Two Prakrit Verses on Weighing Scales
Summary
The article examines two Prakrit verses from the Gatha-sapta-shati by Hala Satavahana and the Karpura Manjari by the Kalacuri court-poet Rijasekbara, which describe a weighing scale carried on the shoulder. The author argues that these verses refer to a specific early one-pan scale, later known as the Naraji, which was used by Kasera dealers in Chhattisgarh and adjacent tribal areas. This scale featured a beam graduated with weight marks, allowing users to weigh objects from two zolas up to five scers without using separate physical weights. The author supports this interpretation with archaeological evidence, specifically a seventh- to eighth-century A.D. iron beam excavated from the township site of Sirpur, ancient Sri-pura, the capital of the Pindava kings of Dakshina Kosala in the Raipur district of Madhya Pradesh. The excavated specimen matches the description of the scale mentioned in the verses. The article notes that the Naraji is also known among aboriginal tribes in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, and Orissa, and has been found in East Bengal, Birbhum, Dhalbhum, and Midnapore districts. The practice of weighing with this contrivance is further evidenced by a fourth-century A.D. Gandhara sculpture depicting the Sivi Jataka, where King Sivi's flesh is weighed in a one-pan scale. The author compares the Naraji to the Roman steelyard, highlighting differences in the fulcrum and the use of weights, and speculates that the antiquity of the scale might extend to pre-Christian centuries in India if a symbol on tribal coins in the Allan catalogue is indeed a steelyard. Moreshwar G. Dikshit
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Conclusion
This article demonstrates that two previously obscure Prakrit verses from the Gatha-sapta-shati and the Karpura-manjari actually describe an early Indian weighing device known as the Naraji. The author identifies this as a one-pan balance, characterized by a graduated beam, a movable fulcrum, and the absence of suspended weights. The interpretation is substantiated by the 1956 excavation of an iron beam at Sirpur, alongside ethnographic evidence from contemporary tribal communities in Central and Eastern India. Furthermore, the study traces the device's historical presence through a 4th-century Gandhara sculpture depicting King Sivi. The article also highlights the Naraji's potential antiquity, suggesting it may be symbolized on pre-Christian tribal coins, and contrasts its operational mechanics with the Roman steelyard. Ultimately, this research successfully decodes the poetic imagery, illuminating the technological history and widespread cultural significance of early Indian weighing scales.