Daniel F. Salas
There is a continuous tradition of a standardized Karshapana-based weight system from the Indus Valley civilization to the Maurya empire. On Maurya coinage, the elephant and humped bull are associated with the Indus elephant copper plates and Humped bull copper plates of the Indus Valley civilization. The Mauryan Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power on the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha. The Mauryan Empire coinage spread from Pakistan down to southern India where Indus glyphs are found on later Tamil coinage below Samgha the word on coinage. The Mauryan Empire weight system employed a Karshapana = 32 ratti = 32 x .107 = 3.424. The Karshapana is the middle cubical Indus weight (below). This Karshapana is found within five of the nine copper Indus Valley seals and most Mauryan Empire coinage was 3.424 grams. The Mauryan Empire was founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existed in a loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. Throughout the period of the empire, Brahmanism was an important religion. The Mauryans favored Brahmanism as well as Jainism and Buddhism. Minor religious sects such as Ajivikas also received patronage. A number of Hindu texts were written during the Mauryan period.
A Satamana is .107 grams x 100 and was used as a standard weight of the silver coins of Gandhara. between 600–200 BCE., the rest of the Indian currency weights like Karshapanas were also based on the weight of ratti. Ratti-based measurement is the oldest measurement system in the Indian subcontinent, it was highly favored because of the uniformity of its weights. The smallest weight in the Indus Valley civilization, historically called the Masha, was equal to 8 rattis. The Indus weights were the multiples of Masha .856 grams a Karshapana was four Masha as .856 x 4 = 3.424.
A group of nine Indus Valley copper plates (c. 2600–2000 BC), discovered from private collections in Pakistan, appear to be of an important type not previously described. The plates are significantly larger and more robust than those comprising the corpus of known copper plates or tablets, and most significantly differ in being inscribed with mirrored characters. One of the plates bears 34 characters, which is the longest known single Indus script inscription. Examination of the plates with x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrophotometry indicates metal compositions, including arsenical copper, consistent with Indus Valley technology. Microscopy of the metal surface and internal structure reveals detail such as pitting, microcrystalline structure, and corrosion, consistent with ancient cast copper artifacts. Given the relative fineness of the engraving, it is hypothesized that the copper plates were not used as seals but have characteristics consistent with use in copper plate printing. As such, it is possible that these copper plates are by far the earliest known printing devices, being at least 4000 years old.
The association with the Indus Karshapana and the Mauryan Empire coinage starts with the elephant of the nine Indus Valley copper plates weight below as 37.664 grams 11 x 3.424 = 37.664, the Humped bull is 109.568 grams that is .107 ratti x 32 = 3.424 a Karsha 3.424 x 32 = 109.568 grams, the sitting man’s plate weight is 136.96 grams that are 40 x 3.424 = 136.96. Where the Elephant is the lowest weight 37.664 grams of the nine seals the highest weight was the sitting man 136.96 grams, based on these nine seals the Indus system is a Karshapana system, and there are 29 Karshapanas from the lowest weight to the highest elephant to the sitting man plate 136.96 – 37.664 =99.296 / 29 = 3.424. There are 21 Karshapanas from the elephant to the Humped Bull 109.568 – 37.664 = 71.904, 71.904 / 3.424 = 21, and there are 8 Karshapanas from the Humped Bull to the sitting man 136.96 – 109.568 = 27.392 / 3.424 and 29 Karshapanas from the Elephant to the sitting man.
SILVER Karshapana Mauryan Empire 3.424 grams
Mauryan Empire Copper 1/4 Karshapana (185-75 BC) VG-Fine Mauryan Empire
Ratti (Sanskrit: raktika) is a traditional Indian unit of measurement for mass. Based on the nominal weight of a Gunja seed (Abrus precatorius), it measured approximately 1.8 or 1.75 grains or 0.107 grams as standardized weight. It is still used by the jewellers in the Indian Subcontinent. Karshapana or Karsha the name of Ratti seed the weight in karsha / ratti seeds, 32-ratti Karshapana = 32 ratti = 32 x .107 = 3.424. I use the .107 due to the 107 grams plate.
Between the two Indus copper plates above there are 3.424 grams, a Karshapana, the glyphs from both seals are combined in the Mauryan Empire into one glyph (the five-railed glyph and the fish with two lines glyph).
weight is 103.576 grams and the other 107 grams (107 – 103.576 = 3.424) and 103.576 + 3.424 x 3 = 10.272 = 113.848 the rhino plate. The seal at 107 grams as a whole number taken from the lowest weight .856 / 8 = .107 = Ratti seed that is .107 x 1000 = 107. The seal (right side) of 103.576 grams has the five-railed glyph and the 107 grams seal with the associated two fish on Mauryan Empire coinage and the fish with two lines for the Indus seals.
