Left Sandalwood trees with snakes in India.
Thakkura Pheru: Dhatupatti (The Origin of Minerals) (1320) Delhi

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Taken from: Sandalwood and Carrion: Smell in Indian Religion and Culture

 By James McHugh

 

In Pheru text we read of China (cino) camphor, malindi sandalwood, together with saffron from

Aden (adana) and Hormuz (harumayassa) (Ratnapariksadi Sapt-Granth Samgrah of Thakkura Pheru, 43-44).

 

On the Malaya mountain (there are) the best Sricandana trees (1), which are the abodes of snakes.

(These trees are) extremely cool and fragrant; by their fragrance the (whole) forest (becomes) fragrant.

Sricandana, Nilavai, Sukadissa – three varieties of sandalwood. Likewise Malindi, Kauhi, and Vavvaru.

(Thus) this sandalwood is of six varieties.

(These six varieties of) sandalwood (have respectively the grades of) 20, 12, 8, 1, 1/3, ¼ visuvas (4).

(Their) price per 1 ser is 5, 3, 2, ¼ tankas (2), 4, 3 jaithalas (3) (respectively).

The characteristics of fair sandalwood (sricandana)(1): yellow in color, with a red appearance when ground,

pungent in taste, knotty, destroying heat.

 

Note: ser: 2/3 to ¾ of a pound. A tanka (2): a soldier was paid 19.5 tanka a month.  

 

Note: The Malindi mentioned here might well be a place in India.

(1) Sricandana trees: Sandalwood.

(2) Tankas: about 11 gr in silver.

(3) Jaithalas: about 4gr copper coin.

(4) visuva: literally a small unit of weight: the twentieth part of a java. Here just used as a grading scale of one to twenty.