By Shrii P. R. Sarkar
The meaning of the Sanskrit root verb “krii” is "exchange". An exchange may be undertaken through either money or commodities. Suppose I give someone a kilogram of rice and I get two kilograms of vegetables in exchange. This is called a "purchase". Again, suppose I give someone some cash and in exchange I get a certain amount of vegetables, say spinach. Both these transactions come within the scope of "purchases". In ancient Bengal, the exchange of commodities through barter was more popular than exchange through money. In a village market near Bolpur in Birbhum district, I once noticed a carpenter who came to sell yokes and ploughs. He returned home with a brass container in exchange for a yoke. In reply to my question, "How much did it cost you?" he said, "I got the container in exchange for my yoke."
