Garudapurana 1.73

English (machine translation) 1.73

Language: English

1.73.19 — 1 part

1.73.1

The glorious Garuḍa Mahāpurāṇa — [Chapter] 73
Sūta said:
O twice-born ones, I will speak of the examination of cat's-eye, topaz, karketana, and bhīṣmaka,
as declared by Brahmā and narrated by Vyāsa.

From the roar of the demon, which resembled the crashing of the ocean agitated at the time of cosmic dissolution,
was produced the multi-coloured cat's-eye, the source of lovely radiance, splendour, and colour.

1.73.3

Not far from Mount Vidūra, which has lofty slopes,
its mine came to be, adjoining the boundary of Kāmabhūtika.

1.73.4

Because it arose from his roar, the mine became possessed of exceedingly great virtue,
celebrated in the world and an ornament of the three worlds.

1.73.5

Corresponding to that very roar of the lord of the Dānavas, displaying charming forms like the best of monsoon clouds,
various luminous cat's-eye gemstones arose from it like swarms of sparks.

1.73.6

Beginning with the ruby, whatever colours of gems exist on earth,
the cat's-eye imitates them all with its beauties of colour.

1.73.7

The foremost among them is peacock-neck blue, or that which has the appearance of a bamboo leaf;
those having the splendour resembling the tip of a blue jay's wing are not praised by connoisseurs of gemology.

1.73.8

A virtuous cat's-eye gemstone unites its master with supreme enjoyments;
associated with defects, it brings troubles; therefore one should examine it with care.

1.73.9

Girikāca, śiśupāla, glass, and quartz streaked with smoke:
these are the false substitutes resembling the cat's-eye gemstone.

1.73.10

One should know glass by its lack of scratchability, and the śaiśupālaka by its lightness;
girikāca by its brilliance, and quartz by the brightness of its colour.

1.73.11

Whatever is the value of an excellent sapphire measured by the weight of a suvarṇa,
that very same is prescribed for a cat's-eye gemstone whose weight measures two palas.

1.73.12

Although there are false varieties of equal colour / to genuine gems of every kind, / nonetheless, an ultimate method of distinction has been declared, / to be inferred by various tests.

1.73.13

And this distinction is easily recognized and should always be examined by a wise man: / difference in luster, lightness, and softness / are indeed universal marks of a spurious kind.

1.73.14

Enhanced by skillful or unskillful hands, set, and treated by repeated refinements, / gems, though differentiated, obtain an altered value / arising from their merits and defects.

1.73.15

If, gradually passing from past to present, / gems are carefully mounted by a gem-setter / and are truly free from defects, / they attain six times their value.

1.73.16

This price applies to gems / that have left the mines and are near the seashore, / but not everywhere on the face of the earth.

1.73.17

The suvarṇa weight declared by Manu, which consists of sixteen māṣakas— / a seventieth part of that / shall constitute the standard coin unit.

1.73.18

A śāṇa measures four māṣas, a māṣaka is five kṛṣṇalas, / and a tenth part of a pala / is declared to be a dharaṇa.

1.73.19

Thus has the rule on gems been declared / for determining the value of jewels.

1.73.19.p1

Thus ends the seventy-third chapter, entitled 'Examination of Cat's-Eye', in the Ācārakāṇḍa of the first part of the first section of the glorious Garuḍa Mahāpurāṇa.

Linked texts (1)

Garuḍapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit