कार्षापण
Kārṣāpaṇa
(kārṣāpaṇa)Ancient Indian coin — the Sanskrit monetary unit of the Mauryan Empire
Full Meaning
Kārṣāpaṇa was the standard silver coin of ancient India, particularly during the Mauryan Empire (322–185 BCE). It weighed one karṣa (approximately 3.3 grams). Tamil kāsu, a small copper coin used in South India, likely derives from the same Sanskrit root. The English word "cash" however traces primarily to French caisse / Italian cassa / Latin capsa, meaning "box" or "chest" — a separate etymological path, though Tamil kāsu may have influenced usage in the context of Indian Ocean trade.
Etymology
From karṣa (कर्ष) — a unit of weight equal to 16 māṣas, approximately 3.3 grams. The coin was named for the weight of silver it contained. From the root kṛṣ (कृष्) — to draw out, to weigh.
Usage in Sanskrit Texts
The kārṣāpaṇa appears in Kauṭilya's Arthaśāstra as the standard unit of the Mauryan monetary system — one of the world's earliest standardised currencies.
अर्थशास्त्रे — कार्षापणः मानकः। In the Arthaśāstra, the kārṣāpaṇa is the standard.
Related Sanskrit Words
Learn Sanskrit — not just the words, but the language.
VedaLingo teaches Sanskrit from the alphabet up — free, 10 minutes a day.
Start Learning Free →