Minerals and Metals in Sanskrit literature

by Sulekha Biswas | 1990 | 69,848 words

This essay studies the presence of Minerals and Metals in Sanskrit literature over three millennia, from the Rigveda to Rasaratna-Samuccaya. It establishes that ancient Indians were knowledgeable about various minerals and metallurgy prior to the Harappan era, with literary references starting in the Rgveda. The thesis further examines the evolutio...

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For agriculture, the Rgvedic people used plough which had various names e.g. phala (4.57.8, 10.117.7), langala (4.57.4), vrka (1.117.21, 8.22.6), sira (4.57.5 & 8, 10.101.3-4). Sita (the name of the heroine in Ramayana) means the line or furrow titled by the plough. The tip of the plough known as phala or suna (4.57.5 & 8) might have been made of sharpend stone during the neolithic age, but was metallic in the chalcolithic era. Sickless-datra (8.78.10) and srni (10.101.3) were used for cutting the craps. Next to the ploughshare, the most important metallic tool in the hands of the Rgvedic people were the axe and the chisel or the adze which were used to cut the forest trees and utilised as the

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II-8 carpenter's tool. We have earlier discussed that chisels or adzes, vasi or basula were stone-made in the neolithic age (10.101.10) and became metallic in the chalcolithic age (8.29.3). Krti was a chopper or culter (1.92.10, 1.168.3), more like a sword, and eventually developed as a scissor. Swadhiti (2.39.7, 3.8.11) was a similar instrument. The name sounds similar to sword. Bhurija (4.2.14, 8.4.16, 9.71.5) was a carpenter's tool used in the making of chariots. Kulisa (1.32.5) was the axe, the modern Kulhade or Kuthara. Parasu, also a sharpened metallic axe, was an offensive weapon. The cow-plunderers 'came to the east with big parasu' to attack the Rgvedic people (7.83.1). Vadhara and Heti were also weapons, the details of which are not known. Several names were used to indicate an arrow: isu, bana, bunda, saru, sarva, sarva, saru and sayaka. Copper-tipped arrows. were evidently not enough to kill the enemy, and therefore poi sono us materials were used on the tips: alakta ayomukham isu (6.75.15). There were several kinds of javalins or spears to be thrown at the enemies: srka (srja means to let go or fly), pavi (10.180.2), Isti (1.37.1, 1.64.4, 8.20.11 etc.) The action is clearly conveyed in the text rstih asrksata (5.52.6) . vajra (1.32.2, 1.51.7, 6.23.4) was probably a spear or a barbed harpoon. The metal spike (sula 1.162.11) and the knife (suna 1.162.13) could be used either for offensive combats or in connection with cooking. Closer to the domestic scene, we find the uses of the razor (Ksura 1.166.10, 10.142.4), needle (vesi 7.18.17 and suci 2.32.4),

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II-9 (some metallic) pitchers (ahava, kalasa and kumbha) and some muscial instruments such as aghati (10.146.2) or cymbal and karkar (2.43.3) or lute. Same of the copper implements actually found in the Sarasvati valley sites are: at Kalibangan - celt, hammer, bangle, arrow, fish-hook, axe, parasu, mirror, pin (Lal, 1979) at Banawali arrowhead, bangle, spearhead, sickle blade, razor, chisel, ring, double spiralled and simple pin, ear/nose ring/ fish hook (Bisht, 1982). The Sarasvati valley copper artefacts were not alloyed with tin, and therefore not as hard as those from Harappa and Mohenjodaro.

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