Book Title: Lord Mahavira and His Times
Author(s): Kailashchandra Jain
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

Previous | Next

Page 306
________________ 288 Lord Mahāvira and His Times of domestic use comprised blades, hooks, nails, chisels, drills, axes, lamps, ladles, bowls and rings. Iron had also penetrated into the sphere of agriculture in the form of hoes, choppers, hooks and sickles. The limitless potentialities of this new metal led to the quickening and expansion of agriculture, the utilization of forest wealth and the exploitation of mineral resources. It resulted in a surplus of wealth and prosperity. In the wake of the popularity of iron, use of copper became restricted. It was now used in the production of punchmarked and cast coins and also for manufacturing antimony rods, toys, rings, and beads. INDUSTRY OF PRECIOUS METALS . Because of great general prosperity, the industry of precious metals made its mark. The gold-smiths (suvarnakāras) and maņikāras had a flourishing trade. Kumāranandi is mentioned as a rich goldsmith of Champā.? Musiyadāraya was another goldsmith (Kalāya) of Teyalipura.2 Gold was first collected in the form of an ore metal; it was then refined and afterwards used for making ornaments. Both men and women were fond of wearing ornaments. The Buddhist, Jaina and Brahmanical sources reveal that several types of ornaments for different parts of the body were made out of such metals as gold and. silver. We find allusions to Patţikā, muddikā (ring), vallika or kundala (ear-ring), Keyūra or Graiveyaka (necklace), Suvarnamālā or Kāñchanamālā (golden chain), Pāmanga (ear-drop), ovattika (bangles) Hattharana (bracelet), mekhalā (waist-band), etc.? Not only men and women but even elephants and horses were adorned with ornaments. The elephant wore neck-ornaments made of various gems and jewels and an upper garment. The horses were adorned with small mirrors (thasaga) on their waists and chowries. 4 Mayūrāngachū 1. Āva. chů, p. 397. 2. Näyā. 14. 3. Cho, V. 2. 1; Majjh, III. 243; GS. I. 232, 236; Angu, III, 16; Jā. I. 134, II. 122, 273, III. 153, 377; IV. 60, 493; V. 202. 215, 2.39, 297, 400, 433; VI. 141-15, 217, ctc. Achă, II. 2, 1, 11 (SBE, XXII, pp. 123-24); India as known to Pāṇini. 4, Pra, ?, p. 13.

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427