m1656 Mohenjodro Pectoral. Carnelian. kanda kanka ‘rim of pot’ (Santali) rebus: kanda ‘fire-altar’khaNDa ‘implements’ PLUS karNaka ‘rim of jar’ rebus: karNi ‘Supercargo, scribe’ PLUS semantic determinant: kANDa ‘water’ rebus: khaNDa ‘implements’. In the context of semantics of karNi ‘supercargo’, it is possible to decipher the standard device sangaDa ‘lathe’ rebus: jangada ‘double-canoe’ as a seafaring merchant vessel. The suffix -karnika signifies a ‘maker’. Kāraṇika [der. fr. prec.] the meaning ought to be “one who is under a certain obligation” or “one who dispenses certain obligations.” In usu˚ S ii.257 however used simply in the sense of making: arrow — maker, fletcher (Pali). kāraṇika m. ʻ teacher ʼ MBh., ʻ judge ʼ Pañcat. [kā- raṇa — ]Pa. usu — kāraṇika — m. ʻ arrow — maker ʼ; Pk. kāraṇiya — m. ʻ teacher of Nyāya ʼ; S. kāriṇī m. ʻ guardian, heir ʼ; N. kārani ʻ abettor in crime ʼ; M. kārṇī m. ʻ prime minister, supercargo of a ship ʼ, kul — karṇī m. ʻ village accountant ʼ.

Workers from Elam, Susa, Magan and Meluhha were deployed by Gudea, the ruler of Lagaṣ, to build The Eninnu, the main temple of Girsu, c. 2125 BCE. We are dealing with Indian sprachbundwhen we refer to Meluhha. This sprachbund has a remarkable lexeme which is used to signify a smithy, as also a temple: Kota. kole·l smithy, temple in Kota village. Toda. kwala·l Kota smithy 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).

Cylinder seal explained as Enki seated on a throne with a flowing stream full of fish, ca. 2250 BCE

2605 (#KJ Roach’s thesis). Sealed tablet. Susa. Illituram, son of Il-mishar, servant of Pala-isshan

#KJ Roach M9 Mesopotamia

#Roach 2168 Cream limestone. Susa.

A person with a vase with overflowing water; sun sign. C. 18th cent. BCE. [E. Porada,1971, Remarks on seals found in the Gulf states, Artibus Asiae, 33, 31-7

See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/06/ancient-near-east-evidence-for-mleccha.html

The seal of Gudea:  Gudea, with shaven head, is accompanied by a minor female diety.  He is led by his personal god, Ningishzida, into the presence of Enlil, the chief Sumerian god. Wind pours forth from of the jars held by Enlil, signifying that he is the god of the winds. The winged leopard (griffin) is a mythological creature associated with Ningishzida, The horned helmets, worn even by the griffins, indicates divine status (the more horns the higher the rank). The writing in the background translates as: “Gudea, Ensi [ruler], of Lagash”. lōī f., lo m.2. Pr. ẓūwī  ʻfoxʼ (Western Pahari)(CDIAL 11140-2). Rebus: loh ‘copper’ (Hindi). Te. eṟaka, ṟekka, rekka, neṟaka, neṟi id. (DEDR 2591). Rebus: eraka, eṟaka = any metal infusion (Ka.Tu.); urukku (Ta.); urukka melting; urukku what is melted; fused metal (Ma.); urukku (Ta.Ma.); eragu = to melt; molten state, fusion; erakaddu = any cast thng; erake hoyi = to pour meltted metal into a mould, to cast (Kannada)

Gudea’s link with Meluhha is clear from the elaborate texts on the two cylinders describing the construction of the Ninĝirsu temple in Lagash. An excerpt: 1143-1154. Along with copper, tin, slabs of lapis lazuli, refined silver and pure Meluḫa cornelian, he set up (?) huge copper cauldrons, huge …… of copper, shining copper goblets and shining copper jars worthy of An, for laying (?) a holy table in the open air …… at the place of regular offerings (?). Ninĝirsu gave his city, Lagaš 

Musee du Louvre. Inventory No. AO 22126 ca. 2120 BCE Neo-Sumerian from the city-state of Lagash. http://contentdm.unl.edu/ah_copyright.html

