“The Money Does Not Stink”. Indian Version

Abstract

The article focuses on various contexts in India’s ancient didactic texts dealing with money. The issue under discussion is whether ritual pollution was transferred from person to person through money. Ancient Indian sources repeatedly state that property acquired at the expense of punished criminals necessarily needs ritual purification. The reason for this is explained by a “similarity relationship” between the property and its owner: a sin of the former owner gets transferred to the property recipient. In this case, it is necessary to explain the issue of punishments that prescribe property confiscation. According to India’s ancient didactic texts, confiscation is often replaced by a monetary fine. Does this mean that money does not transfer the ritual pollution of its former owner to a new owner? How can we explain this paradox? The article analyzes the vocabulary used in ancient Indian texts to denote money and examines various money-related contexts. Finally, it offers insights into a possible understanding of the role of money in ancient societies.