Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c43.s3.t3.20

v2.c43.s3.t3.20

Thus we cannot agree with Finot that vaidūrya is cat’s eye and lahśuniyā or laśunaka its synonym. As a matter of fact, Alfred Master (quoted by Sarma, 1984: 67) has proved on the basis of a number of Pāli, Prākrt and Sanskrit passages that vaidūrya has the clear sense of beryl (‘Indo-Aryan and Dravidian’ by Master, In Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Vol. XI, 1943-46, pp. 297-307). Occasional identifications of vaidūrya with cat’s eye (such as in Maṇimālā, 226, 228) have been erroneous and unfortunate.