LECTURE
111
III
Just one or two minor points connected with Karshapana before I conclude this lecture.
We
have seen that Karshapana is a coin whieh weighs one Karsha. We have also seen that though both
Manu and Yajnavalkya they do
not specify
speak of Karshapana,
the
weight of a Karsha, which is, however, done by their commentators and which conies to 80 Rails. Prof. Rapson goes a step further and gives an actual table, according to which 5 Ratis or Raktikas make 1
Mash a, and 16 Mashas same is repeated by Mrs.
Karsha.
1
And
1
the
Rhys Davids in her " Notes on Economic Conditions in NorEarly " thern India. Whether this table is based on the
authority
of
any Smriti
able to find out, but certain
I
it is,
have not been as
I
have
al-
ready said, that neither Manu nor Yajnavalkya has given it. The same table is, however, cited
by Susruta, and,
in
pretty familiar to the
Thus
in
fact,
Hindu
Karsha
a weight science of medicine.
accordance with this
Mashas made one Karshapana. tary that
is
table,
sixteen
The commen-
on the Vinaya-Pitaka/ however, tells us in the time of the king Bimbisara five
Masbakas equalled one Pada, thus making one KarshUpana equivalent, not *o sixteen, but twenty, Mashas. This receives corroboration from 1
2
3
CICBM-AKTB., JRAS., III. 45.
1901,
p
Intro., clxxviii.
878.