Segments from 7 lines of Kabul Museum mss
The consignments from sãgaṛh m. ʻline of entrenchments, stone walls for defenceʼ (Lahnda) are identifiable from the following segments of Meluhha hieroglyph sequences: (For the identification of sãgaṛh connoting a building structure see Segment 1 rebus readings discussed below.)
Segment 1
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The hieroglyph sequence was read rebus:
moltencast copper, brass, tin (artifacts, cast metal) worked on smithy/forge; tools, pots and pans, metalware.
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Two hieroglyphs from right were read rebus: खांडा [ khḍā ] m A jag, notch Rebus: khāṇḍā ‘tools, pots and pans, metal-ware’;kōḍi corner; kōṇṭu angle, corner, crook. Nk. kōnṭa corner Rebus: kõdā ‘to turn in a lathe’ (Bengali); aḍaren, ḍaren lid, cover (Santali) Rebus: aduru ‘native metal’ (Kannada) (Note: native metal denotes unsmelted metal, such as meteoric iron).
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ḍã̄g mountain-ridge Rebus: dhangar‘blacksmith’.
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बलुतें [ balutēṃ ] n A share of the corn and garden-produce assigned for the subsistence of the twelve public servants of a village, for whom see below. 2 In some districts. A share of the dues of the hereditary officers of a village, such as पाटील, कुळकरणी &c. बलुतेदार or बलुता [ balutēdāra or balutā ] or त्या m (बलुतें &c.) A public servant of a village entitled to बलुतें.
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ḍã̄g mountain-ridge Rebus: dhangar ‘blacksmith’.
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khareḍo = a currycomb (G.)खरारा [ kharārā ] m ( H) A currycomb. 2 Currying a horse. (Marathi) Rebus:
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The second hieriglyph is comparable to this Meluhha hieroglyph. The picture is a sluice gate.
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(Note: I am unable to identify and read the related hieroglyphs in context).
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The third hieroglyph from r. in this segment may be compared with the 'trefoil' hieroglyph superfixed with a table hieroglyph.
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The consignments from sãgaṛh m. ʻline of entrenchments, stone walls for defenceʼ (Lahnda) are identifiable from the following segments of Meluhha hieroglyph sequences: (For the identification of sãgaṛh connoting a building structure see Segment 1 rebus readings discussed below.)
Segment 1
The hieroglyph sequence was read rebus: moltencast copper, brass, tin (artifacts, cast metal) worked on smithy/forge; tools, pots and pans, metalware.
खांडा [ khāṇḍā ] m A jag, notch Rebus: khāṇḍā ‘tools, pots and pans, metal-ware’; eraka 'nave of wheel' Rebus: eraka 'copper molten cast'. arā 'Spokes (of wheel)' Rebus: āra 'brass'; ranku 'liquid measure' Rebus: ranku 'tin';. kolmo 'seedling' Rebus: kolimi 'smithy, forge' dula 'pair' Rebus: dul 'cast metal'; baṭi 'broad-mouthed, rimless metal vessel'; rebus: baṭi 'smelting furnace'; khāṇḍā Rebus: khāṇḍā ‘tools, pots and pans, metal-ware’; sangaḍa’frame of a building’ sãgaṛh m. ʻline of entrenchments, stone walls for defence ʼ (Lahnda) Rebus: jangaḍ ‘entrustment articles'.
Segment 2
Two hieroglyphs from right were read rebus: खांडा [ khḍā ] m A jag, notch Rebus: khāṇḍā ‘tools, pots and pans, metal-ware’;kōḍi corner; kōṇṭu angle, corner, crook. Nk. kōnṭa corner Rebus: kõdā ‘to turn in a lathe’ (Bengali); aḍaren, ḍaren lid, cover (Santali) Rebus: aduru ‘native metal’ (Kannada) (Note: native metal denotes unsmelted metal, such as meteoric iron).Segment 3
ḍã̄g mountain-ridge Rebus: dhangar‘blacksmith’.Or. gaṛhibā ʻto mould, buildʼ, gaṛhaṇa ʻbuildingʼ; ghaṭ ‘mould, form’ (CDIAL 4407). Pk. khaḍḍā-- f. ʻhole, mine, caveʼ(CDIAL 3970).
ḍã̄g mountain-ridge Rebus: dhangar ‘blacksmith’.
Ta. kaṇ eye, aperture, orifice, star of a peacock's tail. (DEDR 1159a) Rebus:Ta. kaṉ copper work, copper, workmanship; kaṉṉāṉ brazier. Ma. kannān id. (DEDR 1402).
bhaṭa ‘warrior’ Rebus: bhaṭa‘furnace’. Alternative: meḍ ‘body ' (Mu.) Rebus: meḍ ‘iron’ (Ho.)
kanka ‘rim (of jar, kaṇḍ)’ (Santali) kárṇa— m. ‘ear, handle of a vessel’ RV., Glyph: kaṇḍ kanka, kaṇḍ karṇaka ‘rim of jar’ (Santali. Sanskrit). Rebus: furnace account (scribe). khanaka m. one who digs , digger , excavator Rebus: karṇaka ‘scribe, accountant’.
