Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c39.s2.8

v2.c39.s2.8

The previous passage in Chā. Up. (6.1.5) mentions that by knowing a copper bead or lohamaṇi all things made of copper or loha (red metal) are known. Another interesting passage in Chā. Up. (4.17.7) provides interesting lessons in metallurgy: ‘One would join gold with the help of borax (lavaṇa), silver with the help of gold, tin (trapu) with the help of silver, lead (sīsā) with the help of tin, copper (loha) with the help of lead and timber with copper or leather’. Here the word loha has been misconstrued as iron by several scholars. Loha, lohāyas or lohitāyas is clearly copper, the red metal (Ś.Brā., 5.4.1.1, and 2, 13.2.2.18; Mait. Saṃ, 2.11.5, 4.4.4; Kā. Saṃ, 18.10).