1. he has constructed.
2. By the power of the goddessNinâ,
3. by the power of the godNin-girsu,
4. to Gudea
5. who has endowed with the sceptre
6. the godNin-girsu,
7. the country ofMâgan, 1

8. the country ofMelughgha,
9. the country ofGubi, 2
10. and the country ofNituk, 3
11. which possess every kind of tree,
12. vessels laden with trees of all sorts
13. intoShirpurla
14. have sent.
15. From the mountains of the land ofMâgan
16. a rare stone he has caused to come;
17. for his statue
18. http://www.sacred-texts.com/ane/rp/rp202/rp20221.htm#fr_228

Sumerian sign for the term ZAG ‘purified precious’. The ingot had a hole running through its length Perhaps a carrying rod was inserted through this hole.

Cylinder seal with kneeling nude heroes, ca. 2220–2159 b.c.; Akkadian  Mesopotamia Red jasper H. 1 1/8 in. (2.8 cm), Diam. 5/8 in. (1.6 cm)  Metropolitan Museum of Art – USA

1. Pk. kamaḍha— , °aya— m. ʻ bamboo ʼ; Bhoj. kōro ʻ bamboo poles ʼ. 2. N. kāmro ʻ bamboo, lath, piece of wood ʼ, OAw.  kāṁvari ʻ bamboo pole with slings at each end for carrying things ʼ, H. kã̄waṛ, °ar, kāwaṛ, °ar f., G. kāvaṛf., M. kāvaḍ f.; — deriv. Pk. kāvaḍia — , kavvāḍia — m. ʻ one who carries a yoke ʼ, H. kã̄waṛī, °ṛiyā m., G. kāvaṛiyɔ m. 3. S. kāvāṭhī f. ʻ carrying pole ʼ, kāvāṭhyo m. ʻ the man who carries it ʼ. 4. Or. kāmaṛā, °muṛā ʻ rafters of a thatched house ʼ; G. kāmṛũ n., °ṛī f. ʻ chip of bamboo ʼ, kāmaṛ — koṭiyũ n. ʻ bamboo hut ʼ. 5. B. kāmṭhā ʻ bow ʼ, G. kāmṭhũ n., °ṭhī f. ʻ bow ʼ; M. kamṭhā, °ṭā m. ʻ bow of bamboo or horn ʼ; — deriv. G. kāmṭhiyɔ m. ʻ archer ʼ. 6. A. kabāri ʻ flat piece of bamboo used in smoothing an earthen image ʼ. 7. kã̄bīṭ, °baṭ, °bṭī,  kāmīṭ, °maṭ, °mṭī,  kāmṭhī, kāmāṭhī f. ʻ split piece of bamboo &c., lath ʼ.(CDIAL 2760). kambi f. ʻ branch or shoot of bamboo ʼ lex. Pk. kaṁbi — , °bī — , °bā — f. ʻ stick, twig ʼ, OG. kāṁba; M. kã̄b f. ʻ longitudinal division of a bamboo &c., bar of iron or other metal ʼ. (CDIAL 2774). कंबडी [ kambaḍī ] f A slip or split piece (of a bamboo &c.)(Marathi)

The four hieroglyphs define the four quarters of the village smithy/forge: alloy, metalware, turner’s lathe-work, cruble (or, ingot).

