Rasendracudamani 4
English (machine translation) 4
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4.1
Rcūm, 4
The technical terminology of mercury spoken by treatises and accomplished masters / is declared by Somadeva for the enlightenment of unlearned physicians.
4.2
Half of the prepared mercury; an eighth share of medicated oil, ghee, and electuary; / likewise a seventh of all perfected metal powders, pills, and the like: / that which is given to the best physician by patients dedicating it to Dhanvantari / for attaining complete health and happiness is declared to be the physician's share for Dhanvantari.
4.3
And the eleventh share of the substances bought for medicine / which is taken from merchants by physicians is called the pharmacist's eleventh share.
4.4
If a greedy-minded physician takes an excessive eleventh share / and causes improper medicine to be administered, he is a betrayer of trust.
4.5
Purification is prescribed in the scriptures even for those who commit the murder of a brahmin; / but for men who betray trust, there is no purification except death.
4.6
Mercury ground with metals, sulphur, and other ingredients without liquid, / extremely fine and resembling collyrium, is designated black sulphide of mercury.
4.7
When that same [substance] is ground with liquid, it is remembered as mercurial sludge.
4.8
From mercury equal to a twelve-part [weight] and from sulphur equal to half a niṣka, [ground] particle by particle in a mortar, / in intense, scorching sunshine, that amalgam paste takes the form of butter.
4.9
Having ground mercury in a mortar together with sulphur and milk, / it becomes a paste from the grinding: that also is considered an amalgam paste by others.
4.10
{Sublimation paste}
An amalgam paste prepared with mercury and one-fourth part gold
becomes distillation paste, which bestows excellent success upon mercury.
4.11
{Extraction of gold and silver}
Silver or gold, destroyed by mercury, sulphur, and other ingredients,
and revived many times, is the extraction of gold and silver.
4.12
{Gold extraction}
When this extract is thrown into gold, its colour is not lost thereby;
a seed made with gold extract imparts colour to mercury.
4.13
{Superior metal}
Copper joined with cast iron, melted, and repeatedly quenched
in the juice of lakuca mixed with sulphur, emerges as the superior metal.
4.14
{Gold-reddening substance}
Gold made red by that [metal] is called gold-reddening substance.
Cast into molten gold, it enhances its colour;
it also colours silver and imparts red colour to the seed.
4.15
{Silver-reddening substance}
In this very way, lovely silver-reddening substance should be prepared;
it certainly colours silver and also colours seeds.
4.16
{Leaf of moon and fire}
Another metal processed with incinerated metal, or with bound mercury, or with another metal,
having attained whiteness or yellowness, is known as the leaf of the moon and fire.
4.17
{White and yellow leaf}
Combined with mercury bound by making an appearance,
and processed with another metal, that leaf is indeed white or yellow.
4.18
{Iron-lead}
Lodestone destroyed by pyrite and revived seven times,
and lead destroyed by realgar and repeatedly revived—
4.19
these two taken at two palas, along with two palas of pyrite ash,
placing everything in a crucible, one should strongly blow [it] seven times.
4.20
That is called iron-lead, an accomplisher for both body and metals.
A pill of it made with mercury in a moving-apparatus,
4.21
held in the mouth, destroys all urinary disorders without remainder,
produces firmness of the teeth, eyesight like that of a vulture,
and likewise other eye diseases and diseases arising above the collarbones.
4.22
{Copper-lead}
Copper destroyed with pyrite and revived ten times,
likewise purified lead: the pair amounting to four palas,
4.23
destroyed with galena and again revived seven times:
this, thus prepared, is celebrated as copper-lead.
4.24
Mercury moved with it and held in the mouth of men
destroys all urinary disorders without remainder in just one month.
4.25
For one who eats suitable food, graying along with wrinkles is [destroyed] within a year;
he acquires vulture-like vision, glowing nourishment, and is endowed with all health.
4.26
{Yellowish-red alloy}
Metal thrown into another metal, blown, and quenched in liquid,
producing a pale-yellow lustre, is designated as piñjarī.
4.27
{Moon-sun}
Sixteen parts of silver and twelve of the sun [copper],
rotated together: because of that, it is called moon-sun.
4.28
{Projection / Quenching}
If another metal is cast into the metal to be processed through a blowpipe,
that quenching which is stated by physicians is indeed known as projection.
4.29
The substance to be projected should be thrown into what receives it in equal parts,
and what is to be added into what receives the addition, in the prescribed measure, according to instruction.
4.30
{Water-floating}
When incinerated metal floats on water, it is indeed water-floating.
4.31
{Filling the furrows}
When rubbed between the thumb and forefinger, it enters the furrows of the lines [of the skin]:
such incinerated metal is indicated by the name 'filling the furrows'.
4.32
{Non-reverting}
Combined with jaggery, guñjā, suvarcalā, honey, and ghee,
it does not revert to its original state upon heating: it is called non-reverting.
4.33
{Inextinguishable}
Combined with silver and heated, it does not adhere to the silver:
then that non-reverting metal is called inextinguishable.
4.34
Likewise, if silver along with lead is heated and does not adhere to copper,
then it should be considered inextinguishable and a colouring agent by the best physicians.
4.35
{Seed}
When, by a particular projection, it assumes its respective colour,
becomes soft, and has undergone varied refinements, that is called seed.
4.36
This very [process] is designated by physicians as extraction.
{Striking}
The complete destruction of one metal among two combined metals
by strong blowing with a blowpipe is termed striking.
4.37
{Pounded mica}
Powdered mica combined with paddy, tied in a cloth in sour gruel,
and issuing forth from the cloth by rubbing is called pounded mica.
4.38
{Metallic essence}
Combined with alkalis, acids, and fluxing agents, and heated in a smelting furnace,
whatever essence comes forth from it is designated as metallic essence.
4.39
{Single charcoal peak}
A furnace filled to the brim with charcoals, through the application of blowing,
reaching the neck of the crucible, is considered a single charcoal peak.
4.40
{Synonyms of charcoal}
Śikhitrāḥ, pāvakocchiṣṭāḥ, mṛtāṅgārāḥ, kokilāḥ,
kṛṣṇāṅgāḥ, and koliśāḥ are mutual synonyms.
4.41
In melting and essence extraction, those made of madhūka and khadira are auspicious;
those born of bamboo are for rapid melting, while those of badarī are auspicious for sweating.
4.42
{Extracted from cinnabar}
Mercury extracted from the Vidyādhara apparatus
after being ground with ginger juice is called cinnabar-extracted.
4.43
{Bell-metal-extracted}
Bell-metal mixed with a little orpiment and struck with a blowpipe,
freed of tin, is that copper called bell-metal-extracted.
4.44
{Secret lead}
Twenty palas of purified lead, made into disks,
smeared with realgar ground with the milk of calotropis,
4.45
confined in a casing of earthenware saucers, one should heat it with a hog fire;
one should diligently heat it so many times until an ash is produced.
4.46
Grinding that with jaggery, guggulu, guñjā, ghee, and honey,
confining it inside a crucible, it is then revived by blowing.
4.47
Making it into disks again, smearing it with mercury measuring one pala,
one should coat it with realgar and the milk of white calotropis.
4.48
One should heat this with elephant fires indeed twenty times;
in each heating, one should surely perform the revival of the lead.
4.49
One should quench it properly ten times in the liquid of nīlajyotis;
thus the lead is perfected, remaining reduced to only a karṣa.
4.50
Declared under the name 'secret lead', it is an excellent mercurial elixir.
{Secret lead: morsel of gold}
When this lead, measuring just a niṣka, is melted in an iron vessel,
4.51
it certainly swallows a golden rod one hundred thousand times its own weight;
heated with safflower oil, it certainly disgorges that gold.
4.52
This secret path is declared; Svacchandabhairava speaks [it]:
{Superior lead}
Cast iron combined with galena, blown strongly and repeatedly,
4.53
soft, black, and quick-melting, is called superior lead.
{Resuscitation}
The reappearance of what is killed is called by the name of resuscitation.
4.54
{Quenching}
The throwing of a molten substance into a liquid is considered quenching.
{Capala produced from lead}
Thirty pala-measures of lead ground with Calotropis milk,
4.55
ground and subjected to puṭa-heating until only a karṣa remains;
it never perishes even through a thousand puṭa-heatings.
4.56
This is declared by the alchemists as capala produced from lead.
