The Examination of the Vaidurya (Cat's-Eye)

Verse 1 (garuda.1.73.1)

॥सूत उवाच ॥ वैदूर्य्यपुष्परागाणां कर्केते भीष्मके वदे ॥ परीक्षां ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्तां व्यासेन कथितां द्विजा

.sūta uvāca . vaidūryyapuṣparāgāṇāṁ karkete bhīṣmake vade . parīkṣāṁ brahmaṇā proktāṁ vyāsena kathitāṁ dvijā

Suta said: O twice-born, the examination of vaidurya and pushparaga, as declared by Brahma to Karketa and Bhishmaka, and related by Vyasa, I shall now describe.

Verse 2 (garuda.1.73.2)

कल्पान्तकालक्षुबिताम्बुराशेर्निर्ह्रादकल्पाद्दितिजस्य नादात् ॥ वैदूर्य्यमुत्पन्नमनेकवर्णं शोभाभिरामद्युतिवर्णबीजम्

kalpāntakālakṣubitāmburāśernirhrādakalpādditijasya nādāt . vaidūryyamutpannamanekavarṇaṁ śobhābhirāmadyutivarṇabījam

From that demon's roar, resembling the tumultuous roar of the ocean churned at the time of cosmic dissolution, vaidurya arose — of many colors, its very seed lovely with beauty of hue.

Verse 3 (garuda.1.73.3)

अविदूरे विदूरस्य गिरेरुत्तुङ्गरोधसः ॥ कामभूतिकसीमानमनु तस्याकरो भवेत्

avidūre vidūrasya gireruttuṅgarodhasaḥ . kāmabhūtikasīmānamanu tasyākaro bhavet

Not far from the high-banked Vidura mountain, near the boundary of Kamabhutika, lies its mine.

Verse 4 (garuda.1.73.4)

तस्य नादसमुत्थत्वादाकरः सुमहागुणः ॥ अभूदुत्तरीतो लोके लोकत्रयविभूषणः

tasya nādasamutthatvādākaraḥ sumahāguṇaḥ . abhūduttarīto loke lokatrayavibhūṣaṇaḥ

Because it arose from that demon's roar, that mine became one of very great quality, and gained renown in the world as the foremost ornament of the three worlds.

Verse 5 (garuda.1.73.5)

तस्यैव दानवपतेर्निनदानुरूपाः प्रवृट्पयोदवरदर्शित चारुरूपाः ॥ वैदूर्य्यरत्नमणयो विविधावभासस्तस्मात्स्फुलिङ्गनिवहा इव संबभूवुः

tasyaiva dānavapaterninadānurūpāḥ pravṛṭpayodavaradarśita cārurūpāḥ . vaidūryyaratnamaṇayo vividhāvabhāsastasmātsphuliṅganivahā iva saṁbabhūvuḥ

In keeping with that lord of the Danavas' roar, vaidurya gems of beauty like the fresh rain-clouds, of varied brilliance, arose from it like a mass of sparks.

Verse 6 (garuda.1.73.6)

पद्मरागमुपादाय मणिवर्णा हि ये क्षितौ ॥ सर्वांस्तान्वर्णशोभाभिर्वैदूर्य्यमनुगच्छति

padmarāgamupādāya maṇivarṇā hi ye kṣitau . sarvāṁstānvarṇaśobhābhirvaidūryyamanugacchati

Whatever gem-colors exist on earth, beginning with the padmaraga, vaidurya follows all of them in the splendor of its own color.

Verse 7 (garuda.1.73.7)

तेषां प्रधानं शिखिकण्ठनीलं यद्वा भवेद्वेणुदलप्रकाशम् ॥ चाषाग्रपक्षप्रतिमश्रियो ये न ते प्रशस्ता मणिशास्त्रविद्भिः

teṣāṁ pradhānaṁ śikhikaṇṭhanīlaṁ yadvā bhavedveṇudalaprakāśam . cāṣāgrapakṣapratimaśriyo ye na te praśastā maṇiśāstravidbhiḥ

The finest among them is that which is blue like a peacock's throat, or has the brilliance of a bamboo-leaf, or the lovely beauty like the wing-tip of a blue-jay; those lacking this beauty are not praised by the knowers of gem-science.

Verse 8 (garuda.1.73.8)

गुणवान्वैदूर्य्यमणिर्योजयति स्वामिनं परंभा (भो) ग्यैः ॥ दोषैर्युक्तो दोषैस्तस्माद्यत्नात्परीक्षेत

guṇavānvaidūryyamaṇiryojayati svāminaṁ paraṁbhā (bho) gyaiḥ . doṣairyukto doṣaistasmādyatnātparīkṣeta

An excellent vaidurya gem grants its owner great enjoyment; if afflicted with faults, it brings faults instead — therefore it should be carefully examined for defects.

Verse 9 (garuda.1.73.9)

गिरिकाचशिशुपालौ काच स्फटिकाश्च धूमनिर्भिन्नाः ॥ वैदूर्य्यमणेरेते विजातयः सन्निभाः सन्ति

girikācaśiśupālau kāca sphaṭikāśca dhūmanirbhinnāḥ . vaidūryyamaṇerete vijātayaḥ sannibhāḥ santi

Mountain-glass, the shishupala-stone, glass, and crystal marked with smoke-like streaks — these are the counterfeit varieties resembling the vaidurya gem.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.73.10)

लिख्याभावात्काचं लघुभावाच्छैसुपालकं विद्यात् ॥ गिरिकाचसदीप्तित्वात्स्फटिकं वर्णोज्ज्वलत्वेन

likhyābhāvātkācaṁ laghubhāvācchaisupālakaṁ vidyāt . girikācasadīptitvātsphaṭikaṁ varṇojjvalatvena

Glass should be recognized by the absence of scratch-marks, the shishupala-stone by its lightness, mountain-glass by its glassy sheen, and crystal by the brilliance of its color.