A baked-clay plaque from Ur, Iraq, portraying a goddess; she holds a vase overflowing with water (‘hé-gál’ or ‘hegallu’) is a symbol of abundance and prosperity. (Beijing World Art Museum)  Fish in water on statue, on viewer’s right. Gudea’s Temple Building “The goddesses with overflowing vases. (Fig.8). The large limestone basin (SV.7) restored by Unger from twenty-six fragments is carved in relief on its outside. It shows a row of goddesses walking on a stream of water. Between them they are holding vases from which water flows down into the stream. These, in turn, are fed with water poured from vases which are held by smaller-scale goddesses hovering above. All goddesses wear long pleated dresses, and crowns with a single horn pair. There are remains of at least six standing and four hovering goddesses. Considering the importance the number seven plays in Gudea’s inscriptions, Unger’s reconstruction of seven goddesses of each type is credible. The inscription on the basin, which relates its fashioning, designates it as a large S’IM, a relatively rare and only vagueely understood term, perhaps to be read agarinX. The fashioning of one or more S’IM is also related in the Cylinder inscriptions, and the finished artifact is mentioned again in the description of the temple…Since the metaphor paraphrasing the basin refers to th ceaseless flow of water, it is possible that the basin(s) mentioned in the account of Eninnu’s construction is (are) identical with the fragmentary remains of the one (perhaps two?) actually found within the area of Gudea’s Eninnu, as Unger presumed. Several similar and somewhat intuitive identifications of the goddesses with the overflowing vases have been proposed: Heuzey saw personifications of the Euphrates and Tigris; Unger saw personifications of sources and rain clouds that form the Tigris and identified them with Ningirsu and Baba’s seven daughters; van Buren saw personifications of higher white clouds and lower rain clouds whom she assigned to Ea’s circle. Neither are the seven (not fourteen!) daughters of Ningirsu and Baba ever associated with water, nor can fourteen personified clouds be made out in Ea’s circle…The clue must be the overflowing vase which van Buren correctly interpreted as a symbol of abundance and prosperity. This interpretation is corroborated by the Gottertsypentext which states that the images of Kulullu is blessing with one hand (ikarrab) and holding abundance (HE.GAL) in the other.  The protective spirit Kulullu is usually associated with abundance and divine benevolence, and may be reminiscent of the god bestowing the overflowing vase upon a human petititioner in much earlier presentation scenes. The narrative context in which the goddess with the overflowing vase occurs is confined to presentations of a human petititioner to a deity. The Akkadian seal fo the scribe Ili-Es’tar shows her accompanying the petitioner, not unlike a Lamma.

Enki walks out of the water to the land attended by his messenger, Isimud

Cylinder seal image. The water-god in his sea house (Abzu) (ea. 2200 B.C.). On the extreme right is Enki, the water-god, enthroned in his sea house. To the left is Utu, the sun-god, with his rays and saw. The middle deity is unidentified. (British Museum)

Gypsum statuette. “A Gypsum statuette of a priestess or goddess from the Sumerian Dynastic period, most likely Inanna. …She holds a sacred vessel from which the life-giving waters flow in two streams. Several gods and goddesses are shown thus with running water, including Inanna, and it speaks of their life-giving powers as only water brings life to the barren earth of Sumeria. The two streams of water are thought to stand for the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. This is the earliest of the group of statues and dates to c. 2600-2300 B.C. 150 mm tall.” http://www.aliraqi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=53773&page=2

See:

https://tinyurl.com/y85lflto

The pictrographs of young bull, ram's horns, spread legs, boar signify: 

goldsmith, iron metalworker, merchant, steersman. 

[Details: कोंद kōnda ‘engraver' (one-horned young bull hieroglyph); kundana 'fine gold' (Kannada) singi 'horned' rebus: singi 'ornament gold' PLUS barāh, baḍhi 'boar' vāḍhī, bari, barea 'merchant' bārakaśa 'seafaring vessel'.bāṛaï 'carpenter' bari barea 'merchant' (boar hieroglyph) PLUS karṇaka कर्णक steersman ('spread legs'); meḍho 'ram' rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'iron']

meḍ 'body', meḍho 'ram' rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'iron' (ram hieroglyph, (human) body hieroglyph)

कर्णक m. du. the two legs spread out AV. xx , 133 , 3 rebus: कर्णिक having a helm; a steersman (Monier-Williams) 

ayas 'alloy metal' (fish hieroglyph)

कोंद kōnda ‘engraver' (one-horned young bull hieroglyph); kundana 'fine gold' (Kannada). 

bāṛaï 'carpenter' (boar hieroglyph)

bari barea 'merchant' (boar hieroglyph) 

Brāhmī inscription on Indus Script anthropomorph reads (on the assumption that Line 3 is an inscription with Indus Script hypertexts):  

śam ña ga kī ma jhi tha mū̃h baṭa baran khāṇḍā 

samjñā 'symbol, sign' 

kī ma jhi tha 'of Majhitha'

Sha (?) Da Ya शद   sad-a  'produce (of a country)'.-shad-ya, m. one who takes part in an assembly, spectator

Meaning:  

Line 1 (Brāhmī syllables): samjñā 'symbol, sign' (of)

Line 2 (Brāhmī syllables): kī ma jhi tha 'of Majhitha locality or mã̄jhī boatpeople community or workers in textile dyeing: majīṭh 'madder'. The reference may also be to mañjāḍi (Kannada) 'Adenanthera seed weighing two kuṉṟi-mani, used by goldsmiths as a weight'.