Segment 4
बलुतें [ balutēṃ ] n A share of the corn and garden-produce assigned for the subsistence of the twelve public servants of a village, for whom see below. 2 In some districts. A share of the dues of the hereditary officers of a village, such as पाटील, कुळकरणी &c. बलुतेदार or बलुता [ balutēdāra or balutā ] or त्या m (बलुतें &c.) A public servant of a village entitled to बलुतें. ayo ‘fish’ Rebus: ayo‘metal, alloy’;kōlān, kōli needle-fish (Ma.)(DEDR 2241). kole.l ‘smithy, temple’ (Ko.) kol ‘working in iron, blacksmith (Ta.)(DEDR 2133)
Two linear (curved?) strokes may be phonetic determinant: dula ‘pair’ Rebus: dul ‘cast metal’.
Rebus: Ta. kol working in iron, blacksmith; kollaṉ blacksmith. Ma. kollan blacksmith, artificer. Ka. kolime, kolume, kulame, kulime, kulume, kulme fire-pit, furnace; (Bell.; U.P.U.) konimi blacksmith (Gowda) kolla id. Koḍ. kollë blacksmith. Te. kolimi furnace. Go. (SR.) kollusānā to mend implements; (Ph.) kolstānā, kulsānā to forge; (Tr.) kōlstānā to repair (of ploughshares); (SR.) kolmi smithy (Voc. 948). Kuwi (F.) kolhali to forge. (DEDR 2133).
Rebus: kol metal (Ta.) kol = pañcalōkam (five metals) (Tamil) kol = pañcalōkam (five metals); kol metal (Tamil) pañcalōha= a metallic alloy containing five metals: copper, brass, tin, lead and iron (Skt.); an alternative list of five metals: gold, silver, copper, tin (lead), and iron (dha_tu; Nānārtharatnākara. 82; Man:garāja’s Nighaṇṭu. 498)(Ka.) kol, kolhe, ‘the koles, an aboriginal tribe if iron smelters speaking a language akin to that of Santals’ (Santali)
Segment 5
Comparable hieroglyph duplication on a circular Ur seal18 9902 BM 123059.
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Twins, two men stand side-by-side. dula‘pair’ Rebus: dul‘cast (metal) meḍ‘body’ Rebus: meḍ‘iron’. Thus, the twin hieroglyph denotes cast iron.
ranku ‘liquid measure’ Rebus: ranku‘tin’.
kanka ‘rim (of jar, kaṇḍ)’ (Santali) kárṇa— m. ‘ear, handle of a vessel’ RV., Glyph: kaṇḍ kanka, kaṇḍ karṇaka ‘rim of jar’ (Santali. Sanskrit). Rebus: furnace account (scribe). khanaka m. one who digs , digger , excavator Rebus: karṇaka ‘scribe, accountant’.
Segment 6
ḍã̄g mountain-ridge Rebus: dhangar ‘blacksmith’.aḍaren, ḍaren lid, cover (Santali) Rebus: aduru ‘native metal’ (Kannada) (Note: native metal denotes unsmelted metal, such as meteoric iron).
kanka ‘rim (of jar, kaṇḍ)’ (Santali) kárṇa— m. ‘ear, handle of a vessel’ RV., Glyph: kaṇḍ kanka, kaṇḍ karṇaka ‘rim of jar’ (Santali. Sanskrit). Rebus: furnace account (scribe). khanaka m. one who digs , digger , excavator Rebus: karṇaka ‘scribe, accountant’.
Segment 7 (Hieroglyph third from right is illegible)
khareḍo = a currycomb (G.)खरारा [ kharārā ] m ( H) A currycomb. 2 Currying a horse. (Marathi) Rebus: eraka 'nave of wheel' Rebus: eraka 'copper molten cast'. arā 'Spokes (of wheel)' Rebus: āra 'brass'.
Segment 8
Readings r. to l.:ayo sāṇḍa aDara ayo
Meluhha translation: metal (ayo) alloy collection (sāṇṭhaṇēṃ) native (aduru) metal alloys (ayo)
Hieroglyphs from r. to l. The first hieroglyph is illegible, may be ayo 'fish' rebus: ayo 'metal (alloy)'.
