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Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c43.s3.t5: Topaz (8) Puṣparāga or Puṣyarāga

Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c43.s3.t5

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Topaz (8) Puṣparāga or Puṣyarāga

v2.c43.s3.t5.1

Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra (2.11.30) mentioned puṣyarāga as a gem, yellow like turmeric. Buddhabhaṭṭa mentioned the same name adding that the gem came from the Himālayas. Navaratnaparīkṣā described the gem (NRP, 159):

v2.c43.s3.t5.2

ईषत् पीतम् पविच्छायम् स्वच्छं कान्त्या मनोहरम्
पुष्यरागम् इति ख्यातम् रत्नम् रत्नपरीक्षकैः।।
īṣat pitam pavicchāyam svaccham kāntyā manoharam
puṣyarāgam iti khyātam ratnam ratnaparīkskaiḥ ||

v2.c43.s3.t5.3

faintly yellow, bright lustre, transparent, excellent appearance.

v2.c43.s3.t5.4

Manimālā quoted passages in which the gem is called puṣparāga and compared with śanapuspa or śana flower (MM, 392-94; see also ARP, 87). Br. Saṃ. (80.5) and GP (1.74.1) also used the name puṣparāga. The latter text namely GP also preferred to categorise a large number of yellowish gems, such as those from the ruby-sapphire family, under the category of puṣparāga or topaz. Evidently this is not scientific.

v2.c43.s3.t5.5

Pure topaz (hardness eight) is colourless [Al(F,OH)]₂ SiO₄, which could acquire many colours such as blue, red, yellow, etc. Ferrous oxide, lime, alkali, water etc. contribute to the colours. In the Indian context, we are concerned with saffron-yellow ‘Indian topaz’ which came from Sri Lanka and possibly from the Himālayas as well.

v2.c43.s3.t5.6

Topaz was found in the former times in Abyssinia and in the same district of Egypt in which emerald occurred, and it is likely that the two minerals were imported together to India. The stone was called in Hebrew pittdoh, which was possibly derived from the Sanskrit pīta or yellow. The modern name ‘topaz’ was derived from the Greek topazion which meant ‘to seek’. An island in the Red Sea, usually covered by mist, was named Topazion and the yellow mineral found in this island was also given the same name. Pliny confused the nomenclature by calling this not-so-hard yellow mineral (actually peridot) as ‘topazion’ and labelling the actual hard topaz found in Abyssinia and Egypt as chrysolite. Topaz or puṣparāga was known in the Muslim period as pokhrāj. Yellow corundum and yellow quartz were recognised (through their different values of hardness) as ‘false topaz’.

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