Mirror: http://tinyurl.com/pz24oqu
I suggest --based on the rebus-metonymy-layered (mlecchita vikalpa) Indus cipher readings of hieroglyphs--, that the sandakada pahana'entrance stepstones' of Anuradhapura (from ca. 3rd cent. BCE) are offerings made by guilds of metalcaster artisans to temples.
This is evidence of metalcaster guilds at work in the Anuradhapura region on the banks of Mahaweli river ca. 3rd cent. BCE. It is a challenge in archaeometallurgy to trace the Maritime Tin Road links from Hanoi, Vietnam to Haifa, Israel --across the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, Ancient Near East and Eurasia, the Levant -- making available copper and tin to foster the Bronze Age revolution which started ca. 5th millennium BCE and flourished on over 2600 sites of Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization.
![Lankarama Dagoba, ruined temple in Anuradhapura, Ceylon 1908 - 1909]()
Lankarama, dhatugabha (dagoba), Photo: 1905. http://lankapura.com/2009/05/lankarama-dagoba-ruined-temple-in-anuradhapura-ceylon-1908-1909/
![quartz moonstone]()
Quarts moonstone. Thanthirimale Archaeology reserve, Sri Lanka
![Photograph - Anuradhapura- Newly discovered Pavilion (No. 197). Janitor at head of steps 1 foot 2 inches wide and 2 feet 5 inches high.; Moonstone at foot of steps of a pavilion at Anuradhapura]()
Discovered in 1870. Anuradhapura Pavilion (No. 179). Janitor at head of steps 1 foot 2 in. wide and 2 feet 5 in. high; moonstone at foot of steps of a pavilion. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O146539/anuradhapura-newly-discovered-pavilion-no-photograph-lawton-joseph/
![SAMSUNG DIGITAL CAMERA]()
sandakada pahana at the entrance of the Seema Malaka temple, a structure on Beira Lake, Sri Lanka.
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sandakada pahana. Anuradhapura.
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sandakada pahana. Samangala, Ampara, Sri Lanka
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A sandakada pahana of the ancient Anuradhapura kingdom of Sri Lanka. "A half lotus was carved in the centre, which was enclosed by several concentric bands. The first band from the half lotus is decorated with a procession of swans, followed by a band with an intricate foliage design known as liyavel. The third band has carvings of four animals; elephants, lions, horses, and bulls. These four animals follow each other in a procession..."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandakada_pahana [Note: liya ʻcreeperʼ(Sinhala); latā1 f. ʻ creeper ʼ Mn.Pali (CDIAL 10928).]
According to Senarath Paranavitana, the sandakada pahana symbolises the cycle of Saṃsāra. The liyavel symbolise worldly desires (Taṇhā) and the lotus depicts the final achievement of Nirvana. (Diganwela, T. (1998). කලා ඉතිහාසය (History of Art) (in Sinhala). Wasana Publishers, p.12). The ancient chronicle Mahavamsa and Pali literature such as the Samantapasadika refer to the sandakada pahana as patika. The outermost band is interpreted as signifying flames of a fire-altar.
sandakada pahana literally means 'union stone', i.e. a stone offering put together by the guild of artisans. It is often interpreted in popular etyma as a moonstone because of the circular shape.
Who are the members of the guild who made this stone offering?