The second hieriglyph is comparable to this Meluhha hieroglyph. The picture is a sluice gate.Alternative: koḍa ‘sluice’; Rebus: koḍ ‘artisan’s workshop (Kuwi)
सांड [ sāṇḍa ] f (षद S) An outlet for superfluous water (as through a dam or mound); a sluice, a floodvent. सांडावा [ sāṇḍāvā ] m (Or सांडवा ) A vent (as through a dam or mound); a watergate or sluice.सांडवा [ sāṇḍavā ] m (सांडणें ) A sluice, watergate, floodgate; a vent (as through a dam or mound): also a built-up channel or passage of masonry for flowing water generally. साटा or ट्या [ sāṭā or ṭyā ] m A frame &c. See साठा or ठ्या . सांठवणी [ sāṇṭhavaṇī ] n (सांठ & पाणी ) Water collected (in a cistern, tank, pond, or other reservoir); also accumulated in a pool, puddle, or any hollow. Allographs: सांड [ sāṇḍa ] m (षंड S) A bull set at liberty. Hence (such bulls soon becoming fat and lusty) सांडणी [ sāṇḍaṇī ] f (
(Note: I am unable to identify and read the related hieroglyphs in context).सांठा [ sāṇṭhā ] m (संचय S) A collection, heap, hoard, store, stock.साटें [ sāṭēṃ ] n (संचय S) A whole investment; the total quantity of merchandise (brought to market by one merchant): also buying up the whole of an investment &c. सांठणें [ sāṇṭhaṇēṃ ] v i (संचय , or स Together, अट To go.) To accumulate or collect; to get together in mass or in quantity. 2 To be contained in; to enter into the capacity or hold of.
<aDara>(L) {N} ``^scales of a fish, sharp bark of a tree’’.#10171. So<aDara>(L) {N} ``^scales of a fish, sharp bark of a tree’’. Rebus: Aduru = gaṇiyinda tegadu karagade iruva, that is = ore taken from the mine and not subjected to melting in a furnace (Kannada. Siddhānti Subrahmaṇya’ Śastri’s new interpretation of the Amarakośa, Bangalore, Vicaradarpana Press, 1872, p.330); adar = fine sand (Ta.); ayir – iron dust, any ore (Ma.) Kur. Adar broken grains, etc. Malt. adru broken grain (DEDR 134).
<ayu?>(A) {N} ``^fish’’. #1370. <yO>\\<AyO>(L) {N} ``^fish’’. #3612. <kukkulEyO>,,<kukkuli-yO>(LMD) {N} ``prawn’’. !Serango dialect. #32612. <sArjAjyO>,,<sArjAj>(D) {N} ``prawn’’. #32622. <magur-yO>(ZL) {N} ``a kind of ^fish’’. *Or.<>. #32632. <ur+Gol-Da-yO>(LL) {N} ``a kind of ^fish’’. #32642.<bal.bal-yO>(DL) {N} ``smoked fish’’. #15163 (Munda etyma). Rebus: ayo 'metal (alloy)' (Gujarati)
Segment 9 in three subsets: dul aḍaren| aDara ayo| potR kāṇḍā|
dula'pair' rebus: dul'cast metal'
aḍaren, ḍaren lid, cover (Santali) Rebus: aduru ‘native metal’ (Kannada) (Note: native metal denotes unsmelted metal, such as meteoric iron).
aDara 'scale of fish' ayo 'fish' Rebus: aduru 'native metal' ayo 'metal (alloy)
potR'trefoil' Rebus: pot 'polishing stone'; kanḍo stool, seat Rebus: kāṇḍā ‘metalware, tools, pots and pans’(Marathi).
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The third hieroglyph from r. in this segment may be compared with the 'trefoil' hieroglyph superfixed with a table hieroglyph.The substantive plain text may be a combinatin of words: pot + tri
The shawl is potti. potti, pottika n. Same as. Doll's clothes, a gaudy dress for an idol or for a little girl. (Telugu) S.potīf. ʻ shawl ʼ Pk.potta-- ,°taga-- ,°tia-- n. ʻ cotton cloth ʼ,pottī-- ,°tiā-- ,°tullayā-- ,puttī-- f. ʻ piece of cloth, man's dhotī, woman's sāṛī ʼ,pottia-- ʻ wearing clothes ʼ (CDIAL 8400) pōtramu ‘ a cloth’ (Telugu) போத்து² pōttu , n. < பொத்து. 1. Hole, hollow (Tamil)
trika, a group of three (Skt.)
The occurrence of a three-fold depiction on a trefoil may thus be a phonetic determinant, a suffix to potṛ as in potṛka.
Rebus: Bi. pot ʻ jeweller's polishing stone ʼ (CDIAL 8403). [The ‘dotted circle’ may denote a polished bead; hence, Pk. pottī -- f. ʻglass ʼ (CDIAL 8403).]
The superfix of a 'table' to the hireoglyph may be read as: Kur. kaṇḍō a stool. Malt. kanḍo stool, seat. (DEDR 1179) Rebus: kaṇḍ = a furnace, altar (Santali) Alternative: kāṇḍā ‘metalware, tools, pots and pans’(Marathi).
Segment 10 Plain text in three subsets: eraka arā| kharārā | potR kanḍo|
Translation: copper molten cast brass hard alloy, polishing stone, metalware tools pot and pans
eraka'nave of wheel' Rebus: eraka'copper molten cast'. arā 'Spokes (of wheel)' Rebus: āra 'brass'.
khareḍo = a currycomb (G.) खरारा [ kharārā ] m ( H) A currycomb. 2 Currying a horse. (Marathi) Rebus:
potR'trefoil' Rebus: pot'polishing stone'; kanḍo stool, seat. Rebus:kāṇḍā ‘metalware, tools, pots and pans’(Marathi).
S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
March 13, 2014