PAPER – IV

LESSON – 7
EXPLORATION OF WATER SPRINGS

INTRODUCTION: Since ancient days India is a country of cultivation. For

cultivation water is very essential. For all living beings, air is very essential and after
air, water is very essential.
Since ancient days man used to get water from rivers.
This lesson tells about the methods -
To get water in places where there are no rivers and natural lacks and procedure to
store water in different methods like digging of wells, constructing tanks etc?
This technique of exploring water resources is prevailing and developed in our
country since very long time.
Varahamihira has written a separate chapter on this in his work “ BRIHAT
SAMHITA”. Many techniques given by Manu & Saraswatamuni were mentioned in
this book.
Saraswatamuni first wrote this science. The procedure to identify the water springs
and water currents by observing the trees and anthills and stones on earth were
mentioned in his works.
Varahamihira mentioned the methods of exploring water that were prevailing during
his time, in 54th chapter of Brihatsamhita in 125 slokas.
Water flows underneath the earth just like blood flows in our body through veins.
Water comes from clouds in the form of rain with only one taste and one color. But
after raining on earth, the water gets the taste and color depending upon the quality of
earth at that particular place.

Places where water can be obtained:

Vaapi Koopa Pushkarini Deerghika Tataaka Nadi - Nada

“Koopa” means having no way to enter or exit

“Vaapi” means having one entrance
“Pushkarini” means having many ways to enter
“Deerghika” means having a shape of rectangle
“ Tataaka” means having plenty of water with provisions to enter and exit for water.
That means water can enter from one way and flows out from another way.
Every body knows about rivers.
Nadi means a river that flows from West to East.
Nadam means a river that flows from East to West.
 DIFFERENT WATER CURRENTS UNDERNEATH THE EARTH :

NW N NE

VAAYU SOMA SAMKARA

VARUNA MAHA SIRA INDRA

E
W

NIRUTI YAMA AGNI

SE
SW S
The water currents that are flowing from North, East, South and West directions are
considered to be good. The water currents that are flowing in the directions of North-
East, North-West, South-East and South-West will have less quantity of water.

In the places where water is not available on the surface of earth:

If Rotang (Pabbali) tree is located in a place where water is not available on the
surface, the water current can be found underneath the earth at a distance of 3 mooras
and at a depth of 7-1/2 mooras (Moora = nearly 20 inches). While digging at that
place white frog, yellow sand and hard stone can be found as symptoms.
Like this, the name of the tree, the distance from the tree, the direction, the depth and
the symptoms are given in Brihat Samhita in its Jalargala Adhyaya.

If grass is grown at a place and not grown at nearby place, one can find either water
current or treasure underneath the earth.

If sounds are produced while walking in places where water is not available on the
surface, the water currents from North can be found at a depth of 17-1/2 Mooras.

If any tree is located in a dry area, with its branches hanging downwards water
springs can be found at a depth of 15 mooras under the hanging branch.

Many Sutras of this type were mentioned in the classic Brihat Samhita.

Finding water springs in places like deserts:

In deserts water flows up and down in springs similar to that of the neck of a camel.
Peelu tree having ant hill north east side, north west side to the ant hill at a distance of
25 mooras, water currents can be found underneath the earth.
The symptoms for this are, frog, black soil, yellow soil, below that a stone at a depth
of 5 mooras, and after that water currents can be found.

If any unnatural or odd thing is visible in places where water is not available on the
surface, Water currents underneath the earth can be found in those places.

Preservation of water resources:

Trees, plants and creepers should be grown on the banks of lakes. Fountain machines
should be provided in the lakes. Tortoise should be kept in the lakes or wells because
tortoise can eat the worms and keep the water pure.

Breaking of stones in easy way:

Some procedures for breaking of the stones that come in the way of digging wells etc
are mentioned.

Keeping some firewood obtained from certain trees on the stones and burning them
and after burning if limewater is sprinkled, the stone will break.

Trees that can be grown on the banks of lakes or tanks:

Trees like Banyan, mango, black-plum (neredu), neem, can be grown on the banks of
the lakes or tanks.