![]()
The artisans are gaṇa,'guild'. gaṇá m. ʻ troop, flock ʼ RV. [Poss. (despite doubts in EWA i 316) < *gr̥ṇa -- ʻ telling ʼ (cf. *gr̥nti -- and esp. gaṇáyati ʻ tells one's number (of troop of flock) ʼ Kāś. -- √g&rcirclemacr; 3 ] Pa. Pk. gaṇa -- m. ʻ troop, flock ʼ; Tor. (Biddulph) gan m. ʻ herd ʼ; K. gan m. ʻ beehive ʼ = mã̄cha -- gan m.; WPah. bhal. gaṇ m. pl. ʻ bees ʼ; Si. gaṇaya ʻ company ʼ (CDIAL 3988)
Normally depicted as dwarfs who are the retinue of Kubera and also Siva and Ganapati. They are hieroglyph: kharvá (RV. ákharva -- ) ʻ mutilated, imperfect ʼ TS., ʻ dwarfish ʼ lex., khárvaka -- AV., khalvāṭa -- ʻ bald ʼ Bhartr̥. [ʻ Defective ʼ word, cf. *karva -- beside Av. kaurva -- ʻ bald ʼ (ʻshortʼ H. W. Bailey BSOS vi 598 ff.), Pers. karve ʻ decayed teeth ʼ ← Sogd. krw -- W. B. Henning BSOS x 96. EWA i 304 rejects non -- IE. origin, but if they are connected with kárvati, khárvati, gárvati ʻ is haughty ʼ Dhātup., there is the characteristic interchange of initial in such words.] Pk. khavva -- ʻ hunchbacked, dwarfish ʼ, m. ʻ left hand ʼ, khava -- m.; Kt. kawə ʻ left -- hand ʼ, Kal. urt. khāvi, Kho. koh, Sh. gil. khăbŭ, gur. khā, f. khaī, koh. khăbīnṷ (X dákṣiṇa -- ); S. khaḇo, L. khabbā, (Ju.) khaḇḇā, P. khabbā → H. -- Ext. with -- la -- : Ash. kawál ʻ left -- hand ʼ, Kal. khāˊulī; -- with -- ṭa -- : Wg. kawṛīˊ, Bashg. kō̃war, Paš. xōṛi f., Shum. xauṛi f., Kal. rumb. khäˊuŕi, K. khōworu ; S. khāḇaṛu ʻ left -- handed ʼ (< *khārvaṭa -- ?); <-> with -- āṭa -- (cf. khalvāṭa -- ): Or. khabāḍibā ʻ to do a thing clumsily ʼ; -- with -- ra -- : Or. khabirā ʻ limping ʼ. -- Kaf. forms with k -- listed above perh. < *karva -- . -- Si. kurā ʻ dwarf ʼ Geiger ES 26, poss. < *kharuva -- .A. khābṭā ʻ dwarfish ʼ (CDIAL 3832)
Rebus: karuvā ʻ artist ʼ(Sinhala): kharva'one of the nine nidhis or navanidhi of Kubera'. kārú -- , °uka -- m. ʻ artisan ʼ Mn. [√kr̥ 1 ] Pa. kāru -- , °uka -- m., Pk. kāru -- m.; A. B. kāru ʻ artist ʼ; Or. kāru ʻ artisan, servant ʼ, kāruā ʻ expert, deft ʼ; G. kāru m. ʻ artisan ʼ; Si. karuvā ʻ artist ʼ (CDIAL 3066)
The hieroglyphs in the Indus Script tradition engraved on such stones provide the clue. Metalworker artisan guilds made this stone offering as a stepping stone at the entrance of the temple, sacred place of worship. The artisan union or guild is composed of:
![Bar-headed Goose - St James's Park, London - Nov 2006.jpg]()
Anser indicus or bar-headed goose is one of the world's highest-flying birds, flies across Himalayas at over 27,000 ft.and migrates across Tibet, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia before crossing the Himalaya to enter India and Sri Lanka.
