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Why is kachchhapa (tortoise or turtle shell) one of the nine treasures of Kubera? Why is Kūrma an avatāra?
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Fishing nets and ropes are a frequent hazard for olive ridley sea turtles, seen on a beach in India’s Kerala state in January. Soren Andersson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/06/climate/biodiversity-extinction-united-nations.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
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Monier Monier-Williams wrote "Indeed, the Hindus were ... Darwinians centuries before the birth of Darwin, and evolutionists centuries before the doctrine of evolution had been accepted by the Huxleys of our time, and before any word like evolution existed in any language of the world." (loc.cit.Brown, C Mackenzie (19 November 2010). "Vivekananda and the scientific legitimation of Advaita Vedanta". In James R. Lewis; Olav Hammer. Handbook of Religion and the Authority of Science. BRILL. p. 227.)
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Pictorial motif 69 Indus Script (Mahadevan 1977 ASI Concordance).
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Inscriptions of Indus Script on B17b and B18 copper tablets signify wealth-metalwork accounting ledger entries related to dula kammaṭa 'metal casting mint'.
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gaNDa ‘four’ rebus: kanda ‘fire-altar’ PLUS kolom ‘three’ rebus: kolimi ‘smithy, forge’
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m1534
kamaṭha crab, tortoise (Gujarati); ‘frog’ (Skt.); rebus: kammaṭa ‘mint’ (Kannada) kampaṭṭam ‘coiner, mint’ (Tamil).கமடம் , [ *kamaṭam , ] s. A turtle, a tortoise, ஆமை (Winslow Tamil lexicon) కమఠము [ kamaṭhamu ] kamaṭhamu. [Skt.] n. A tortoise. कमठ [ kamaṭha ] m S A tortoise or turtle.(Marathi) kamaṭha crab, tortoise (Gujarati); ‘frog’ (Skt.); rebus: kammaṭa ‘mint’ (Kannada) kampaṭṭam ‘coiner, mint’ (Tamil) Rebus: కమటము [ kamaṭamu ] kamaṭamu. [Tel.] n. A portable furnace for melting the precious metals. అగసాలెవాని కుంపటి . Allograph: कमटा or ठा [ kamaṭā or ṭhā ] m (कमठ S) A bow (esp. of bamboo or horn) (Marathi). Allograph 2: kamaḍha ‘penance’ (Pkt.) ![]()
m1532b On another copper tablet, the emphasis is clearly on the turtle's shell like that of Meiolania's shell.
kassa 'turtle' rebus: kãsā 'bell-metal' (Oriya), kamaṭha 'turtle' rebus: kãsā kammaṭa 'bell-metal coiner, mint, portable furnace'.
A synonym is kachchhapa (tortoise or turtle shell) which is one of the nine treasures of Kubera.![Colossochelys atlas.jpg]()
Megalochelys M. atlas skeleton at the American Museum of Natural History![]()
Why is kachchhapa (tortoise or turtle shell) one of the nine treasures of Kubera? Why is Kūrma an avatāra?
I submit that the daśāvatāra including the first five forms or transformations relate to metalwork creating the wealth of a nation.
I submit that Indus Script Corpora of over 8000 inscriptions, including copper plates with turtles as compositeanimals, are wealth-accounting ledgers of śreṇi guilds, artisans and merchants documenting the shared wealth of a nation.
Fishing nets and ropes are a frequent hazard for olive ridley sea turtles, seen on a beach in India’s Kerala state in January. Soren Andersson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Imageshttps://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/06/climate/biodiversity-extinction-united-nations.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
See:दशावतार, daśāvatāra. Itihāsa rendered by poets (kavi) and artisans (kamar). Veda metaphors of avatāra transformation and Indus Script rebus cipher of metal transmutations https://tinyurl.com/y2tg5wsy
See the monograph presented in the following sections:
Section 1. Matsya rendered in Meluhha rebus homonym aya 'fish' rebus: aya 'iron' ayas 'alloy metal'
Section 2. Kūrma rendered in Meluhha rebus homonyms kassa'turtle', kamaṭha, 'tortoise' kassa 'turtle' rebus: kãsā 'bell-metal' kamaṭha 'turtle' rebus: kãsā kammaṭa
'bell-metal coiner, mint, portable furnace'
Section 3. Varāha rendered in Meluhha rebus homonym baḍhi 'boar' rebus: baḍiga 'five artificers', baḍhoe 'a carpenter, worker in wood, iron'
Section 4. Narasimha rendered in Meluhha rebus homonym arye 'lion' rebus: āra, ārakūṭa
'brass'
Section 5. Vāmana [BP 1.3.19]- The dwarf rendered in Meluhha rebus homonym kharva 'dwarf' rebus: karba 'iron' (DEDR 1277) Ta. ayil iron. Ma. ayir, ayiram any ore. Ka. aduru
native metal. Tu. ajirda karba very hard iron. (DEDR 192).
