Gemstones in Sanskrit literature

[Arvind_Kolhatkar]

Dear Group,

I have put together, as far as could, a list of nomenclatures of
precious and semi-precious stones, collectively known as रत्न or मणि,
as known to me in Sanskrit literature. I am sure the list can be
added to and I invite learned members of the group to add more names
and correct any errors in what is written below.

To start with, अमरकोष gives a few names - but not many - in वैश्यवर्ग
in काण्ड २. It enumerates emerald, ruby, pearl and coral as precious
stones, the first two being अश्मजाति. कौटिल्य enumerates the
following in Book II, Chapter 11 – मौक्तिक, वैदूर्य, इन्द्रनील,
स्फटिक, वज्र, प्रवालक, each further classified into types and names
according to colors, quality etc. Pliny mentions in his enumeration
of Indian stones the following: six varieties of diamonds, coral,
pearls, beryl, emerald, onyx, amethyst and jasper, besides some others
like sardonix and socondian. (http://www.sdstate.edu/projectsouthasia/
upload/Pliny-Indian-Minerals.pdf)

There is no agreement between these early sources as to the types and
nomenclatures of precious and semiprecious stones.

The following modern dictionaries, available online or in print, may
be consulted to find out what names they yield of the ratnas:

a) Monier Williams - Sanskrit-English
b) VS Apte - Sanskrit-English
c) VS Apte - English-Sanskrit
d) LR Vaidya - Sanskrit-English
e) Anundoram Borooah – English-Sanskrit (Vol I - A to Falseness)

I have compiled the following list of English names of stones, with
their equivalent Sanskrit names, culled from these dictionaries.
References to them are as (a), (b) etc.

1) Amber – तैलमणि, तृणमणि (e). (b) has तैलमणि as ‘a kind of gem’.
2) Amethyst – आनील (e). (a,b and d explain आनील as ‘slightly blue’)
3) Beryl –गोमेद (e). (a, b and d explain गोमेद as a gem from the
Himalayas and which comes in four colors).
4) Cat’s eye – वैदूर्य (a,e)
5) Coral – प्रवाल, विद्रुम (e).
6) Diamond – वज्र, हीर, हीरक.
7) Emerald – मरकत (a,b,d)
8) Garnet – गोमेद (websites)
9) Jade – अश्वक (c)
10) Lapis Lazuli – वैदूर्य (b)
11) Opal – पुलक, विमलक. (c)
12) Supphire – इन्द्रनील (a)
13) Topaz – पुष्कराग, पीताश्मन्.
14) Ruby – कुरुविन्द (b,d,e), माणिक्य (a,b,d). (From कुरुविन्द we get
the word the modern term ‘Corundum’, which is the name of a class of
gemstones. I also suspect that the Marathi word करवंद, a dark blue-
dark red berry that grows in wild profusion in the Sahyadri Hills
during summer and is sold to train travellers in the ghat between Pune
and Mumbai, derives from कुरुविन्द.)

It is thus seen that there is fair amount of confusion and
disagreement among authorities as to the names of gemstones, though
most of the well-known Sanskrit names are covered in one place or
another.

What struck me as somewhat unusual is the comparative lack of interest
among old authorities about diamonds. They are considered today as the
most valuable and sought-after gemstone. In classical literature
there is scarcely a mention of diamonds, while मरकत, माणिक्य, प्रवाल
etc get noticed a lot. For example, अमरकोष does not even mention
diamonds in its list. Kalidasa’s मेघदूत has many references to other
gemstones like मरकत, प्रवाल and चन्द्रमणि but not a single one to the
diamond. Diamond, though known to early India, ranked much lower that
other stones as a coveted object.

The answer to this puzzled was found when I chanced upon the book ‘A
Handbook of Precious Stones’ written by Dr. Narayan Iyer of the
Geological Survey of India in 1947, available digitally at
http://www.farlang.com/gemstones/bahadur_handbook_of_precious_stones/page_001
. Ch. XI of the book is about diamonds and may be seen at
http://www.farlang.com/gemstones/bahadur_handbook_of_precious_stones/page_073
. According to it, while diamonds were known in India from before
Christ and India was the sole producer of diamonds till the 14th/15th
centuries, diamond cutting, as practiced in India did not bring out
the best of a diamond. The Indian skill of using diamond powder to
cut diamond reached Europe from India in the 15th century and new cuts
of diamond, discovered by European cutters brought out the diamond’s
full potential (Ch VII). This explains why, though diamonds were
known to Indians from ancient times, they were less preferred than
other types of precious stone. The development of new methods of
diamond cutting in Europe coincided with discovery of Brazilian
diamonds and, the Indian production having become exhausted, diamond
production in India reduced to a trickle. The Brazilian industry was,
in turn, pushed out by South African and Australian diamond industries
in later centuries and India has now become a negligible player for
the production of raw diamonds. (Calling the book ‘Bahadur Handbook’
is a misunderstanding. The author Dr. Narayan Iyer was a Rao Bahadur
and that it is a honorific title has escaped the person who created
the hyperlink.)

Arvind Kolhatkar, Toronto, August 12, 2011.

[hnbhat B.R.]

First of came to mind, the usage of word वज्र as cutter wepon/driller as used by Kalidasa:

 

अथ वा कृतवाग्द्वारे वंशेऽस्मिन्पूर्वसूरिभिः ।

मणौ वज्रसमुत्कीर्णे सूत्रस्येवास्ति मे गतिः । । १.४ । ।

 

Or else, my course in depicting this dynasty might as well be easy through the idiomatic gateway already crafted by the earlier poets, like a diamond boreholed by a diamond-edged tool for an easy passage of thread. [1-4]

whether we agree it is diamond necklace as translated above with diamonds boreholed by another diamond-edged tool (or diamond itself used for cutting diamonds), it can be said diamond cutting was there at the time of Kalidasa.

 

There are certain works on Diamond and precious gems called as रत्नशास्त्र-s the date of which could not be ascertained as they didn't attract the attention of the writers of history of Sanskrit Literature. Some titles are listed here:

1. Agastīyaratnaparīkṣā, Ratnadīpikā, Rasaratnasamuccaya (probably a chemestry text)
२. Ānandakanda -  a medical text as it seems to be

having  279 references.

Ratnadīpikā, 1, 22.2
tathāśubhāni naśyanti vajraṃ yasya gṛhe sthitam //

This very interesting referring to melting of Vajra:

 Rasaratnasamuccayabodhinī

• RRSBoṬ zu RRS, 10, 13.2, 1.0
  vajradrāvaṇopayogimūṣāmāha gāreti

Hope this list can be continued. I remember there is one or two works on Ratna-parIkShA too evaluating the gems for commercial purpose.

 

--
Dr. Hari Narayana Bhat B.R. M.A., Ph.D.,
Research Scholar,

Ecole française d'Extrême-OrientCentre de Pondichéry

16 & 19, Rue Dumas

Pondichéry - 605 001

[Sunder Hattangadi]

This site gives refrences to scriptures: Nava-ratna for the 9 planets of astrology)-

 

http://www.p-g-a.org/9gems.html

 

 

Regards,

 

sunder

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