Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c39.s5.10

v2.c39.s5.10

Ś. Brā., 5.5.5.16 subtly explains the function of śatamāna : ‘with gold they do nothing, and yet it is an object of respect. Sāyaṇa explains that gold was not used for actual consumption, but only indirectly as a medium of exchange (Sacred Books of the East, volume 41, reprint 1963, p. 141). In the same passage, Ś. Bra. refers to triṇi śatamānāni hiraṇyāni dakṣiṇā — an offering of three golden śatamānas. These pieces were circular in shape pravṛttau, (Ś. Brā., 5.4.3.24 and 26).