This framework suggests that while Rgveda used metaphors of poets (kavi) on transformation (to signify transmutations of metals), Indus Script cipher used hieroglyphs by artisans (kamar) and hypertexts (to signify wealth-accounting of metal work). Kamar is a Meluhha mispronunciation of कर्मार m. an artisan , mechanic , artificer; a blacksmith &c RV. x , 72 , 2 AV. iii , 5 , 6 VS. Mn. iv , 215 &c
Rigveda describes Indra as endowed with a mysterious power of assuming any form at will..[RV 3.53.8 (Maghavan); 6.47.18 (Indra)].(Sheth, Noel (2002). "Hindu Avatāra and Christian Incarnation: A Comparison". Philosophy East and West. 52 (1 (January)): 98–125). The related verb avatarana is, states Paul Hacker, used with double meaning, one as action of the divine descending, another as "laying down the burden of man" suffering from the forces of evil.(Paul Hacker (1978). Lambert Schmithausen, ed. Zur Entwicklung der Avataralehre (in German). Otto Harrassowitz, pp. 415-417.).
RV 6.4718 In every figure he hath been the mode: this is his only form for us to look on.
RV 3.538 Maghavan weareth every shape at pleasure, effecting magic changes in his body,
Holy One, drinker out of season, coming thrice, in a moment, through fit prayers, from heaven.
The noun (avatāra /ˈævətɑːr,
| 1 | Matsya | Satya Yuga | ||||
| 2 | Kurma | |||||
| 3 | Varaha | |||||
| 4 | Narasimha | |||||
| 5 | Vamana | Treta Yuga | ||||
| 6 | Parashurama | |||||
| 7 | Rama | |||||
| 8 | Krishna | Dwapara Yuga Kali Yuga in case of Buddha | ||||
| 9 | Buddha | |||||
| 10 | Kalki[7][8] | Kali Yuga | ||||
1st to 5th of the Dashavatars on Udupi temple gopuram, Karnataka.
Monier Monier-Williams wrote "Indeed, the Hindus were ... Darwinians centuries before the birth of Darwin, and evolutionists centuries before the doctrine of evolution had been accepted by the Huxleys of our time, and before any word like evolution existed in any language of the world." (loc.cit.Brown, C Mackenzie (19 November 2010). "Vivekananda and the scientific legitimation of Advaita Vedanta". In James R. Lewis; Olav Hammer. Handbook of Religion and the Authority of Science. BRILL. p. 227.)
Turtle hypertexts of Indus Script copper plate inscriptions, signify account ledgers of wealth-creating metalcasting mints. Samudra manthanam 'ocean churn' is a metaphor for artisans at work creating weealth from the resources of the earth and the oceans.
Pictorial motif 69 Indus Script (Mahadevan 1977 ASI Concordance).There are 13 copper plates with inscriptions of Indus Script Corpora which show the turtle hieroglyph back-to-back, i.e.Two horned heads one at either end of the body. I suggest that the pictorial motif signifies two turtles ligatured back-to-back. The shape of the turtle is comparable to the Meiolania, a horned large turtleof New Guinea.
m1534b On this copper tablet, the correct identification of the animal heads will be turtle species comparable to Meiolania, a horned large turtle of New Guinea. "Meiolania ("small roamer") is an extinct genus of stem-turtle from the Middle Miocene to Holocene, with the last relict populations at New Caledonia which survived until 3,000 years ago."
Augustus, a large Galápagos tortoise, displays the finch response. Photo by the San Diego Zoo. This provides a prototype of the composite animal shown on 13 copper plate inscriptions of Mohenjo-daro.
Front view of M. platycepsfossil, Lord Howe Island museum
There are examples of copper plates with the pictorial motifs of large turtles combined back to back, as a pair to signify: dula 'pair' rebus: dul 'metal casting'.
m1528Act
m1529Act2920
m1529Bct
m1532Act
m1532Bct
m1534Act
m1534Bct
1703 Composition:
Two horned heads one at either end of the body. Note the dottings on the thighs which is a unique artistic feature of depicting a turtles (the legs are like those of an elephant?). The body apparently is a combination of two turtles with heads of turtles emerging out of the shell and attached on either end of the composite body.
