LECTURE known B.C.
55
II
India long long prior to 600 or 700 Let us therefore see whether the works to
comprising this
make mention
literature
of the
metallic currency. Some of you probably know that Katyayana's Srauta-sTitra contains a re-
ference to a coin called &atamana. that there
is
anywhere
in
name
no mention of
this
the Buddhist
It class
works,
is
curious
of
coins
though the
and Katyayana's vartika* showing clearly that Satamana was known till the Maurya period. The Srautaoccurs in a Panini's sutra
]
sutra of Katyayana, in the chapter entitled the MajasTiya-nirTipanam, refers to the Satamana coin in three consecutive
sutra
probably
is
But this Srautathe same period as the
Sutras. of
1
Jatakas, and it
it may consequently be argued that does not take us anterior to the time we have
reached on the strength of these Buddhist Birth Stories. We must, therefore, go to Vedic compositions
The
which are prior in date to this Sutra. which are of an imme-
class of writings,
to the 8rauta- Sutras are, of
diately prior period
Upanishads. The only coin name meet with in these works is Nishka
course, the
that
we
which occurs thrice
in the
Chhamdogya.
we
4
But
if
correctly interpret the passages of this Upanishad, the word nishka in them must be taken 1
v.
1
On Panini's XV. 181-3.
3
IV.
i.
27.
2. 1-3.
V.
1
.
29.