Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c44.s5.4

v2.c44.s5.4

Pakśīlasvāmin Vātsyāyana of the middle of the fourth century AD wrote a commentary on the Nyāyasūtra of Gautama, the first work (c. second century AD) on Indian logic. Vātsyāyana Mallanāga, possibly a different person, who came later in the fifth century AD, referred to sixty-four fine arts (kalās) in his treatise Kāmasūtra which included rūpa-ratna-parīkṣā (testing of precious metals and stones), dhātuvāda (smelting of metals), maṇirāgakarajñānam (the technologies of gems, colouring of glass, mines, etc.) Mining and metallurgy were standard practices in the then commercial life of India.