Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 12 Sutra 5 - Arthashastra | Chinese | Vedapath

Kautilya

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Sutra 5

Devanagari script

पीतकास्ताम्रकास्ताम्रपीतका वा भूमिप्रस्तरधातवो भिन्ना नीलराजीवन्तो मुद्गमाषकृसरवर्णा वा दधिबिन्दुपिण्डचित्रा हरिद्राहरीतकीपद्मपत्त्रशैवलयकृत्प्लीहानवद्यवर्णा भिन्नाश्चुञ्चुवालुकालेखाबिन्दुस्वस्तिकवन्तः सुगुलिका अर्चिष्मन्तस्ताप्यमाना न भिद्यन्ते बहुफेनधूमाश्च सुवर्णधातवः प्रतीवापार्थास्ताम्ररूप्यवेधनाः ॥ कZ_०२.१२.०५ ॥

Transliteration

pītakās tāmrakās tāmrapītakā vā bhūmiprastaradhātavo bhinnā nīlarājīvanto mudgamāṣakṛsaravarṇā vā dadhibindupiṇḍacitrā haridrāharītakīpadmapattraśaivalayakṛtplīhānavadyavarṇā bhinnāś cuñcuvālukālekhābindusvastikavantaḥ sugulikā arciṣmantaḥ tāpyamānā na bhidyante bahuphenadhūmāś ca suvarṇadhātavaḥ pratīvāpārthās tāmrarūpyavedhanāḥ

Translation

来自土/岩的金矿可呈黄色、铜色或铜黄；破开后可见如蓝莲般的蓝色纹理，或呈绿豆、黑豆或米粥之色；或如凝乳的滴点与团块般斑驳；或似姜黄、诃梨勒(harītakī)、莲叶、藻类、人造铜绿、脾色，或无瑕之色。破开后还可见线纹、点纹、如砂粒之颗粒，甚至有类似卍字的标记；其形如小圆丸，光泽明亮，加热不裂；并放出大量泡沫与烟。这些为金矿，适于配制合金，并能“穿刺”(检验/指示)铜与银。

Word by Word

पीतकाःyellow(-coloured)

ताम्रकाःcoppery/reddish

ताम्रपीतकाःcopper-and-yellowish (mixed hue)

वाor

भूमि-प्रस्तर-धातवःores/minerals in the ground’s rock strata

भिन्नाःbroken/split (when fractured)

नील-राजीवन्तःhaving blue streaks/marks (blue-lotus-like)

मुद्ग-माष-कृसर-वर्णाःof the colour of green gram, black gram, or gruel/rice-porridge

वाor

दधि-बिन्दु-पिण्ड-चित्राःmottled with clots/spots like curd-drops

हरिद्रा-हरीतकी-पद्म-पत्त्र-शैवलयकृत्-प्लीहानवद्य-वर्णाःhaving faultless colour like turmeric, haritaki, lotus-leaf, algae-made (greenish), or spleen (dark-reddish)

भिन्नाःwhen broken (again: on fracture)

चुञ्चु-वालुका-लेखा-बिन्दु-स्वस्तिक-वन्तःbearing lines, dots, and swastika-like marks like (bird-)beak sand-patterns

सुगुलिकाःwell-rounded; pellet-like (in lumps)

अर्चिष्मन्तःlustrous; having flame-like sheen

ताप्यमानाःwhen being heated

नnot

भिद्यन्तेthey split/break

बहु-फेन-धूमाःhaving much froth/scum and smoke

चand

सुवर्ण-धातवःgold-ores

प्रतीवापार्थाःsuitable for admixture/alloying (as an added charge)

ताम्र-रूप्य-वेधनाःable to pierce/assay copper and silver

Entities Mentioned

gold ore

copper

silver

FAQs

Why does the verse include behavior under heating (tāpyamānā na bhidyante)?

Because heat response is a practical authenticity/quality signal relevant to smelting outcomes; it reduces processing losses and guides state acceptance/rejection.