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
2 (of 17)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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IV-2
by Panini himself. We may conclude that Panini lived around 500 B.C.
near the ancient city of Taksasila or Taxila after this was founded
under the Achaemenid influence.
The second urbanisation in India statted around the early
part of the first millennium B.C. Settlements grew into small
kingdoms or janapada about which an early reference is available in
Chandogya Upanisad (5.11.5). There must have been a boost to mining
and metallurgy in the north-western part of India after the partly
successful intrusion of the Persians into India during the later
half of the sixth century B.C. Panini's work reveals the contempo-
rary awareness and activities in the fields of (a) mine and
mineral engineering (b) extractive metallurgy (c) minerals and
inorganic compounds (d) metals (e) coinage metals besides the
development of several other technical and scientific concepts.
Mine and Mineral Engineering
h
Panini recognised that the word khan or to dig (well, mine
etc.) had appeared in the Chandas or the Vedic literature. He
explained (3.2.67) the genesis of the derivative words akhanika and
khanitra maning a spade. Mani-prastara (3.3.32) or scattering or
vein of gems was recorded as an important mineralogical information.
The commercial importance of mining during Panini's time is revealed
from his discussion on akarika (4.3.75) which meant miner, mining
officer as well as mining revenue.