Verse 11 (garuda.1.73.11)

यदिन्द्रनीलस्य महागुणस्य सुवर्णसंख्याकलितस्य मूल्यम् ॥ तदेव वैदूर्य्यमणेः प्रदिष्टं पलद्वयोन्मापि तगौरवस्य

yadindranīlasya mahāguṇasya suvarṇasaṁkhyākalitasya mūlyam . tadeva vaidūryyamaṇeḥ pradiṣṭaṁ paladvayonmāpi tagauravasya

Whatever price is prescribed for an indranila of great quality, reckoned by the count of gold coins — the very same is declared for a vaidurya gem of great quality, weighing two palas.

Verse 12 (garuda.1.73.12)

जात्यस्य सर्वेऽपि मणेस्तु यादृग्विजातयः सन्ति समानवर्णाः ॥ तथापि नानाकरणानुमेयभेदप्रकारः परमः प्रदिष्टः

jātyasya sarve'pi maṇestu yādṛgvijātayaḥ santi samānavarṇāḥ . tathāpi nānākaraṇānumeyabhedaprakāraḥ paramaḥ pradiṣṭaḥ

For every genuine gem, however many counterfeit varieties of matching color there may be, nevertheless this supreme scheme of distinguishing types has been set forth solely for the identification of the various mines.

Verse 13 (garuda.1.73.13)

सुखोपलक्ष्यश्च सदा विचार्य्यो ह्ययं प्रभेदो विदुषा नरेण ॥ स्नेहप्रभेदो लघुता मृदुत्वं विजातिलिङ्गं खलु सार्वजन्यम्

sukhopalakṣyaśca sadā vicāryyo hyayaṁ prabhedo viduṣā nareṇa . snehaprabhedo laghutā mṛdutvaṁ vijātiliṅgaṁ khalu sārvajanyam

This distinction should always be easily discerned and considered by the wise; a difference in oiliness, lightness, and softness is indeed the universal mark of a counterfeit.

Verse 14 (garuda.1.73.14)

कुशलाकुशलैः प्रपूर्य्यमाणाः प्रतिबद्धाः प्रतिसत्क्रियाप्रयोगैः ॥ गुणदोषसमुद्भवं लभन्ते मणयोऽर्थोन्तरमूल्यमेव भिन्नाः

kuśalākuśalaiḥ prapūryyamāṇāḥ pratibaddhāḥ pratisatkriyāprayogaiḥ . guṇadoṣasamudbhavaṁ labhante maṇayo'rthontaramūlyameva bhinnāḥ

Gems filled in — whether skillfully or unskillfully — bound together through various restorative treatments, come to acquire, according to their induced merits and faults, a value different from their natural worth.

Verse 15 (garuda.1.73.15)

क्रमशः समतीतवर्त्तमानाः प्रतिबद्धा मणिबन्धकेन यत्नात् ॥ यदि नाम भवन्ति दोषहीना मणयः षड्गुणमाप्नुवन्ति मूल्यम्

kramaśaḥ samatītavarttamānāḥ pratibaddhā maṇibandhakena yatnāt . yadi nāma bhavanti doṣahīnā maṇayaḥ ṣaḍguṇamāpnuvanti mūlyam

If pieces bound together, in due order, past and present, are joined by the gem-setter with such skill that they appear free of faults, such gems attain six times their value.

Verse 16 (garuda.1.73.16)

आकरान्समतीतानामुदधेस्तीरसन्निधौ ॥ मूल्यमेतन्मणीनां तु न सर्वत्र महीतले

ākarānsamatītānāmudadhestīrasannidhau . mūlyametanmaṇīnāṁ tu na sarvatra mahītale

This value for gems obtained from mines near the ocean's shore is not the same everywhere on the face of the earth.

Verse 17 (garuda.1.73.17)

सुवर्णो मनुना यस्तु प्रोक्तः षोडशमाषकः ॥ तस्य सप्ततितमो भागः संज्ञारूपं करिष्यति

suvarṇo manunā yastu proktaḥ ṣoḍaśamāṣakaḥ . tasya saptatitamo bhāgaḥ saṁjñārūpaṁ kariṣyati

The suvarna, which Manu declared to be sixteen mashakas — its seventieth part shall form a smaller reference unit.

Verse 18 (garuda.1.73.18)

शाणश्चतुर्माषमानो माषकः पंचकृष्णलः ॥ पलस्य दशमो भागो धरणः परिकीर्त्तितः

śāṇaścaturmāṣamāno māṣakaḥ paṁcakṛṣṇalaḥ . palasya daśamo bhāgo dharaṇaḥ parikīrttitaḥ

A shana measures four mashakas; a mashaka equals five krishnalas (raktikas); a tenth part of a pala is called a dharana.

Verse 19 (garuda.1.73.19)

इत्थं मणिविधिः प्रोक्तो रत्नानां मूल्यनिश्चये

itthaṁ maṇividhiḥ prokto ratnānāṁ mūlyaniścaye

Thus has the rule of gems been declared, for the determination of the value of gemstones.