Above the plate of 107 grams is below a chisel with double the weight of 107 x 2 = 214 a whole number, from the chisel to the Axe is 1926 / 214= 9 and 1926 – 214 = 1712 and 1712 / 3.424 = 500.
Below is the Dholavira signpost of the Indus Valley in blue. The most significant discoveries at Dholavira were made in one of the side rooms of the northern gateway of the city which is generally known as the Dholavira Signboard. The Harappans had arranged and set pieces of the mineral gypsum to form ten large symbols or letters on a big wooden board. At some point, the board fell flat on its face. The wood decayed, but the arrangement of the letters survived. The letters on the signboard are comparable to the large bricks that were used in nearby walls. Each sign is about 37 cm (15 in) high and the board on which letters were inscribed was about 3 m (9.8 ft) long. The inscription is one of the longest in the Indus script, with one of the symbols appearing four times, and this and its large size and public nature make it a key piece of evidence cited by scholars arguing that the Indus script represents full literacy. A four-sign inscription with large letters on sandstone is also found at this site, considered the first such inscription on sandstone at any of Harappan sites.
The mineral gypsum was ammonite Sanskrit svarnabha.
The above glyphs weigh 1926 grams which are 9 x 214, below the right chisel has 9 marks with the half circle, this was a broken artifact probably weight 1926 grams.
Above there are four examples of the Indus Valley use of the mound glyph or half circle on metal, the middle examples of the Mauryan mound glyph, and the bottom example of six mounds in the middle of the coin.
Above the two swastika and sauwastika, both directions are found on Mauryan Empire coinage. Above the Indus seal, when pressed into clay it becomes a mirror image, opposite of the direction above. The first is night, then day, night, day and night, altogether two and a half days or three nights “Triratra”. The word swastika comes from Sanskrit: स्वस्तिक, romanized: svastika, meaning “conducive to well-being”. In Hinduism, the right-facing symbol (卐) is called swastika, symbolizing Surya (“sun”), prosperity, and good luck, while the left-facing symbol (卍) is called sauwastika, symbolizing night or tantric aspects of Kali. In Jainism, a swastika is a symbol for Suparshvanatha – the seventh of 24 Tirthankaras (spiritual teachers and saviors), while in Buddhism it symbolizes the auspicious footprints of the Buddha.
4 dhans = 1 rati
Dhanus (धनुस्) refers to a weapon (“bow”). It is a Sanskrit word defined in the Dhanurveda-saṃhitā, which contains a list of no less than 117 weapons. The Dhanurveda-saṃhitā is said to have been composed by the sage Vasiṣṭha, who in turn transmitted it through a tradition of sages, which can eventually be traced to Śiva and Brahmā.
Each mint of the Mauryan Empire had its own punch-marked stamp with varying glyphs, each mint had its own percentage of silver to copper ratio. The first Mauryan stamped coin below with a high copper content has a bow and arrow, the same as the Indus bow and arrow, the Indus has a bow and arrow with and without a man after the bow is a wheel like the Indus wheel, the Indus had six spokes and the Mauryan wheel below on coinage varied in its stokes, the last one is a combination of two fish and a circle. The spokes are arAH for the letter A, the Indus eight spokes aSTAra and having spokes is sara.
Below the first two examples of a mint coin with the bow, wheel, and two fish with a circle or five railing glyphs are similar to the two examples below of a different mint with the bow in a square but the same arrangement, this looks like the arrangement is meant not random.
Below the bow in a square grade D and B and a circle.
4 Dhan = 1 Ratti (Ratti is the seed of the ‘Abrus precatorius‘ It is a red seed with a black spot at one end. Abul Fazl refers to it as ‘Surkh’ in Ain-i-Akbari.).
8 Ratti = 1 Masha
During the pre-Akbar period, weights and measurement systems varied from region to region, commodity to commodity, and rural to urban areas. The weights were based on the weight of various seeds (especially the wheat berry and Ratti) and lengths were based on the length of arms and width of fingers.
Above Danda the staff uses the same glyph as Dhanva a bow, same bend in the elbow. The staff and bow in the Mauryan glyphs do not have the bowman.
A, B, and D grades or denominations
Below Tamil coinage with an elephant on one side and a bow on the other, links the Mauryan Empires’ control of southern India. Below the Greek elephant coinage has A, B, and D grades or denominations that are taken from the Indus Valley. The grade D for the Greeks was delta the triangle, the triangle in the Bhramin script is the vowel E. The B grade letter is a Greek variant B the Elephaant hook, while the other Indian coins use the bow for D and the square letter B.
