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 10 - Concluding Remarks
7 (of 16)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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We find the excellent compilation Amarakosa categorising the
materials in four caste-categories, the metallurgical equip-
ments falling under sudravarga. Even the scientifically
oriented intellectuals like Caraka, Gotama, Prasastapāda,
though not conforming to all the Vedic tenets, tacitly accepted
the varnasrama and the caste-system. The famous Vedantist
Samkara not only supported the caste-injunctions of Manu, but
also criticised the atomic theory of Kanāda (Brahma-Sutrabhāṣyam,
2.2.17) :
तस्मान� एवम् असारतर तर्कसंदब्धत्वान् ईश्वरकार� श्रुतिविरुद्धत्वाट
परमाणुकारणवादे
परमाणु कारणवादे
श्रेयोऽचिभिरित� वाक्यशेष� �
[tasmān evam asāratara tarkasaṃdabdhatvān īśvarakāraṇa śrutiviruddhatvāṭa
貹ṇa
paramāṇu kāraṇavāde
śreyo'cibhiriti vākyaśeṣa� |
] L
Such frontal attacks inhibited free-thinking of scientifically
minded but god-fearing intellectuals and diffusion of knowledge
across caste barriers.
That the sūdras should not be allowed to read the Vedas
was almost fully accepted in ancient India. There was a cult of
secrecy, of course nurtured by vested interests. The alchemical
and iatrochemical research was marked by professional secrecy,
and the astounding claims were made:
A
रसविधा दृढं गोप्या मातुर्गुह्यमिव ध्रुवम� �
भरेत वीर्यवती गुप्ता निर्वीर्या� प्रकाशनात् �
रोगिनो� बहुभिज्ञान� भवेत� निर्वीर्यम� औषधम� �
� रोगिविदितं कार्� बहुभिर्विदित� तथ� ।।
[rasavidhā dṛḍha� gopyā māturguhyamiva dhruvam |
bhareta vīryavatī guptā nirvīryāca prakāśanāt ||
rogino� bahubhijñāna� bhavet nirvīryam auṣadham |
na rogividita� kārya bahubhirvidita� tathā ||
] that 'scientific knowledge remains powerful when kept
secret and becomes useless when made public', and that 'the
medicine becomes ineffective when its identity is revealed to
the patient' (RRS.6.71-72).
