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...

5. Gold and Coins (in the Ashtadhyayi)

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The goldsmith was known as suvarapakara, who made ornaments well as coins of gold and silver. Panini referred to some special ornaments; ear-rings Karnika, later the famous tem manikarnika associated with Varanasi), frontlets (lalatika), finger-rings (anquliyaka) (4.3.62-65) etc. Akarshika was one skilled person who could test gold on the touch-stone (akarsha, 5.2.64). The goldsmith undertook three kinds of jobs (Agrawala, 1953: 235). He could start with new gold or silver bar or ingot brought to him. Secondly, he could melt and re-shape old ornaments: nishtapati suvarnam. Thirdly he could repolish or brighten the old ornaments by heating them only once (anasevane: Pan. 8.3.102). The earliest historical record of the Indian coins is found in Fanini's Astadhyayi. We have noticed that the Vedic literatures. mentioned the golden niska, sometimes as an ornament and sometimes as a medium of exchange. We postulate that the word niska wes etymologically related to the word nisaya mentioned by Panini to indicate binding, meaning financial bond or commitment. Panini

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IV-8 referred to several derivative terms based on niska: dviniska (two niska or units of money), bahunaiskikam (worth many niskas - Pan 5.1.30), uttamanaiskikam (worth the highest niska or denomination of Pan. 5.1.20). Gold was known as jatarupa, 'beautiful when Panini forwarded a linguistic hypothesis (we are not sure of its validity) that all words for gold indicating weight or measure (of money) end with AN e-g. suvarna, Swarna, hiranya money it appears'. etc. jatarupebhyah parimane an (Pan. 4.3.153). Similarly when a weight of copper was used as coin, it was known as bana: parimane (Pan. 5.2.34) . Panini also explained the genesis of the word for silver: rupvah or raupva. Next to gold, silver was used as the coinage metal. Some form (rupa) of the king or ruler was embossed (ahatam): rupat, ahata, prasamsayoh yap (Pan. 5.2.120). Thus raupya was derived from rupa and became the new name of rajata or silver during the Achaemenid rule (6 th century B.C.). There was a special name for a stamped or embossed silver coin varka rajya or silver stamped with Vrka die (Pan. 4.2.106).

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