Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 12 Sutra 6 - Arthashastra | Chinese | 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

银矿的颜色如海螺、樟脑、水晶、黄油、鸽、斑鸠、澄白之色或孔雀颈色；亦如芥子、戈梅达(gomeda)、粗糖(jaggery)或糖晶；又如紫荆(kovidāra)、莲花、波吒梨(pāṭalī)、豌豆、亚麻布或亚麻花之色。其间或含铅与似眼药(黑色眼线粉，collyrium)之物，气味浓烈；破开后可呈泛白、黑、黑白相杂或白黑相杂；无论何种，皆带线点斑纹，质软，吹炼/加热不爆裂，并放出大量泡沫与烟——此为银矿。

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.