Above coin wieght is 11.41 grams.
Greek γράμμα (grámma), “letter”
“One twenty-fourth part of an ounce” (two oboli), corresponding to about 1.14 modern grams.
Above the Indus square with five lines making 12 small squares. Below the Bhrami script square letter B.
Elephant with elephant hook as letter B, 8.21 grams probable started at 8.56 a Masha x 10.
The above coin elephant and the humped bull is from Apollodotus I (180-160 BC)
1.4 grams the bull has the Letter D and the elephant has the letter K.
3.424 / 2 = 1.712 grams
There are 21 Karshapanas from the elephant to the Humped Bull 109.568 – 37.664 = 71.904, 71.904 / 3.424 = 21
The above coin has a hook with or on top of the square. Below the square with plant and man with staff B and D grade.
Ratti based measurement is the oldest measurement system in the Indian subcontinent, it was highly favored because of the uniformity of its weights. The smallest weight in the Indus Valley civilization, historically called the masha, was equal to 8 rattis. The Indus weights were the multiples of masha .856 grams a Karshapana was four Masha as .856 x 4 = 3.424. Below is the Ujjain coinage with the square and a Masha.
322–298 BCE Chandragupta sign is the sun with a moon in the center as Candra moon and Gupta is hiding or eclipsing from Graha.
• 298–272 BCE Bindusara the dog usually found with something in its mouth, Sara is a dog.
Ashoka for the letter A grade the square with a plant for B.
• 268–232 BCE Ashoka
• 195–187 BCE Shatadhanvan
Shatadhanva means A hundred archers the dress on the archer is a Sata.
zatapAd (%{zata4-}) mf(%{adI})n. having a hundred feet RV. Shad2vBr. La1t2y. MaitrS. (accord.to Padap. %{-pa4d}) ; having a hundred wheels MW. ; m. a centipede , Tulus Sus3r. ; (%{adI}) f. id ib. Car. Katha1s. [1049,3] ;
zatapAdaka m. a centipede Sus3r. ; (%{ikA}) f. id. L.; a kind of medicinal plant L.
zatapAdI f. a centipede L. ; a kind of plant (= %{sita-kaTabhI}) L.
zatApadI f. (m. c. for %{zata-p-}) a centipede Car.A Satamana is .107 grams x 100 and was used as a standard weight of silver coins of Gandhar between 600–200 BCE., the rest of the Indian currency weights like Karshapana were also based on the weight of ratti. A shatamana (lit. 100 units) weight system has been first mentioned in Satapatha Brahmana which is equal to 100 krishnalas, each krishnala being equal to one ratti. The weight of the ancient Indian silver Karshapana and satamana coin.
Since the Satamana is a ratti based weight, the centipede may be for Shatadhanvan or Satamana or both.
A shatamana (lit. 100 units) weight system has been first mentioned in Satapatha Brahmana which is equal to 100 krishnalas, each krishnala being equal to one ratti. The weight of the ancient Indian silver Karshapana and satamana coin is given below.
1 Satamana = 100 Rattis / 11 grams of pure silver or 10.7 grams
The Indus Valley weights used in commerce were standardized into a system that employed the use of a gram, which is used today. The modern gram, originally defined as of 1795 as “the absolute weight of a volume of pure water equal to the cube of the hundredth part of a meter [1 cm3], and at the temperature of melting ice”, the defining temperature (~0 °C) was later changed to 4 °C, the temperature of maximum density of water. Greek γράμμα (grámma), “letter”—had adopted a specialized meaning in Late Antiquity of “one twenty-fourth part of an ounce” (two oboli), corresponding to about 1.14 modern grams.
The Indus cubical system employed .856 grams as its smallest unit. Below that weight, it was divided by eight. Above .856 grams are multiples of seven 7 x .856 = 5.992 which becomes very close to the whole number 6. The use of a gram can only be seen as 6 grams and multiples of it, and at 107 grams as the whole number taken from the lowest weight .856 / 8 = .107, that is .107 x 1000.
Below the right-side seal of 107 grams with the Indus script sign for the constellation Taurus the red “rakta” eyed अक्षन् “Akshan” as aksa is a dice or cube. Above the example of 107 grams is a chisel of double the weight of 107 x 2 grams with the Taurus sign. My guess here is the chisel was used for harvesting the root of this plant, here the weight and plants are signified by the Taurus glyph.
. On the left side above is the same glyph with a weight of 113.848.
