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 3 - Minerals and Metals in the Vedic literature after Rigveda
3 (of 24)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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III-3
universe was only space.
atmosphere and then water.
Gradually it condensed to form
The earth differentiated in the
form of a dense layer on the primordial water
啶う啶ぞ啶� 啶多ぐ 啶嗋じ啷�啶む 啶むい啷� 啶膏ぎ啶灌え啷嵿く啶� 啷� 啶膏ぞ 啶啶ムた啶掂 啶呧き啶掂い啷�
( [yadap膩峁� 艣ara 膩s墨t tat samahanyata | s膩 p峁泃hiv墨 abhavat
(] B.Up 1.2.1-3)
The S.Br谩 continues the theory of material evolution: 'From
water was created foam, from foam to clay; clay gave rise to
sand, then subsequent steps evolved pebble, stone, metal ore,
and gold' (S.Bra 6.1.3.1-5). The Katha Upanisad conceived of
the smallest state of existence of matter, namely an anu or a
molecule, and proposed that consciousness or the self is greater
than the greatest and yet subtler than the smallest.
啶呧ぃ啷嬥ぐ啶｀啶ぞ啶ㄠ 啶す啶む 啶す啷�啶ぞ啶ㄠ
[a峁噊ra峁嚹珁膩n mahato mah墨y膩n
] Minerals and Metals
Katha Up.1.2.20
The word nidhi representing mineral treasures was mentioned
in RV 2.24.6, 8.29.6, 10.68.6 etc., and repeated later as in AVP
Commenting on the passage 7.1.2 in the Chandogya Upanisad,
10.7.23.
Abbreviations listed at the end of this chapter. These correspond
to the full names of the texts eg. RV stands for Rgeda.
