Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study)
by A. Yamuna Devi | 2012 | 77,297 words | ISBN-13: 9788193658048
This page relates 鈥楨conomics (2): Banking鈥� of the study on the Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (in English) which represents a commentary on the Amarakosha of Amarasimha. These ancient texts belong the Kosha or 鈥渓exicography鈥� category of Sanskrit literature which deals with the analysis and meaning of technical words from a variety of subjects, such as cosmology, anatomy, medicine, hygiene. The Amarakosa itself is one of the earliest of such text, dating from the 6th century A.D., while the Amarakoshodghatana is the earliest known commentary on that work.
Economics (2): Banking
The terms enumerated in 础尘补谤补办辞艣补 regarding usury represents the early banking system that prevailed at his times.
(a) Upanidhi (II.9. 81; p. 218)鈥�
[Deposit:]
础尘补谤补办辞艣补 gives upanidhi and 苍测腻蝉补 as terms denoting a deposit. 碍峁Ｄ玶补蝉惫腻尘颈苍 adds 苍颈办峁辫补 as another synonym. He also quotes 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补蝉尘峁泃颈 (II. 65) which brings out the differences in the nature of the deposits represented by these terms. A ccording to 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补蝉尘峁泃颈, upanidhi means a deposit of a sealed object with cloth with another person without disclosing the object within.
While 苍测腻蝉补 is to proclaim the object deposited thus and 苍颈办峁辫补 is the object deposited with the skilled artisan for repair:
苍颈办峁辫辞'pi | sm膩rte tve峁Ｄ佱箖 bhedo'sti鈥�
v膩sanasthaman膩khy膩ya haste'nyasya yadarpyate |
dravyamupanidhir苍测腻蝉补岣� 辫谤补办腻艣测补 sthapitam yat |
艣ilpihaste tu 苍颈办峁辫辞 产丑腻峁囜笉补峁� sa峁僺kartumarpita峁� |
诲谤补惫测补峁� tadaupanidhika峁� pratideya峁� tathaiva tat |
(b) 笔谤补迟颈诲腻苍补尘 (II. 9. 81; p. 218)鈥�
[Return of deposit:]
碍峁Ｄ玶补蝉惫腻尘颈苍 explains 辫谤补迟颈诲腻苍补尘 as the return of the deposit to the depositor.
He also observes that some denote it as 辫补谤颈诲腻苍补尘:
tasya 苍测腻蝉补sya nik峁ptre 辫谤补迟墨辫补峁� 诲腻苍补峁� prati诲腻苍补峁� 辫补谤颈诲腻苍补尘ityeke |
(c) Arthaprayoga (II. 9. 4; p. 201)鈥�
础尘补谤补办辞艣补 gives words denoting an usury鈥�arthaprayoga, 办耻蝉墨诲补 and 惫峁沝诲丑颈箩墨惫颈办补 and from explanation of the word 惫峁沝诲丑颈箩墨惫颈办补 one can infer that interest was charged, but 碍峁Ｄ玶补蝉惫腻尘颈苍 remark鈥檚 collecting such interest was an act of contempt鈥�
惫峁沝诲丑颈峁� garhy膩峁� prayacchati v膩rdh奴峁ka岣� |
碍峁Ｄ玶补蝉惫腻尘颈苍 also adds 惫峁沝诲丑测腻箩墨惫补 and 诲惫补颈驳耻峁噄办补 to denote an usury signifying one who lives on interest.
He further mentions that the interest is 惫峁沝诲丑颈, 濒腻产丑补 or 办补濒腻苍迟补谤补鈥�
惫峁沝诲丑颈r濒腻产丑补岣� 办补濒腻苍迟补谤补m |
The rate of interest or other details are not mentioned.
础尘补谤补办辞艣补 mentions synonyms of usurer 办耻蝉墨诲颈办补, creditor鈥�耻迟迟补尘补谤峁嘺 and debtor鈥�补诲丑补尘补谤峁嘺.