Iron in Ancient India c4.11

c4.11

But it is undoubted that 'ayas' in by far the largest number of passages in the Rigveda means "iron" and not "gold." In Rig. VI, 47, 10 and VI, 3, 5 occurs the passage 'ayasho na dhārām'³ which is explained by Shāyana as 'shower of iron swords or javelins.' In Rig. VII, 95, 1⁴ occurs the passage 'āyashī pūh' or 'iron city,' which, though not to be taken literally, means a safe place, and shows that the ancient Aryans were perfectly familiar with the strength and hardness of iron. The same words 'iron city' occur in another passage, Rig. VII, 15, 14.⁵ The picture of 'iron melter or blacksmith melting iron in his forge' is given in Rig. IV, 2, 17 and Rig. VI, 3, 4.⁶ We find in Rig. VI, 75, 15 that arrows were tipped with iron.¹ Hardness of iron is again referred to in Rig. I, 163, 9 where we read the description of a horse " with golden manes and iron feet and fast as mind²." From the passages quoted above it is evident that the use of iron and of iron weapons was well known in the Rigveda.