Significance of Pearl as Depicted in the Indian Nītiśāstra text Mānasollāsa
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Abstract
This article aims to examine a Sanskrit literary selection related to pearl from Mānasollāsa – an Indian Nītiśāstra text ascribed to Someśvara III of Chalukya dynasty. The selection is an excerpt from the theory on the treasury management, pronouncing the significance of marine treasury with the allusion of hindu cosmology and mythology of the cosmic ocean. Interestingly, its substance can give us further insights into cultural value of pearl in Indian lapidaries : not only could it be a testimony to the fact that pearl is the most popularized gem figured in Indian literature ; but it also depicted, in the age of composition, the significance of pearl to the kingdom economics. Moreover, the present author proposed that the main theme of the description would be associated with the standardization of gemstone weights and values, which is only found in the description of testing of pearls
(Muktāparīkṣā). For the sake of academic purpose, the original text consisting of two print versions parallel and its Thai translation were provided in the article as well.
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References
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ภาคผนวก
คำอธิบายอักษรย่อ
อักษรโรมัน
cf. = confer, compare (เปรียบเทียบ)
En. = English (ภาษาอังกฤษ)
lit. = literal meaning (ความหมายตามรูปศัพท์)
ระบบการอ้างอิงวรรณคดีสันสกฤต
- มานโสลลาสะ และ อภิลษิตารถจินตามณิ ใช้ระบบ ปรกรณะ โศลก เช่น MU. 2.362 หมายถึง
มานโสลลาสะ ปรกรณะที่ 2 โศลกที่ 362
- ยุกติกัลปตรุ ใช้ระบบ หน้า : ลำดับคาถา เช่น YKT. 108:58–109:62 หมายถึง ยุกติกัลปตรุ หน้า 108 คาถาบทที่ 58 จนถึงหน้า 109 คาถาบทที่ 62
อักษรย่องานนิพนธ์สันสกฤตและแหล่งที่มา
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