KASHYAPIYA KRISHI SUKTI: AN ANCIENT INDIAN FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, WATER MANAGEMENT AND RURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION

Background: Ancient Indian agricultural literature contains systematic descriptions of land management, water conservation, seed selection, crop cultivation, livestock management, agricultural implements, vegetable husbandry and rural organization. Kashyapiya Krishi Sukti, attributed to Sage Kashyapa and generally placed around the early medieval period, represents an important text within this agricultural knowledge tradition. Objective: The present article aims to examine the agricultural principles described in Kashyapiya Krishi Sukti and organize them into a contemporary framework of sustainable agriculture, resource conservation and rural ecological management. Methods: The available source text of Kashyapiya Krishi Sukti was examined through textual and narrative analysis, with particular attention to its organization of agricultural knowledge. Major themes were identified and categorized into land and soil management, water management, farmers and village institutions, agricultural implements, ploughing, livestock, seasons, seed management, crop cultivation, vegetable husbandry and broader agricultural-resource management. Contemporary scientific and government-supported literature was consulted to provide contextual interpretation. Results: The text presents agriculture as an interconnected system involving land, water, seeds, animals, implements, farmers, village institutions and governing authorities. Its first major section contains 606 verses distributed among fourteen subsections covering land classification, water reservoirs, canals and wells, farmers and village officers, agricultural implements, plough and bullock management, cattle characteristics, agricultural seasons, seed procurement, ploughing and cultivation of grains, pulses and other crops. Further sections address vegetable husbandry, edible and non-edible materials and other agricultural practices. Three major contemporary themes emerged: resource-based agriculture, integrated crop-livestock systems and diversified agricultural production. Conclusion: Kashyapiya Krishi Sukti represents a systems-oriented agricultural knowledge framework in which productive farming is associated with appropriate land, assured water, quality seed, suitable implements, healthy draught animals, competent farmers and supportive rural institutions. Its principles should be regarded as historical knowledge requiring critical textual examination and independent scientific validation before contemporary application.