in sreemadh

raamaayaNam for this but readily I can give 2 instances. That is the

main theme here in this write up.

 

 

First evidence: King

dhasaratha passed away on sree raama leaving for forest. And on

return bharatha found he had to be the king which he did not want to

and instead wanted raama to be brought back. For this he wanted to go

to forest along with all his gurus , ministers and senaapathees and

people of ayodhyaa, so that by seeing all these raama will be forced

to change his decision.

When such a big battalion of people have to

move in forest, the way has to be made properly upto the place where

sree raama lives. So, as the temporary king, bharatha ordered nice

roads to be built into the forest where raama is likely to be there. When vaalmeeki records

the construction of roads, he describes construction was done like

these days with all the machineries.See slokam --

 

 

atha bhoomi pradeshaj~naaH soothra karma vishaaradaaH |sva

karma abhirataaH shooraaH khanakaa yantrakaaH tathaa || 2-80-1

 

karma antikaaH sthapatayaH puruSaa yantra kovidaaH |tathaa

vardhakayaH caiva maargiNo vrikSa takSakaaH || 2-80-2

 

koopa kaaraaH sudhaa kaaraa vamsha karma kritaH tathaa |samarthaa

ye ca draSTaaraH purataH te pratasthire || 2-80-3

meaning: Then, those able to advise on the nature of

soils, those skilled in thread-holding for leveling purposes, those

who were energetic courageous and attentive in doing their jobs,

excavators, mechanics, labourers, carpenters, road-menders,

wood-cutters, hollow-makers, men skilled in plastering and white

washing, basket makers, tanners and skilled supervisors of work

sallied forth in advance.

NOTES: Bhoomi pradeshajnaah – geologists – as we call

them these days – or soil experts who can study and analyse

different nature of soils for construction

soothra karma vishaaradaaH = surveyors, - who hold

threads and tapes and measure the land for length breadth and depth.

khanakaa yantrakaaH = khananam in sanskrit is mining or excavating

– thONduthal in tamil –

khanaka yantra – is machine used in excavation – or present

day excavators and loaders -

yantrakaah – is all those operators

who use these machines to do the job of excavation filling and / or

levelling

 

 

yantra kOvidaah = experts in machines –

or mechanical engineers

and mechanics who are experts in doing

operation and maintenance of machines of present generation -

 

 

next slokam:

te sva vaaram samaasthaaya vartma karmaaNi kovidaaH |karaNaiH

vividha upetaiH purastaat sampratasthire || 2-80-5

meaning: Men skilled in making roads, furnished with

tools of every kind, seeking the company of men of their own proper

place, marched ahead.

NOTE: Even today in rural side

– let it be north or south bhaaratha desam, the trowel used by

mason is called karanai or karani

 

 

Subsequent slokam:

lataa valliiH ca gulmaamH ca sthaaNuun ashmanaeva ca |janaaH

te cakrire maargam chindantaH vividhaan drumaan || 2-80-6

meaning: Clearing away rows of creepers and shrubs timber and big

rocks as well as variours kinds of trees (which obstructed the way),

they carved out a path.

avrikSeSu ca desheSu kecit vrikSaan aropayan |kecit

kuThaaraiaH TankaiH ca daatraiH chindan kvacit kvacit || 2-80-7

meaning:

Some men planted trees in tree-less areas. Some others chopped the

existing trees here and there by means of axes, hatchets and sickles

apare viiraNa stambaan balino balavattaraaH |vidhamanti sma

durgaaNi sthalaani ca tataH tataH || 2-80-8

meaning: Some

other strong men removed sturdy tufts of Virana grass and leveled the

uneven places here and there.

NOTE: This

is what we now also do – as site clearing and grubbing of trees and

vegetation as the first item of work in road making.

more slokams: apare apuurayan kuupaan paamsubhiH shvabhram aayatam |nimna

bhaagaams tathaa kecit samaamH cakruH samantataH || 2-80-9

meaning: Some

others filled up wells and extensive pits with earth. Some men

leveled low-lying places all around.

NOTE: This

is what we call now as site grading and building up embankment for

road making.

saSudhaa kuTTima talaH prapuSpita mahee ruhaH |matta udghuSTa

dvija gaNaH pataakaabhir alamkritaH || 2-80-13candana udaka

samsiktaH naanaa kusuma bhooSitaH |bahv ashobhata senaayaaH

panthaaH svarga patha upamaH || 2-80-14

meaning:

That track of the troops, having its surface inlaid with mortar

[cement], with flowering trees inlaid with mortar [cement], with

flowering trees on both sides, inhabited with birds in excitement

making their sounds, adorned with flags on its either side with its

surface sprinkled with water of sandal-wood fragrance, and decorated

with various kinds of flowers, looked very much splendid like the

path of celestials.

 

 

NOTE: Sudhaa – is mortar or concrete – cement mortar

or lime mortar – recall that certain temple moorthy is of 'Sudhai”

-- means made of concrete or mortar – let it be cement concrete / mortar or lime concrete / mortar.

 

 

Why

all these details is – please see how vaalmeeki has described the

nuances of items in road making like a civil engineer or road

technologist.

The

second evidence and some more points on modern day management theory

will be served in next post.

Dhasan Vasudevan MG