Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 12 Sutra 6 - Arthashastra | French | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 6

Devanagari script

शङ्खकर्पूरस्फटिकनवनीतकपोतपारावतविमलकमयूरग्रीवावर्णाः सस्यकगोमेदकगुडमत्स्यण्डिकावर्णाः कोविदारपद्मपाटलीकलायक्षौमातसीपुष्पवर्णाः ससीसाः साञ्जना विस्रा भिन्नाः श्वेताभाः कृष्णाः कृष्णाभाः श्वेताः सर्वे वा लेखाबिन्दुचित्रा मृदवो ध्मायमाना न स्फुटन्ति बहुफेनधूमाश्च रूप्यधातवः ॥ कZ_०२.१२.०६ ॥

Transliteration

śaṅkhakarpūrasphaṭikanavanītakapotapārāvatavimalakamayūragrīvāvarṇāḥ sasyakagomedakaguḍamatsyaṇḍikāvarṇāḥ kovidārapadmapāṭalīkalāyakṣaumātasīpuṣpavarṇāḥ sasīsāḥ sāñjanā visrā bhinnāḥ śvetābhāḥ kṛṣṇāḥ kṛṣṇābhāḥ śvetāḥ sarve vā lekhābinducitrā mṛdavo dhmāyamānā na sphuṭanti bahuphenadhūmāś ca rūpyadhātavaḥ

Translation

Les minerais d’argent ont des couleurs de conque, de camphre, de cristal, de beurre, de pigeon, de tourterelle, d’un blanc limpide ou de cou de paon ; aussi celles de la moutarde, du gomeda, du jaggery ou de cristaux de sucre ; et celles des fleurs de kovidāra, de lotus, de pāṭalī, de pois, de lin ou de fleurs de lin. Ils peuvent contenir du plomb et une matière semblable au khôl (collyre), avoir une forte odeur et, une fois brisés, paraître blanchâtres, noirs, noirâtres-blancs ou blanchâtres-noirs ; dans tous les cas ils sont marbrés de lignes et de points, sont tendres et, soufflés/chauffés, n’éclatent pas ; ils dégagent beaucoup d’écume et de fumée — ce sont des minerais d’argent.

Word by Word

शङ्खकर्पूरस्फटिकनवनीतकपोतपारावतविमलकमयूरग्रीवावर्णाःhaving a colour like conch, camphor, crystal, fresh butter, pigeon, dove, pure (white), and peacock-neck (sheen)

सस्यकगोमेदकगुडमत्स्यण्डिकावर्णाःhaving the colour of sasyaka, gomeda (hessonite), jaggery, and matsyaṇḍikā (sugar-candy)

कोविदारपद्मपाटलीकलायक्षौमातसीपुष्पवर्णाःhaving the colour of kovidāra, lotus, pāṭalī, pea-blossom, flax/linen, and ātasi (linseed) flowers

ससीसाःlead-bearing / containing lead

साञ्जनाःhaving anjana (collyrium/black mineral)

विस्राःfoul-smelling / having a bad odour

भिन्नाःbroken / cracked / split

श्वेताभाःwhite-tinged / having a white sheen

कृष्णाःblack

कृष्णाभाःblack-tinged / having a black sheen

श्वेताःwhite

सर्वेall

वाor

लेखाबिन्दुचित्राःvariegated with streaks and dots

मृदवःsoft / malleable

ध्मायमानाwhen being blown (in the furnace, under bellows)

नnot

स्फुटन्तिthey do not crack/burst

बहुफेनधूमाःhaving much froth and smoke (on heating)

चand

रूप्यधातवःsilver-ores / silver-bearing metals

Entities Mentioned

silver ore

lead (as associated impurity/indicator)

FAQs

What does the inclusion of 'lead' suggest in administrative terms?

Officials are instructed to note associated minerals/impurities as part of grading, which affects expected yield, processing cost, and thus state pricing and extraction priorities.