Hieroglyph: two large turtles joined back to back. Thus, signifying meta casting using cire perdue (lost-wax) technique of creating mirror image metal castings from wax casts.
The hieroglyph multiplex on m1534b is now read rebus as: dula 'pair' rebus: dul 'cast metal' PLUS kassa 'turtle' rebus: kãsā 'bell-metal' kamaṭha 'turtle' rebus: kãsā kammaṭa 'bell-metal coiner, mint, portable furnace'.
kamaṭha crab, tortoise (Gujarati); ‘frog’ (Skt.); rebus: kammaṭa ‘mint’ (Kannada)kampaṭṭam ‘coiner, mint’ (Tamil).கமடம், [ *kamaṭam, ] s. A turtle, a tortoise, ஆமை (Winslow Tamil lexicon) కమఠము [ kamaṭhamu ] kamaṭhamu. [Skt.] n. A tortoise.
Rebus: కమటము [ kamaṭamu ] kamaṭamu. [Tel.] n. A portable furnace for melting the precious metals. అగసాలెవాని కుంపటి. Allograph: कमटा or ठा [ kamaṭā or ṭhā ] m (कमठ S) A bow (esp. of bamboo or horn) (Marathi). Allograph 2: kamaḍha ‘penance’ (Pkt.) Rebus: Ta. kampaṭṭam coinage, coin. Ma. kammaṭṭam, kammiṭṭam coinage, mint. Ka. kammaṭa id.; kammaṭi a coiner. (DEDR 1236)
m1532b On another copper tablet, the emphasis is clearly on the turtle's shell like that of Meiolania's shell.
On copper tablet m1543, the correct identification of the animal heads will be turtle species comparable to Meiolania, a horned large turtle of New Guinea.
Hieroglyph: kassa ‘turtle’: kacchapa m. ʻ turtle, tortoise ʼ MBh. 2. *kacchabha -- . [By pop. etym. through kaccha -- for kaśyápa -- VS. J. Charpentier MO xxvi 110 suggested equivalence in MIA. of kassa -- = kaccha -- to explain creation of kacchapa -- ~ kassapa -- . But K. kochuwu, unless a loan from Ind., points to *kakṣapa -- , which would make the formation earlier.] 1. Pa. kacchapa -- m. ʻ tortoise, turtle, °pinī -- f., Pk. kacchava -- m., °vī -- f., K. kochuwu m. (see above), S. kachãũ, °chū̃ m., L. kachū̃ m., P. kacchū, kacchūkummã̄ m. (< kūrmá -- 1), N. kachuwā, A. kācha, B. kāchim, Or. kechu, °cho, kẽchu, kaï˜cha, °ca, kachima, °cima, Mth. kāchu, Bhoj. Aw. lakh. kachuā; H. kachuā, °chwā m., °uī, °wī f. ʻ tortoise, turtle ʼ, kach -- mach m. ʻ dwellers in the water ʼ (< mátsya -- ) whence kacch, kach m. ʻ turtle, tortoise ʼ, M. kāsav, kã̄s° m., Ko. kāsavu. 2. Pk. amg. kacchabha -- , °aha -- m., °bhī -- f.; Si. käsum̆bu, °ubu H. Smith JA 1950, 188; -- G. kācbɔ m., °bī f. with unexpl. retention of -- b -- and loss of aspiration in c. Addenda: kacchapa -- . 1. A. kācha (phonet. -- s -- ) ʻ tortoise ʼ AFD 217. 2. *kacchabha -- (with -- pa -- replaced by animal suffix -- bha -- ): Md. kahan̆bu ʻ tortoise -- shell ʼ.(CDIAL 2619)
Rebus: OMarw. kāso (= kã̄ -- ?) m. ʻ bell -- metal tray for food, food.
