History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c17.s3.t3.3

v1.c17.s3.t3.3

The name *marakata* bears the imprint of *maru* (desert) and *kata* (from Pliny’s ‘Coptos’ or *saikata* meaning sea-coast or the mountain Sakketto?). In the justification of our hypothesis regarding the origin of word *marakata*, we may quote: Buddhabhatta (*Ratnaparīkṣā* 150) mentioning *marakata* mine (*ākara*) past the sea- coast (*tīradeśe*), mountain Varvara and near the desert (*maroḥ samīpe*). Agastimata (287) and *Ratnasaṃgraha* (13) provide similar topographical descriptions. The name *marakata* also resembles *marukātār* and it may not be unlikely that some emerald was marketed across the desert (*maru*) around the state of Qatar.