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 6 - Minerals and Metals in the Indian Epics
11 (of 17)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
Metals in the Mahabharata
VI-11
M
During the Pre-Mauryan era, the Greek authors such as
Herodotus (3.102-105) first mentioned about the legend of ant-gold
啶溹ぞ啶むぐ啷傕お啶
啶た啶た啶侧た啶
[箩腻迟补谤奴辫补尘
pimiliye
] in India. In the Mahabharata also, we find the same topic:
(2.48.4), Megasthanes (Indica 32), Strabo (15.1.44),
Pliny (6.22;11.35) repeated the story that ant-golds came from
Kashmir, Tibet and the Dardic region.
The mystery was solved in the nineteenth century (Ball 1881)
It was found that a tribe in the Himalayas used to dig out gold in
the extreme winter to avoid the prying eyes of the robbers. The
miners' black tents made of yak hair looked like hairy animals
from some distance.
The miners spread the myth that big gold -
digging ants used to dig that gold.
and
From the Vedic age, Niska was known as a prominent gold
ornament and sometimes as a decorative lump of gold.. In the
Mahabharata, this has been mentioned as an ornament for both men
and women (1.67.2; 7.19.35); a round piece of gold, tied at the
neck in a string or chain (7.91.26), at times several such pieces
strung into a necklet (7.138.17). Rarely niska, satamana
sana were mentioned as coins or money - exchanging units. Gold
vessels were frequently mentioned but these were probably too
costly to be left behind and to be subsequently recovered as
archaeological items. Silver pitchers - Kalasa (15.3.12) and
were probably items imported through Graeco-Roman
trade (2.34.4; 2.47.16). Bell metal and brass (Kamsya) were used
Kumbha (8.6.37)
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