Essay name: Minerals and Metals in Sanskrit literature
Author:
Sulekha Biswas
Affiliation: Chhatrapati Sahuji Maharaj University / Department of Sanskrit
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.
Chapter 2 - Minerals and Metals in the Rigveda
1 (of 15)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
CHAPTER II
MINERALS AND METALS IN THE RGVEDA
The Rgveda (RV) is the oldest Indo-Aryan literary document
available to us. Before we discuss the metals and minerals
mentioned in the Rgveda, we may briefly comment on the controversial
views on its authorship and date of compilation.
John
Max M眉ller, the famous scholar and translator of the Rgveda,
noticed the similarities between the Indo-European languages and
proposed in 1859, that Rgveda was compiled around 1200 B.C. by the
Aryans 'who had came to India from outside around 1500 B.C.'
(Max Muller, 1859). His theory was shown by Winternitz, B眉hler,
Macdonnel, Muir etc. to be based on very flimsy premises.
Muir assetted in 1872 that the Rgvedic Aryans were not aware of any
land outside India, and also that 'the nations whose speech is
derived from Sanskrit have sprung from the gradual dispersal of
the ancient Aryan race of India' (Muir, 1872: 2, 322-323). The most
recent rebuttal of Max M眉ller's dates has been recorded by K.C.
Varma (1987). We agree with Winternitz that 'no power on earth
can anytime be sure whether the Vedic hymns were composed 1000 or
2000 or 3000 years before Christ'. As a matter of fact, the were
verses
orally transmitted through centuries, and the only question is: in
which era in the pre-history did the events, narrated in the verses,
take
actually took place.
Our considered opinion is that the Rgveda corresponds to the
ancient civilization on the valley of the lost river. (vinasana)
