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Other Members of Council besides the President, the General Secretary, the Treasurer and the Librarian.

V. H. Jackson, Esq., M.A.

The Hon'ble Sir B. K. Mullick, Kr.

G. E. Fawcus, Esq., M.A., O.B.E., C.I.E.

K. P. Jayaswal, Esq., M.A., Bar.-at-Law.

P. C. Manuk, Esq., Bar.-at-Law.

Rai Bahadur Ramgopal Singh Chaudhury.
Dr. A. Banerji-Sastri, M.A., Pb D.

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I.-Diamonds in Bihar and Orissa
By C. E. A. W. Oldham, C.S.I.

In ancient Sanskrit literature we find the origin of gems attributed to an Asura or Daitya named Bala (). Varāhamihira in his Bṛhat samhita (c. 550 A.D.) writes that some say gems originated from him, some say from Dadhichi, and others that stones assumed diverse natures owing to the qualities of the soil. His commentator Bhaṭṭotpala remarks that all kinds of gems originated from the Daitya Bala, and that owing to his bones being deposited in the earth, they became of diverse colours or kinds. The reference to his bones is explained by the story related in the Garuda Purana, where we are told of the great power of the Danava or Asura Bala,1 and how Indra and the other dev as only overcame him by a ruse, when he was sacrificed and chopped up into little pieces, all of which

1 With this story of Bala compare that of Dadhica. It is tempting to connect the name Sambalpur, one of the oldest diamond centres, with these prehistoric potentates, who probably ruled over the sites where the precious stones were found, and remembering that and are interchangeable and that the prefix sam often had merely an intensive meaning.

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turned into gems. All the gods and gandharvas, yakṣas and siddhas then fought over the gems, which, as they quarrelled, fell from heaven to the earth, some into the sea, some into rivers, other among forests and upon hills, where according to the qualities of the ground, they assumed different varieties. Marvellous powers-i.e. marvellous to the new incomers, the so-called Aryas-in the arts and in war, in religious piety and spiritual force and even in magic, are constantly attributed to asuras in the old Sanskrit literature. It is difficult to conceive how scholars should have been content so often to translate the name merely by "demon" or "evil spirit". But who was this particular Asura or descendent of Diti to whom the origin of gems was ascribed? Can we associate him with Bala or Vala, the brother of Vṛtra ? or with Sambara (or Sambala) the mighty Dasyu lord of numerous strongholds on lofty hills, who was smitten down by Indra, and to whom we find a score of references in the Ṛg Veda? Was he a very powerful sambala ruler over the southern hilly country, where precious stones were found, whose existence was legendary even 2,000 year ago? We do not know, and must leave it at that.

In the Arthasästra ascribed to Kautilya, which may date from about 300 A.D., or possibly earlier, six kinds of diamonds are mentioned, viz. (1) (Sabhārāṣṭraka, (2) Madhyamarāṣṭraka, (3) Kāśmaka (or Kantir rüşṭraka), (4) Śrī Katanaka, (5) Manimantaka and (6) Indravanaka. The commentator explains (1) as of the Vidarbha territory, (2) as of the Kosala country, (3) as of the country round Benares and (6) as of the Kalinga country; and he adds that Magadha, Kalinga, Sürpaka, Jaladayasa, Pundraka, Barbara, Tripura, the mountains such as Sahya and Vindhya, Benares, the mountains of Vidotkata and the countries of Kosala and Vidarbha are the places where diamond mines are situated. He does not identify Śrī Kaṭanaka or Manimantaka. It has been suggested that Śri Katanaka may be identified with Kataka (Cuttack); but evidently the commentator did not think so. It seems more likely that this locality must be sought for somewhere among the Vindhyas or its off

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