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 4 - Materials and Concepts in Panini鈥檚 Ashtadhyayi
10 (of 17)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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IV-10
tem of the Sutra period (Agrawala, 1953: 264). Numerous hoards of
this punch-marked coin, also known simply as pana, have been found
in various parts of India. The sub-multiples of Karshapana were
known as: ardha (1/2) pada (1/4),dvi-masha (1/8), masha (1/16) and
ardha-masha or Kakani (1/32) and ardha-kakani (1/64). Panini mentioned
part of this series in 5.1.34: 啶ぃ-啶ぞ啶� 啶ぞ啶�- 啶多い啶距ぇ啶距え [pa峁嘺-p膩da bh膩峁- 艣at膩dh膩na ] Pada means
a quarter, and there had been pada-niska or pannishka coins in the
Vedic age.
In Panini 5.1.34, pada meant quarter of a Karshapana,
Masha in the above sutra was both a silver and a copper coin. #
sixteenth of a K盲rshapana
silver masna was one and weighed 2 rattis or 2 Krishnalas or
3,6 grs:
啶︵啶掂 啶曕啶粪啶｀げ啷� 啶膏ぎ啶о啶む 啶掂た啶溹啶炧啶 啶班啶啶� 啶ぞ啶粪啶�
( [dve k峁涐梗峁嘺le samadh峁泃o vij帽eyo raupya bh膩峁ka岣�
(] Manu, 8.135). Actual specimens of silver m盲sha coins have been
found in a hoard at Bhir mound, Taxila.. These are minute coins,
0.2 inch diameter weighing 2-3 grains.
The copper masha was a sub-multiple of the copper K盲rshapana
and weighed 5 rattis, i.e. one-sixteenth of a tamrika-pana of
80 rattis. The kakani and ardha-kakani copper coins were not
mentioned by Panini, and became common later during the period of
Kautilya.
The silver karshapana of 32 rattis was upgraded by the Nandas.
Instead of 16 masha K盲rshapana they introduced heavier 20 masha
silver coin which came to be known as vimsatika. Panini mentioned
(5.1.24) vimsatika as well as the 30 masha trimsataka coins being in
circulation.
