Chapter 2 - Minerals and Metals in the Rigveda

II-6
The metallic gem thus obtained by the smelting or melting process
was known as dravina (4.5.11, 4.23.4 etc.) and the smelter was
known as the melter or dravi (6.3.4) also.
The Meaning of Avas
The sukta 9.112.2 has been referred to earlier. The full
text reads:
जरतीभिः ओषधीभिः पर्णेभिः शकुनानाम्
कार्मारो अश्मभिः युभिः हिरण्यवन्तम् इच्छति,
( [jaratībhiḥ oṣadhībhiḥ parṇebhiḥ śakunānām
kārmāro aśmabhiḥ yubhiḥ hiraṇyavantam icchati,
(] 9.11 2.2)
Mehta et al (1987) felt that Kamara here could mean a stone-worker.
Banerji (1929) however accepted Schraeder's earlier suggestion that
the hymn actually described a smithy. Banerji argued that the
passage alludes to the making of carburised iron. The Rgvedic
smith, according to Banerji, used to convert the bright quartzian
magnetic stone of iron oxide to iron through reduction by the
carbonaceous dried medicinal plant, and then to carburise it by
fusing with birds' wings.
Indirectly, Banerji proposes that the word ayas in the Rgveda
means 1ron. We do not subscribe to his views. Iron was not
discovered in the age of the Rgveda. The Sarasvati valley archaeo-
logical sites have not yielded any iron specimen. Iron appeared in
India much later, around 1200 B.C.
The word ayas in the Rgveda (1.57.3, 1.163.9, 4.2.17.
6.3.5, 10.53.9-10 etc.) means metal in general, and not iron in
particular. In the Rgvedic age it probably corresponded to copper