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 7 - A millennium of Ratnashastra (gemmology) literature in India
70 (of 85)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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VII-67
flash of a polished sword' (RP 62, AM 92-93).
Var膩hamihira admitte
that many of the uncommon varieties of pearl, as mentioned above,
rarely seen, and qualified many of his descriptions with the word
kila denoting 'it is said. (BS. 81.21).
The Oyster Pearl
Now let us return to the well-known and the best variety
of pearl: sukti mukta or the pearl from the oyster. We have
earlier presented the modern scientific knowledge about oyster-pear
and the description of its 'superlative worth' given by Buddhabhatt
(RP 69 and GP 1.69.17).
The chief sources of the oyster-pearl were mentioned in all
the ancient Sanskrit texts; Kautilya (in AS. 2.11.2) named
Pandvakav膩taka, Pasika in Pandya country, Kauleya in Sri Lanka,
Curni in Kerala etc. Varahamihira referred (BS. 81.2).to eight
Sources:
Pandyav膩taka (Ramnad and Tuticorin area), Paraloka (Purali in
Travancore coast), Simhalaka (Sri Lanka), saurastra (Kathiawed),
Tamraparni and Keveri river in the Pandya country, Parasava (Persia
and the Himalayas (?). Ratnapriksa (RP 75-76) and Garuda Purana
(GP 1.69.23-24) provided a similar list of the sources. Agastimata
(AM 109) mentioned Barbara which was probably the African coast of
the Red Sea.
Megasthenes (4th century B.C.) mentioned large pearls of
Sri Lanka and Taprobane, a corruption of Tamraparni, the river in
