Syamantaka

The Syamantaka () is a legendary jewel featured in Hindu literature, regarded to be blessed with magical powers. It is described to be a ruby. The jewel is described to protect its owner if they were virtuous and good, but bring evil to them if they were not.

== Origin == The story of the Syamantaka jewel appears in the Vishnu Purana and the Bhagavata Purana. The jewel originally belonged to Surya, the Sun god. who wore it around his neck. It was said that whichever land possessed this jewel would never encounter any calamities such as droughts, earthquakes, floods or famines, and would always be full of wealth and prosperity. Wherever the jewel would gave the owner eight bhāras of gold daily. ("Four rice grains are called one guñjā; five guñjās, one paṇa; eight paṇas, one karṣa; four karṣas, one pala; and one hundred palas, one tulā. Twenty tulās make up one bhāra.") Since there are about 3,700 grains of rice in an ounce, the Syamantaka jewel was producing approximately of gold every day. It was also the source of the brilliant appearance of the sun god.