Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c41.s6.10

v2.c41.s6.10

This presumably refers to the ore of *vaikṛntaka* (mentioned as a metal in 2.12.23; 2.17.14 and 4.1.35), the identity of which is not known. Roy (1946:113) suggested that since magnetite is black and becomes brown on surface oxidation being changed to hematite, *vaikṛntaka* ore is magnetite. In that case *vaikṛntaka* metal must be iron itself which used to be produced by the South Indians starting from the magnetite ore. It was later known as *kāntaloha*.