Early silver coins of ancient India, 6th cent. BCE, signify Indus Script Hypertexts of dhā̆vaḍ 'smelter' and wealth accounting metalwork ledgers (original) (raw)

This monograph demonstrates the Indus Script hypertexts on early punch-marked coins with some unique hieroglyph compositions related to metalwork wealth accounting. Punch-marked coin symbols. Map of coin hoard finds. धातु (Rigveda) dhāu (Prakrtam) 'a strand' rebus: dhāū, dhāv 'red stone minerals'. element, mineral ore; PLUS vrtta, vaṭṭa 'circle'. Ta. vaṭam cable, large rope, cord, bowstring, strands of a garland, chains of a necklace; vaṭi rope; vaṭṭi (-pp-, -tt-) to tie. Ma. vaṭam rope, a rope of cowhide (in plough), dancing rope, thick rope for dragging timber. Ka. vaṭa, vaṭara, vaṭi string, rope, tie. Te. vaṭi rope, cord. Go. (Mu.) vaṭiya strong rope made of paddy straw (Voc. 3150). Cf. 3184 Ta. tār̤vaṭam. / Cf. Skt. vaṭa- string, rope, tie; vaṭāraka-, vaṭākara-, varāṭaka- cord, string; Turner, CDIAL, no. 11212. (DEDR 5220) vaṭa2 ʻ string ʼ lex. [Prob. ← Drav. Tam. vaṭam, Kan. vaṭi, vaṭara, &c. DED 4268]N. bariyo ʻ cord, rope ʼ; Bi. barah ʻ rope working irrigation lever ʼ, barhā ʻ thick well -- rope ʼ, Mth. barahā ʻ rope ʼ.(CDIAL 11212) dhāī 'wisp of fibre' PLUS vaṭa, vaṭara, vaṭi string, rope, tie. Thus, it is possible that the trefoil as a hieroglyph-multiplex was signified in parole by the expression dhā̆vaḍ 'strands' rebus: dhā̆vaḍ 'smelter'. 1/8 Satamana. Gandhara Janapada. This image clearly demonstrates six strands --dhā̆vaḍ 'strands' rebus: dhā̆vaḍ 'smelter'. -- and relate the work of a smelter to a dotted circle which is dāya 'throw of one in dice' rebus: dhāi 'mineral ore'. https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces62989.html A "bent bar" shatamana from the Kuru and Panchala janapada, c.500-350 BCE Source: http://www.vcoins.com/ancient/saylesandlavender/store/viewitem.asp?idProduct=5939 Two coins are shown below: 1. The first Indian coins of Apollodotus used Indian symbols. These coins associated the elephant with the Buddhist Chaitya or arched-hill symbol, sun symbols, six-armed symbol, and a river. The bull had a Nandipada in front. The symbol at the top of the bull is only a mint mark. These symbols disappeared soon after, and only the elephant and the bull remained. 2. Taxila coin The coin on l. shows the 'nandipada' glyph in front of a zebu, bos indicus. I suggest that this 'nandipada' is a variant of the hypertext shown on a Taxila coin shown juxtaposed. The coin on r. Triratna symbol on a Taxila coin, 185-168 BCE (detail). This so-called tri-ratna symbol also appears on Sanchi Torana next to the architect's statue. This torana sculptural frieze clearly demonstrates the hieroglyph components of the hypertext called 'triratna'. This is neither tri-ratna nor a nandipada but a composite expression in Meluhha to signify dula 'pair' rebus: dul 'metal casting' + ayo 'fish' rebus: aya 'iron' ayas 'alloy metal' + khambhaṛā 'fish-fin rebus: kammaṭa 'mint, coiner, coinage'.: dul ayo kammaṭa 'alloy metal casting mint' PLUS dala 'leaf petal' rebus: ḍhālako = a large metal ingot PLUS karã̄ n.' pl.wristlets, bangles' Rebus: khār 'blacksmith, iron worker'. Thus, the hypertexts of Taxila coin and also the hypertext on coin of Apollodotus signify a Meluhha expression: khār 'blacksmith' PLUS (working on) dul ayo kammaṭa ḍhālako 'alloy metal casting mint and ingots'. This hypertext gets repeated on the punch-marked coins together with the 'arrow' hieroglyph which signifies: kaṇḍa 'arrow' rebus: khaṇḍa 'equipment'. This variant expression including fish-fin tied together is clearly demonstrated in the 2nd century BCE dharmacakra of Amaravati. On this sculptural frieze of the wheel, the circumference of the spoked wheel is decorated with the 'fish-fin' hypertexts,together with the 'tri-ratna' orthographic variants. Emanating from the dotted circle in the middle are three strands ending with 1. Taxila coin hypertext; and 2. arrowheads. The rebus readings in Meluhha are: khār dul ayo kammaṭa ḍhālako AND khaṇḍa 'equipment', together with the dotted circle hypertext which signifies: dhā̆vaḍ 'smelter'. Thus, the entire composition on the vajra with ṣaṭkoṇa 'six spokes' is a metalwork catalogue, wealth accounting ledger. The first Indian coins of Apollodotus used Indian symbols. These coins associated the elephant with the Buddhist Chaitya or arched-hill symbol, sun symbols, six-armed symbol, and a river. The bull had a Nandipada in front. The symbol at the top of the bull is only a mint mark. These symbols disappeared soon after, and only the elephant and the bull remained. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-Mauryan\_coinage\_of\_Gandhara Shatamanas double-sigloi, bent bars and fractions from Gandhara.Together, the expression signified by 1) a dotted circle or 2) six circles with six strand is dhā̆vaḍ 'iron-smelter'