1.Hieroglyph: anser indicus: कारंडव [ kāraṇḍava ] m S A drake or sort of duck.कारंडवी f S The female. (Marathi) kāraṇḍava m. ʻ a kind of duck ʼ MBh. [Cf. kāraṇḍa- m. ʻ id. ʼ R., karēṭu -- m. ʻ Numidian crane ʼ lex.: see karaṭa -- 1 ] Pa. kāraṇḍava -- m. ʻ a kind of duck ʼ; Pk. kāraṁḍa -- , °ḍaga -- , °ḍava -- m. ʻ a partic. kind of bird ʼ; S. kānero m. ʻ a partic. kind of water bird ʼ < *kāreno.(CDIAL 3059) S. karaṛa -- ḍhī˜gu m. ʻ a very large aquatic bird ʼ; L. karṛā m., °ṛī f. ʻ the common teal ʼ.(CDIAL 2787)
Rebus: करडा (p. 137) [ karaḍā ] Hard from alloy--iron, silver &c (Marathi)
Rebus 2: karaṇḍi'fire-god' (Remo)
2. Hieroglyph: elephant: kara'trunk of elephant'; ibha'elephant' (karabha 'elephant'(CDIAL 2797)
Rebus: karba 'iron'; ajirda karba'very hard iron' (Tulu) [ajirda cognate ayas'metal'; ayiri 'iron']
3. Hieroglyph 1: humped bull, zebu: poLa'bull dedicated to the gods'; Hieroglyph 2: bull, ox: barad, barat'bull'
Rebus 1: poL 'magnetite iron ore'
Rebus 2: भरत (p. 603) [ bharata ] n A factitious metal compounded of copper, pewter, tin &c (Marathi)
4. Hieroglyph: lion: arya 'lion'
Rebus: arya 'noble person' ara 'brass' [It is possible that the artist was signifying a tiger: kola'tiger' Rebus: kol'working in iron'; kolle 'blacksmith'; kolimi 'smithy, forge'; kole.l 'smithy, temple' -- glosses of Indian sprachbund (speech union)]
5. Hieroglyph: wild ass: khara 'wild ass'
Rebus: khAr 'blacksmith'
Thus, all hieroglyphs point to metalworkers, metalcasters, blacksmith in particular: working in iron, alloys such as bharata, brass.
sandakada is derived fromPali saṁdhāya'on account of'; sandhāna 'union'; sandahati 'puts together': saṁdhāya (absol. ʻ having fixed on ʼ) ʻ with reference to ʼ BHSk. [√dhā ] Pa. sandhāya ʻ with reference to ʼ; -- Si. san̆dahā, san̆dā postp. ʻ on account of ʼ (EGS 173) prob. ← Pa.(CDIAL 12911) saṁdhāˊna n. ʻ joint, union ʼ TS., ʻ mixing (a drink) ʼ ŚārṅgS., ʻ sour rice gruel ʼ lex., ʻ bell -- metal ʼ MW., °nī -- f. ʻ foundry ʼ lex. [√dhā ]*; Pa. sandhāna -- n. ʻ union, fetter ʼ (CDIAL 12909) sáṁdadhāti ʻ places on, combines ʼ RV., inf. saṁdhitum Ep. [Semant. cf. saṁdhāˊ -- f. ʻ union ʼ AV. ~ ʻ mixture of a beverage ʼ lex. -- √dhā ] Pa. sandahati ʻ puts together ʼ, sandahana -- n. ʻ applying (arrow to bowstring) ʼ; Pk. saṁdhāi, saṁdhēi, saṁdhaï ʻ joins ʼ, pp. saṁdhia -- , saṁdhaṇa -- n.; K. sanun ʻ to mingle, penetrate ʼ; S. sandhaṇu ʻ to pickle ʼ, L. sãdhaṇ; WPah.bhal. sannṇū ʻ to knead flour ʼ, rudh. sannnā; Ku. sānṇo ʻ to mix with ingredients, immerse in spices, make a sauce of, pickle ʼ; N. sã̄dhnu, sã̄dnu ʻ to pickle ʼ; A. xāniba ʻ to mix, knead, plaster ʼ; Or. sāndhibā, sāndibā, (Sambhalpur) sānibā ʻ to mix up, knead ʼ; Bhoj. sānal ʻ to mix ʼ; OAw. sāṁdhaï ʻ aims, fixes, prepares pickles ʼ, lakh. sānab ʻ to mix ʼ; H. sānnā ʻ to mix, knead ʼ; OMarw. sāṁdhaï ʻ aims ʼ; G. sã̄dhvũ ʻ to unite, attach ʼ; M. sã̄dhṇẽ, sã̄dṇẽ ʻ to join (tr.), be joined, come together ʼ. -- Si. hananavā, an° ʻ to mix, knead (dough or clay) ʼ prob. (and other forms with -- an(n) -- or -- ān -- poss.) < sáṁnayati which appears to have collided with sáṁdadhāti. (CDIAL 12898)
