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 8 - Non-gem Minerals and Metals in Rasa-shastra
15 (of 44)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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VIII-1
Some of the dull materials or adhamya dhatu listed were:
manahsila (red arsenic), hingulaka (cinnabar), amla艣膩la (acidic
sorrel), saurastraj膩ta (some mineral earth from Saur盲stra or
Gujarat), rasaka (calamine or zinc ore), panka (ointments),
anjana (unguents), b谩likaya samana (powdery stuff). sila and ala
were abbreviations of manahsila (red arsenic sulphide) and haritala
(yellow arsenic sulphide) respectively.
Some of the materials and minerals having varieties of
uses including medicinal were: Sarkar膩 (sugar or sand), k膩s墨sa
(green sulphate of iron), mrd (clay), kardama (slime), gairika
(red chalk, iron ore?), tapva (sulphuret of iron), maksika
(pyrite) etc.
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It is noteworthy that Yavanesvara mentioned rasaka or
calamine, a zinc ore which was available in the Gujarat Rajasthan
area and, as stated by Nagarjuna, was used for making brass.
Minerals and Metals in the Gupta Era Literatures
The political disintegration which followed the dissolution
of the Kushana empire continued right up to the beginning of the
fourth century A.D. The Gupta era started on 320 A.D. and listed
till 570 A.D. Out of this period of two and half centuries, the
first one and half (upto 467 A.D. When Skandagupta died), may be
considered to be the 'golden era'. During the Gupta era, several
literatures showed the sustained use of minerals and metals in
India.