Line 3 (Indus Script hieroglyphs):  baṭa 'iron' bharat 'mixed alloys' (5 copper, 4 zinc and 1 tin) mū̃h'ingots' khāṇḍā 'equipments'.

Alternative reading of Line 3 (if read as Brāhmī syllables): Sha (?) Da Ya शद   sad-a  signifies: 'produce (of a country' or -shad-ya, m. one who takes part in an assembly, spectator. 

Thus,an alternative reading is that the threelines may signify symbol of मांझीथा Majhīthā sadya 'assembly participant' or member of mã̄jhī boatpeople assembly (community).

Thus, this is a proclamation, a hoarding which signifies the Majitha locality (working in) iron, mixed alloys (bharat) ingots and equipments. Alternative reding is: symbol (of) produce of Majhitha locality or community

Alternatives:

A cognate word signifies boatman: *majjhika ʻ boatman ʼ. [Cf. maṅga -- ?] N. mājhi, mã̄jhi ʻ boatman ʼ; A. māzi ʻ steersman ʼ, B. māji; Or. mājhi ʻ steersman ʼ, majhiā ʻ boatman ʼ, Bi. Mth. H. mã̄jhī m.(CDIAL 9714).மஞ்சி² mañci, n. 1. cf. mañca. [M. mañji.] Cargo boat with a raised platform; படகு.  Thus, a majhitha artisan is also a boatman.

A cognate word is: mañjiṣṭhā f. ʻ the Indian madder (Rubia cordifolia and its dye) ʼ Kauś. [mañjiṣṭha -- ] Pa. mañjeṭṭhī -- f. ʻ madder ʼ, Pk. maṁjiṭṭhā -- f.; K. mazēṭh, dat. ˚ṭhi f. ʻ madder plant and dye (R. cordifolia or its substitute Geranium nepalense) ʼ; S. mañuṭha, maĩṭha f. ʻ madder ʼ; P. majīṭ(h), mãj˚ f. ʻ root of R. cordifolia ʼ; N. majiṭho ʻ R. cordifolia ʼ, A. mezāṭhi, maz˚, OAw. maṁjīṭha f.; H. mãjīṭ(h), maj˚ f. ʻ madder ʼ, G. majīṭh f., Ko. mañjūṭi; -- Si. madaṭa ʻ a small red berry ʼ, madaṭiya ʻ the tree with red wood Adenanthera pavonina (Leguminosae) ʼ; Md. madoři ʻ a weight ʼ.māñjiṣṭha -- .Addenda: mañjiṣṭhā -- [Cf. Drav. Kan. mañcaṭige, mañjāḍi, mañjeṭṭi S. M. Katre]: S.kcch. majīṭh f. ʻ madder ʼ.(CDIAL 9718) மஞ்சிட்டி mañciṭṭi, n. < mañjiṣṭhā. 1. Munjeet, Indian madder, Rubia cordifolia; நீர்ப்பூடுவகை. (I. P.) 2. Arnotto. See சாப்பிரா. (L.) 3. Chayroot for dyeing; சாயவேர். (L.) மஞ்சாடி mañcāṭi, n. [T. manḍzādi, K. mañjāḍi.] 1. Red-wood, m. tr., Adenanthera paronina; மரவகை. 2. Adenanthera seed weighing two kuṉṟi-mani, used by goldsmiths as a weight; இரண்டு குன்றிமணிகளின் எடை கொண்ட மஞ்சாடிவித்து. (S. I. I. i, 114, 116.)

The wor manjhitha may be derived from the root:  मञ्ज्   mañj मञ्ज् 1 U. (मञ्जयति-ते) 1 To clean, purify, wipe off. Thus, the reference is to a locality of artisans engaged in purifying metals and alloys. Such purifiers or assayers of metal are also referred to as पोतदार pōtadāra m ( P) An officer under the native governments. His business was to assay all money paid into the treasury. He was also the village-silversmith. (Marathi)