Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c40.s2.3

v2.c40.s2.3

In the Vedic literatures, the word maṇi was used in a general sense indicating anything ‘which decorates’. Quite a few materials of organic origin were known and used: ivory, conch-shell, coral, pearl, etc. In Pāṇini, we find the mentioning of several colouring agents — some organic dyes such as raucanikā, haridrā, lākṣā (known even earlier), kajjala or lamp black, etc. and some inorganic pigments such as rocanā (4.2.2) which is probably yellow arsenic sulphide, called orpiment.