113.848 – 107 = 6.848
6.848 / .856 = 8
6.848 / 3.424 a Karsha = 2
Greek γράμμα (grámma), “letter”
“One twenty-fourth part of an ounce” (two oboli), corresponding to about 1.14 modern grams.
Coinage found in southern India bears a striking similarity to Indus Valley Script. The word Sangam found on a coin is a Sanskrit loan word, its meaning is gathering. This word “is not” found in any of the Sangam literature. The Sangam period has three parts only the last can be found. The Sangam period or age (Tamil: சங்ககாலம், caṅkakālam ), or the third Sangam period, is the period of the history of spanning from c. 6th century BCE to c. 3rd century CE. It was named after the famous Sangam academies of poets and scholars centered in the city of Madurai. The Sangam literature is the historic evidence of indigenous literary developments in South India in parallel to Sanskrit, and the classical status of the Tamil language. While there is no evidence for the first and second mythical Sangams, the surviving literature attests to a group of scholars centered around the ancient Madurai (Maturai) that shaped the “literary, academic, cultural and linguistic life of ancient Tamil Nadu”, states Zvelebil. The two fish are a part of the right side of the seal below.
Varuna and Mitra are the gods of societal affairs including the oath and are often twinned Mitra-Varuna. Both Mitra and Varuna are classified as Asuras in the Rigveda (e.g., RV 5.63.3), although they are also addressed as Devas as well (e.g., RV 7.60.12). Varuna, being the king of the Asuras, was adopted or made the change to a Deva after the structuring of the primordial cosmos, imposed by Indra after he defeats Vrtra. Varuna is the Lord of the day and Mitra is the lord of the night.
In Vajasaneyi Samhita 21.40 (Yajurveda), Varuna is called the patron deity of physicians, one who has “a hundred, a thousand remedies”.
maitrAvaruNa mf(%{I4})n. descended or derived from Mitra and Varun2a , belonging to them AV. TS. VS. Br. ; relating to the priest called Maitra1varun2a Pan5cavBr. ;
In the Panchakarma, the first two divisions of five are an emetic, the night, for Varuna, a purge for the day, (Above) Mitra is Standing Mitra as Purisha samgrahaniya (fecal astringents) Mitra is usually seen in a sitting position (Below).
maitra mf(%{I}) n. (fr. %{mitra}, of, which it is also the Vr2iddhi form in comp.) coming from or given by or belonging to a friend, friendly, amiable, benevolent, affectionate, kind Mn. MBh. &c.; evacuation of excrement (presided over by Mitra; %{maitraM} 1. %{kR}, to void excrement) Mn. iv, 152.
mUtrazakRt n. sg. du. pl. urine and excrement Mn. vi, 76; xi, 154 (cf. g. %{gavA7zvA7di}) ; %{-So7ccAra} and %{-So7sarga} m. voiding urine and excrement Cat.
In the Panchakarma, the first two divisions of five are an emetic, the night, for Varuna, a purge for the day, Mitra. Standing Mitra as Purisha samgrahaniya (fecal astringents)
The seal above Is an example of a UbhayabhAga having a part in both (night and day); %{-hara} mfn. taking two shares or parts; applicable to two purposes; (%{am}) n. a medicine that acts in two ways (as an emetic and a purge).
In the Panchakarma, the first two divisions of five are an emetic, the night, for Varuna, a purge for the day, Mitra. Standing Mitra as Purisha samgrahaniya (fecal astringents)
Above the fish glyph and the crocodile image are shown to be related, while the fish glyph is part of the script, meaning graha; crocodile.
I found the samgraha with the standing (shown above left) Mitra as Purisha samgrahaniya, fecal astringents (sitting Mitra shown right side above). The sitting Mitra; mutra samgrahaniya (anti-diuretic), mutra virajaniya(urinary depigmenter), and mutra virechaniya(diuretic).
mutra samgrahaniya (anti-diuretic) In both mitras below are sitting with their penis exposed.
Mitra
friend of all creatures
Above the Varuna seal is the night “emitic” he holds the tigers by the neck.
E·met·ic /əˈmedik/ adjective 1.(of a substance) causing vomiting.
noun 1.a medicine or other substance which causes vomiting.
The fish is graha and two fish are samgraha as in samgrahaniya.
grAha. Pa1n2. 3-1 , 143) mf(%{I})n. ifc. seizing , holding , catching , receiving Ya1jn5. ii , 51 R. iv , 41 , 38 crocodile
Indus valley three-part glyph.