kaṁsá1 m. ʻ metal cup ʼ AV., m.n. ʻ bell -- metal ʼ Pat. as in S., but would in Pa. Pk. and most NIA. lggs. collide with kāˊṁsya -- to which L. P. testify and under which the remaining forms for the metal are listed. 2. *kaṁsikā -- . 1. Pa. kaṁsa -- m. ʻ bronze dish ʼ; S. kañjho m. ʻ bellmetal ʼ; A. kã̄h ʻ gong ʼ; Or. kãsā ʻ big pot of bell -- metal ʼ; OMarw. kāso (= kã̄ -- ?) m. ʻ bell -- metal tray for food, food ʼ; G. kã̄sā m. pl. ʻ cymbals ʼ; -- perh. Woṭ. kasṓṭ m. ʻ metal pot ʼ Buddruss Woṭ 109. 2. Pk. kaṁsiā -- f. ʻ a kind of musical instrument ʼ; K. kanzü f. ʻ clay or copper pot ʼ; A. kã̄hi ʻ bell -- metal dish ʼ; G. kã̄śī f. ʻ bell -- metal cymbal ʼ, kã̄śiyɔ m. ʻ open bellmetal pan ʼ. kāˊṁsya -- ; -- *kaṁsāvatī -- ? Addenda: kaṁsá -- 1: A. kã̄h also ʻ gong ʼ or < kāˊṁsya -- . (CDIAL 2576) It is possible that the word in Tamil for ‘gold, money’ is cognate with these etyma of Indian sprachbund: காசு³ kācu , n. prob. kāš. cf. kāca. [M. kāšu.] 1. Gold; பொன். (ஆ. நி.) 2.Necklace of gold coins; அச்சுத்தாலி. காசும் பிறப்புங் கலகலப்ப (திவ்.
திருப்பா. 7). 3. An ancient gold coin = 28 gr. troy; ஒரு பழைய பொன்னாணயம். (Insc.) 4. A small copper coin;சிறுசெப்புக்காசு. நெஞ்சே யுனையோர் காசா மதியேன்
(தாயு. உடல்பொய். 72). 5. Coin, cash, money; ரொக்கம். எப்பேர்ப்பட்ட பல காசா
யங்களும் (S.I.I. i, 89). 6. Gem, crystal bead; மணி.நாண்வழிக் காசுபோலவும் (இறை. 2, உரை, பக். 29). 7. Girdle strung with gems; மேகலாபர ணம்.பட்டுடை சூழ்ந்த காசு
(சீவக. 468). 8. (Pros.) A formula of a foot of two nēr acaiveṇpā; வெண்பாவின்இறுதிச்சீர்
வாய்பாட்டுள் ஒன்று. (காரிகை, செய். 7.) 9. The hollow in the centre of each row of pallāṅkuḻi; பல்லாங்குழி யாட்டத்திற் காய்கள் சேர்தற்குரிய நடுக்குழிகள்.1) కంచరవాడు (p. 224) kañcaravāḍu kanṭsu. n. Bell metal. కంచుకుండ a bowl or vessel or bell metal.కంచువాద్యము a cymbal made of bell metal. కంచుతీసినట్లు as... 2) కంచము (p. 223) kañcamu kanṭsamu. [Tel.] n. A metal plate or dish. కంచుకంచము a dish nade of bell metal. మా కంచములో రాయి వేసినాడు he threw a stone into our place, i.e., took away our bread, he disturbed us. మందకంచము a dish which as a rim. ఆకుకంచము a dish which has none. 2) కంసర (p. 227) kaṃsara or కంసలల kamsara. [Tel.] n. Smithery; working in gold: adj. Of the goldsmith caste. కంసలది a woman of that caste. కంసలపని the business of a gold-smith. 3)కంసము (p. 227) kaṃsamu kamsamu. [Skt.] n. Bell metal.కంచు. 4)కాంస్యము
(p. 265) kāṃsyamu kāmsyamu. [Skt.] n. Bell metal. కంచు. 4) కంసాలి (p. 227) kaṃsāli or కంసాలవాడు kamsāli. [Tel.] n. A goldsmith or silversmith. 5) కంచరవాడు (p. 224) kañcaravāḍu or కంచరి kanṭsara-vaḍu. [Tel.] n. A brazier, a coppersmith. కంచుపనిచేయు
వాడు. కంచరది a woman of that caste. కంచరిపురుగు kanṭsari-purugu. n. A kind of beetle called the death watch. కంచు kanṭsu. n. Bell metal. కంచుకుండ a bowl or vessel or bell metal. కంచువాద్యము a cymbal made of bell metal. కంచుతీసినట్లు as bright or dazzling as the glitter of polished metal. Sunbright.ఆమె కంచుగీచినట్లు పలికె she spoke shrilly or with a voice as clear as a bell. కాంచనము (p. 265) kāñcanamu kānchanamu. [Skt.] n. Gold. కాంచనవల్లి a piece of gold wire.కాంచనాంబరము tissue, gold cloth. Kāñcana काञ्चन a. (-नी f.) [काञ्च्-ल्युट्] Golden, made of gold; तन्मध्ये च स्फटिकफलका काञ्चनी वासयष्टिः Me.81; काञ्चनंवलयम् Ś.6.8; Ms.5.112. -नम् 1 Gold; समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनः Bg. 14.24. ग्राह्यम्) अमेध्यादपि काञ्चनम् Ms.2.239. -2 Lustre, brilliancy. -3 Property, wealth, money. (Apte). kāñcaná ʻ golden ʼ MBh., n. ʻ gold ʼ Mn.Pa. kañcana -- n. ʻ gold ʼ, °aka -- ʻ golden ʼ; Pk. kaṁcaṇa<-> n. ʻ gold ʼ; Si. kasuna ʻ gold ʼ, kasun -- ʻ golden ʼ. (CDIAL 3013)காஞ்சனம்¹ kāñcaṉam , n. < kāñcana. Gold; பொன். (திவா.) కాంచనము (p. 265) kāñcanamu kānchanamu. [Skt.] n. Gold. కాంచనవల్లి a piece of gold wire. కాంచనాంబరము tissue, gold cloth.