pahana is derived from Pali pāsāṇa,'stone': pāṣāṇá ʻ stone ʼ ṢaḍvBr. 2. pāṣāṇī -- f. ʻ small stone used as a weight ʼ lex. [Cf.pāṣī -- . Early occurrence of -- h -- in Pk. and thence in NIA. (though in S. P. Si. -- ṣ<-> regularly > -- h -- ) is unexplained. Poss. connexion with *pāhāḍa -- ]1. Pa. pāsāṇa -- , °aka -- m. ʻ stone, rock ʼ, Pk. pāsāṇa -- , pāhā̆ṇa -- m.; S. pahaṇu m. ʻ stone ʼ, °ṇī f. ʻ pebble ʼ; P. pāhaṇ m. ʻ stone ʼ, Mth. pāhan, OAw.pāhana m., H. pāhā̆n m., OG. pāhaṇiiṁ inst. sg. m., G. pāṇ, pahāṇɔ, pāṇɔ m., Si. pahaṇa, pāṇa. -- X śāna -- .2. B. pāṣāṇ ʻ the excess of weight in one scale which disturbs the equipoise ʼ.S.kcch. pāyaṇ, pāyṇo, pāṇo m. ʻ stone ʼ.(CDIAL 8138)
S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
July 12, 2015
I suggest --based on the rebus-metonymy-layered (mlecchita vikalpa) Indus cipher readings of hieroglyphs--, that the sandakada pahana'entrance stepstones' of Anuradhapura (from ca. 3rd cent. BCE) are offerings made by guilds of metalcaster artisans to temples.
This is evidence of metalcaster guilds at work in the Anuradhapura region on the banks of Mahaweli river ca. 3rd cent. BCE. It is a challenge in archaeometallurgy to trace the Maritime Tin Road links from Hanoi, Vietnam to Haifa, Israel --across the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, Ancient Near East and Eurasia, the Levant -- making available copper and tin to foster the Bronze Age revolution which started ca. 5th millennium BCE and flourished on over 2600 sites of Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization.
Lankarama, dhatugabha (dagoba), Photo: 1905. http://lankapura.com/2009/05/lankarama-dagoba-ruined-temple-in-anuradhapura-ceylon-1908-1909/
Quarts moonstone. Thanthirimale Archaeology reserve, Sri Lanka
Discovered in 1870. Anuradhapura Pavilion (No. 179). Janitor at head of steps 1 foot 2 in. wide and 2 feet 5 in. high; moonstone at foot of steps of a pavilion. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O146539/anuradhapura-newly-discovered-pavilion-no-photograph-lawton-joseph/
sandakada pahana at the entrance of the Seema Malaka temple, a structure on Beira Lake, Sri Lanka.
sandakada pahana. Anuradhapura.
sandakada pahana. Samangala, Ampara, Sri Lanka
A sandakada pahana of the ancient Anuradhapura kingdom of Sri Lanka. "A half lotus was carved in the centre, which was enclosed by several concentric bands. The first band from the half lotus is decorated with a procession of swans, followed by a band with an intricate foliage design known as liyavel. The third band has carvings of four animals; elephants, lions, horses, and bulls. These four animals follow each other in a procession..."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandakada_pahana [Note: liya ʻcreeperʼ(Sinhala); latā
According to Senarath Paranavitana, the sandakada pahana symbolises the cycle of Saṃsāra. The liyavel symbolise worldly desires (Taṇhā) and the lotus depicts the final achievement of Nirvana. (Diganwela, T. (1998). කලා ඉතිහාසය (History of Art) (in Sinhala). Wasana Publishers, p.12). The ancient chronicle Mahavamsa and Pali literature such as the Samantapasadika refer to the sandakada pahana as patika. The outermost band is interpreted as signifying flames of a fire-altar.
