Significance of Gold
Synonyms: Precious metal, Yellow metal, Treasure, Wealth
In Dutch: Goud; In French: Or; In Finnish: Kulta; In German: Gold; In Spanish: Oro; In Swedish: Guld; In Malay: Emas
The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.
Buddhist concept of 'Gold'
In Buddhism, Gold symbolizes valuable yet non-consumable assets crucial for acquiring other goods, represents the enduring nature of true understanding, and reflects the profit-driven motives of renowned doctors over genuine healing.
From: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra
(1) A metaphor for the preciousness and permanence of true understanding.[1] (2) A metaphor in the text to indicate something valuable that is not directly consumable but pivotal for obtaining other goods.[2]
From: Vinaya Pitaka (3): Khandhaka
(1) The payment received by the world-famed doctors, implying they were more interested in profit than healing.[3]
Hindu concept of 'Gold'
In Hinduism, Gold symbolizes purity, wealth, and divine blessings, associated with auspiciousness and often tied to moral lessons, rituals, and celestial influences, representing both material abundance and spiritual values.
From: Ramayana of Valmiki (Griffith)
(1) The character was adorned with a vast collection of valuable items, demonstrating his immense prosperity and opulence.[4] (2) Golden is used to describe the boon and the sheath of the sword given to Rama.[5] (3) Gold is a material used to make a chariot and is a symbol of wealth and royalty.[6] (4) A form of wealth, representing prosperity, that was possessed by the people and used in exchange for labor.[7] (5) The text indicates that the individual grasped his sword with gold, which is a valuable material that may have been used to adorn or construct the weapon.[8]
From: Mahabharata (English)
(1) Symbolizes temptation and wealth, which often leads to moral and ethical downfall, as seen in the king's actions.[9] (2) A highly valued substance believed to be the offspring of Agni and linked to various rituals and offerings.[10]
From: Garuda Purana
(1) A valuable metal symbolizing prosperity, often sought after from the divine.[11] (2) A precious metal that is often gifted, symbolizing wealth and purity in Hindu traditions.[12]
From: Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 4: Iatrochemistry
(1) An expensive metal that is historically used in medicine, part of the mixture described.[13] (2) A precious metal used as an ingredient in the formulation.[14] (3) A valuable metal that is added to shambhu prasada rasa to enhance its potency.[15] (4) A metal that is one of the components to be mixed with the powdered solidified compound.[16]
From: Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 1: Initiation, Mercury and Laboratory
(1) A metal included in various processes for its advantageous properties in medicine.[17]
From: Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 3: Metals, Gems and other substances
(1) A precious metal that serves as the standard for the process of purification and incineration demonstrated in the text.[18]
From: Garga Samhita (English)
(1) A valuable metal that the person gives in charity, representing wealth and generosity.[19] (2) A precious metal known for its value and beauty, highlighted in the description of the ground.[20] (3) A precious metal referred to in the text as suvarna, used symbolically and materially as a form of wealth.[21]
From: Chaitanya Bhagavata
(1) A precious metal that was given by the Lord to His mother in the amount of twenty grams.[22]
From: Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu
(1) The second degree of hardness, representing value and resilience.[23]
From: Hayanaratna: The Jewel of Annual Astrology
(1) Gold is mentioned in the text as an indicator of wealth, and is associated with specific planetary alignments, and is a favorable outcome when associated with the munthaha, the ascendant, and the year.[24] (2) A precious metal that represents wealth, associated with the period when Venus is at its full strength, indicating a period of prosperity and material abundance.[25] (3) This is the substance assigned to Mercury, describing the planetary associations.[26] (4) This signifies a precious metal often associated with wealth, and is influenced by Jupiter, which can affect financial gain and material possessions.[27]
From: Satapatha-brahmana
(1) A material considered pure and divine, used in purification processes during rituals.[28] (2) A valuable form resulting from Indra鈥檚 seed, symbolizing purity and wealth in the context of divine vitality.[29]
From: Sankhayana-grihya-sutra
(1) A precious metal often associated with wealth and purity, sometimes used in religious contexts.[30]
From: Chandogya Upanishad (english Translation)
(1) Represents the ultimate reality or truth, symbolizing permanence and substance amidst the changes.[31]
From: Vakyapadiya of Bhartrihari
(1) A single substance that remains unchanged despite having different temporary forms.[32]
Jain concept of 'Gold'
In Jainism, Gold symbolizes richness and purity, reflecting the revered qualities of mountain chains. It also denotes material wealth through jewelry and represents divinity and radiance, particularly associated with the form of Mahakali.
From: Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra
(1) Kanaya (kanaka), indicates the material gold, commonly used in jewelry.[33] (2) A descriptor suggesting divinity and radiance, associated with the form of Mahakali.[34] (3) Describing the color and perhaps the symbolic value of the mountain-range; it could imply richness, purity, or something revered in the context of this mythical landscape.[35]
From: Tattvartha Sutra (with commentary)
(1) The first color associated with the mountain chains, represented as hema.[36]
The concept of Gold in local and regional sources
Gold symbolizes transformation, deceit, wealth, and value in various contexts. It embodies potential and false hopes, serves as a metaphor for aspiration, and underscores wealth's significance in the narrative surrounding characters and their choices.
From: Folklore of the Santal Parganas
(1) The precious metal that the stones turned into, signifying good fortune and help from a higher power.[37]
From: Bhaktavijaya: Stories of Indian Saints
(1) A representation of wealth and value, central to the dialogue as Ramdas brings it to the scale for assessment.[38]
From: History of Science in South Asia
(1) The ultimate form to which copper transforms when a drop of semen is held within the body.[39]
From: The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
(1) This refers to a material the writer mentions, expressing indifference towards it in favor of something better, but acknowledging its potential use.[40]
From: Village Folk-tales of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), vol. 1-3
(1) The precious metal that the cow is expected to drop, symbolizing wealth.[41] (2) A promised reward by the Jackal to the tom-tom beaters which symbolizes deceit and the false hopes that lead to their disappointment.[42]