The hieroglyph multiplex on m1534b is now read rebus as: dula 'pair' rebus: dul 'cast metal' PLUS kassa 'turtle' rebus: kãsā 'bell-metal' kamaṭha 'turtle' rebus: kãsā kammaṭa
'bell-metal coiner, mint, portable furnace'.
Inscriptions of Indus Script on B17b and B18 copper tablets signify wealth-metalwork accounting ledger entries related to dula kammaṭa 'metal casting mint'.
Text Line 1 B17b
kolmo ‘rice plant’ rebus: kolimi ‘smithy, forge’
gaNDA ‘four’ rebus: kanda ‘fire-altar’
sal ‘splinter’ rebus: sal ‘workshop’
koDi ‘flag’ rebus: koD ‘workshop’ (Phonetic determinative)
Three mountain peaks (range): danga ‘mountain range’ rebus: dhangar ‘blacksmith’
koD ‘horn’ rebus: koD ‘workshop’
Text Line 2 B17b, B17a
khaNDa ‘division’ rebus: khaNDa ‘implements’ PLUS dula ‘pair’ rebus: dul ‘cast metal’
meD ‘body’ PLUS meDa ‘staff’ rebus: meD ‘iron’
ranku ‘liquid measure’ rebus: ranku ‘tin’
dula ‘two’ rebus: dul ‘cast metal’
kuTila ‘curve’ rebus: kuTila ‘bronze’ PLUS koD ‘horn’ rebus: koD ‘workshop’ Thus, bronze workshop.
B18 text
kaṇḍa kanka ‘rim of jar’ Rebus: karṇīka ‘account (scribe)’karṇī‘supercargo’.
kaṇḍa ‘fire-altar’. Alternative: kanka 'rim of jar' rebus: kanga 'brazier'.
kaṇḍa ‘fire-altar’. Alternative: kanka 'rim of jar' rebus: kanga 'brazier'.
loa ‘ficus’ rebus: loh ‘copper’
koḍa 'sluice'; Rebus: koḍ 'artisan's workshop (Kuwi)
Thus, signifying meta casting using cire perdue (lost-wax) technique of creting mirror image metal castings from wax casts.
m1529
m1534
m1534The hypertext on m1534b read rebus as: dula 'pair' rebus: dul 'cast metal' PLUS kassa 'turtle' rebus: kãsā 'bell-metal' kamaṭha 'turtle' rebus: kãsā kammaṭa 'bell-metal coiner, mint, portable furnace'.
m1532b On another copper tablet, the emphasis is clearly on the turtle's shell like that of Meiolania's shell.kassa 'turtle' rebus: kãsā 'bell-metal' (Oriya), kamaṭha 'turtle' rebus: kãsā kammaṭa 'bell-metal coiner, mint, portable furnace'.
A synonym is kachchhapa (tortoise or turtle shell) which is one of the nine treasures of Kubera.
Megalochelys M. atlas skeleton at the American Museum of Natural HistoryThe meaning of the expression colossochelys atlas is: Giant Turtle That Holds Up The Earth(or The Sky). "Colossochelys atlas, formerly known as Testudo atlas, and originally described as Geochelone atlas, is an extinct species ofcryptodire turtle from the Pleistocene period, [as far back as] 2 million years ago. During the dry glacial periods [ie, after 2 million years ago-DD] it ranged from western India and Pakistan (possibly even as far west as southern and eastern Europe) to as far east as Sulawesi and Timor in Indonesia."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossochelys
Lepidochelys olivacea distribution map: red circles are major nesting grounds; yellow circles are minor nesting beaches.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_ridley_sea_turtle