sandakada pahana literally means 'union stone', i.e. a stone offering put together by the guild of artisans. It is often interpreted in popular etyma as a moonstone because of the circular shape.
Who are the members of the guild who made this stone offering?
The artisans are gaṇa,'guild'. gaṇá m. ʻ troop, flock ʼ RV. [Poss. (despite doubts in EWA i 316) < *gr̥ṇa -- ʻ telling ʼ (cf. *
Normally depicted as dwarfs who are the retinue of Kubera and also Siva and Ganapati. They are hieroglyph: kharvá (RV. ákharva -- ) ʻ mutilated, imperfect ʼ TS., ʻ dwarfish ʼ lex., khárvaka -- AV., khalvāṭa -- ʻ bald ʼ Bhartr̥. [ʻ Defective ʼ word, cf. *
Rebus: karuvā ʻ artist ʼ(Sinhala): kharva'one of the nine nidhis or navanidhi of Kubera'. kārú -- , °uka -- m. ʻ artisan ʼ Mn. [√
The hieroglyphs in the Indus Script tradition engraved on such stones provide the clue. Metalworker artisan guilds made this stone offering as a stepping stone at the entrance of the temple, sacred place of worship. The artisan union or guild is composed of:
Anser indicus or bar-headed goose is one of the world's highest-flying birds, flies across Himalayas at over 27,000 ft.and migrates across Tibet, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia before crossing the Himalaya to enter India and Sri Lanka.1.Hieroglyph: anser indicus: कारंडव [ kāraṇḍava ] m S A drake or sort of duck.
Rebus: करडा (p. 137) [ karaḍā ] Hard from alloy--iron, silver &c (Marathi)
Rebus 2: karaṇḍi'fire-god' (Remo)
2. Hieroglyph: elephant: kara'trunk of elephant'; ibha'elephant' (karabha 'elephant'(CDIAL 2797)
Rebus: karba 'iron'; ajirda karba'very hard iron' (Tulu) [ajirda cognate ayas'metal'; ayiri 'iron']
3. Hieroglyph 1: humped bull, zebu: poLa'bull dedicated to the gods'; Hieroglyph 2: bull, ox: barad, barat'bull'
Rebus 1: poL 'magnetite iron ore'
Rebus 2: भरत (p. 603) [ bharata ] n A factitious metal compounded of copper, pewter, tin &c (Marathi)
4. Hieroglyph: lion: arya 'lion'
Rebus: arya 'noble person' ara 'brass' [It is possible that the artist was signifying a tiger: kola'tiger' Rebus: kol'working in iron'; kolle 'blacksmith'; kolimi 'smithy, forge'; kole.l 'smithy, temple' -- glosses of Indian sprachbund (speech union)]
5. Hieroglyph: wild ass: khara 'wild ass'
Rebus: khAr 'blacksmith'
Thus, all hieroglyphs point to metalworkers, metalcasters, blacksmith in particular: working in iron, alloys such as bharata, brass.
sandakada is derived fromPali saṁdhāya'on account of'; sandhāna 'union'; sandahati 'puts together': saṁdhāya (absol. ʻ having fixed on ʼ) ʻ with reference to ʼ BHSk. [√
pahana is derived from Pali pāsāṇa,'stone': pāṣāṇá ʻ stone ʼ ṢaḍvBr. 2. pāṣāṇī -- f. ʻ small stone used as a weight ʼ lex. [Cf.
S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
July 12, 2015