Sam – graha the two lines are Sam and the fish is graha.
sama 2 mf(%{A4})n. (prob. originally identical with prec. ; cf. %{samAna}) even, smooth, flat, plain, level, parallel (%{karNa-s-} “‘, on a level with the ear “‘ ; %{bhUmi-} or %{bhUmeH@samaM-kR} “‘, to make a level with the earth “‘) RV. &c. &c. ; same, equal, similar, like, equivalent, like to or identical or homogeneous with (instr. e.g. %{mayA@sama} “‘, like to me; or gen., rarely abl.), like in or with regard to anything (instr. gen. loc., or %{-tas} , or comp.; %{samaM-kR}, ” to make equal, balance “‘) ib.; always the same, constant, unchanged, fair, impartial towards (loc. or gen.) ib. ; even (not” odd “‘), a pair VarBr2S. ; having the right measure, regular, normal, right, straight (%{samaM-kR} “‘ , to put right or in order “‘) AitBr. &c.&c. ; equable, neutral, indifferent VarBr2S.; equally distant from extremes, ordinary, common, middling Mn. MBh. &c. ; just, upright, good, straight, honest ib.; easy, convenient Pan5cat. ; full, complete, whole, entire L.; m. peace (perhaps w.r. for %{zama}) R. Ka1m. ; the point of intersection of the horizon and the meridian line Gol. ; N. of partic. zodiacal signs (esp. Vr2isha, Karkat2a, Kanya1 , Vr2is3cika , Makara , and Mina) MW. ; a kind of straight line placed over a numerical figure to mark the process of extracting the square root ib. ; (in music) a kind of time Sam2gi1t. ; ; (in rhet.) a partic. figure, the sameness of objects compared; (in geom.) a mean proportional segment (described as a fourth proportional to the two perpendiculars and the link or segment , and used for solving problems in a trapezium) Col. ; = %{samA} f. a year (see %{pApa-s-} , %{puNya-s-} , and %{su-Sama}) ; (%{sama4m}) ind. in like manner , alike , equally , similarly RV. &c. &c. ; together with or at the same time with or in accordance with (instr. or comp.) S3Br. Mn. MBh. &c. ; just , exactly , precisely Mn. VarBr2S. BhP. ; honestly , fairly R. [Cf. Gk. $ , $ , $ ; &348455[1152 ,1] Lat. {similis} ; Germ. {same} , {-sam} ; Eng. {same}.]
graha (Pa1n2. 3-3 , 58 ; g. %{vRSA7di}) mfn. ifc. (iii , 2 , 9 Va1rtt. 1) seizing, laying hold of, holding BhP. iii , 15 , 35 (cf. %{aGkuza-} , %{dhanur-} , &c.) ; obtaining , v , vii ; perceiving , recognising , iv , 7 , 31 ; m. `” seizer (eclipser) “‘, Ra1hu or the dragon’s head MBh. &c. ; a planet (as seizing or influencing the destinies of men in a supernatural manner; sometimes 5 are enumerated, viz. Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn MBh. vi, 4566 f. R. I, 19, 2 Ragh. iii, 13 &c. ; also 7 i.e. the preceding with Ra1hu and Ketu MBh. vii , 5636 ; also 9 i.e. the sun [cf. S3Br. iv, 6, 5, 1, and 5 MBh. xiii, 913; xiv, 1175] and moon with the 7 preceding Ya1jn5. I, 295 MBh. iv, 48 VarBr2S.; also the polar star is called a Graha, Garg. (Jyot. 5 Sch.) ; the planets are either auspicious %{zubha-}, %{sad-}, or inauspicious %{krUra-}, %{pApa-} VarBr2S.; with Jainas they constitute one of the 5 classes of the Jyotishkas); the place of a planet in the fixed zodiac W.; the number `” nine “‘; it falls within the province of medical science to expel these demons; those who esp. seize children and cause convulsions &c. are divided into 9 classes according to the number of planets Sus3r.) MBh. &c. ; ; a crocodile MBh. xvi , 142 (ifc. f. %{A}) R. iv f. BhP. viii; any ladle or vessel employed for taking up a portion of fluid (esp. of Soma) out of a larger vessel Mn. v, 116 Ya1jn5. i, 182; N. of the 8 organs of perception (viz. the 5 organs of sense with Manas, the hands, and the voice) S3Br. xiv Nr2isUp. i , 4 , 3 , 22 ; (= %{gRha}) a house R. vii , 40 , 30 (cf. %{a-} , %{khara-} , %{-druma} and %{-pati}) ; a crocodile MBh. xvi , 142 (ifc. f. %{A}) R. iv f. BhP. viii ;