{Capala produced from tin}
In this manner capala should also be made from tin, without doubt.
4.57
Merely touched by a hand that has touched that, solitary mercury is bound;
that mercury is praised in alchemy, not in rejuvenation therapy.
4.58
This indeed was taught by Lokanātha named Kharpaṇa.
{Preparation of capala}
Fine powder of lodestone, endowed with a fifth part of mercury,
4.59
one should grind for one day with water of aloe vera root,
and with the fresh juice of yellow wood-sorrel continuously for one day.
4.60
Thus one should grind for three days with earthworm-washings.
Then with one pala of lead and the same amount of tin,
4.61
and ten niṣkas of mercury, one should make a smooth amalgam paste;
then having combined it with the paste, one should grind it as before.
4.62
Then with distilled mercury and metallic essence of calamine,
having made an amalgam paste as before, one should combine it with the previous paste.
4.63
Kindling a fire, one should dry it with hot sour gruel;
with half a pala of pure blue vitriol and roasted jequirity juice,
4.64
grinding with sour gruel, one should make pills the size of black pepper;
shutting them in a vajra-crucible and sealing the joints,
4.65
one should truly blow thoroughly with nine peahens and bellows;
then, collecting from all sides the metallic essence inside the crucible,
4.66
one should blow in an open crucible with a blowpipe for purification.
Indeed, enclosing that metallic essence of ten śāṇas with ash and salt,
4.67
together with sour gruel, one should dry it by the application of a puṭa;
when it is reduced to the measure of two niṣkas, with the previously stated ash,
4.68
one should blow and carry off lead eighty times its amount;
by this much, that former mercury is never digested at all.
4.69
This capala has been declared by Lord Śambhu;
by this too, mercury is quickly and easily bound as before.
4.70
Heated in a puṭa ten times with powders of bitter gourd roots,
it becomes free of lead and consumes a morsel completely.
4.71
In an open crucible, the mouth becomes exceedingly superior;
this mercury, having digested the morsel, produces transmutations of body and base metal.
This very [process] has been declared with utter certainty by the venerable Somadeva.
4.72
{Dhauta}
The black powder removed by washing with earthworm excrement and water
is indeed called dhauta by the alchemical authorities.
4.73
{Dvaṃdvana}
The union of two substances by blowing is proclaimed as dvaṃdvana;
{...}
[as to] adding a fraction into silver and so on to inferior gold and gold,
4.74
{Bhañjinī}
the diminution of colour by sheets is considered bhañjinī by authorities.
{Pataṅgī}
The nature of silver or gold produced in a metal from a pataṅgī-paste,
4.75
{Palikā}
remaining for a few days and then departing, is regarded as palikā.
{Pataṅgī-colour}
Coloured from mercury or from metal, but departing upon blowing or after a long time,
that is designated by the term pataṅgī-colour.
4.76
{Āvāpa, Pratīvāpa, Ācchādana}
The throwing into another molten substance that is performed with metals and the like
is āvāpa; pratīvāpa and ācchādana are considered to be the same.
4.77
{Abhiṣeka}
Pausing for eight winks while the molten metal rests on the fire,
the sprinkling of water is declared as abhiṣeka.
4.78
{Nirvāpa}
The casting of a heated [metal] into water is quenching and bath;
{Time for pratīvāpa, etc.}
Pratīvāpa and so forth should be performed when the molten metal is thoroughly pure.
4.79
{Śuddhāvarta}
When the fire has a bright flame accompanied by the emergence of white,
then śuddhāvarta should be known; that is the time for the emergence of the metallic essence.
4.80
{Bījāvarta}
When a flame resembling the substance to be melted is seen during blowing,
that inclination toward liquefaction is called bījāvarta.
4.81
{Svāṅgaśītala}
That which cools while remaining on the fire itself is called self-cooled;
{Bahiḥśītala}
and that which cools when pulled away from the fire is declared externally cooled.
4.82
{Svedana}
Indeed, the cooking of that which resides in a swing-apparatus with alkalis, acids, or herbs,
which causes loosening of the dross, is called steaming.
4.83
{Mardana}
Grinding along with prescribed herbs, all acids, and sour gruel,
which destroys external dross, is called grinding.
4.84
{Mūrchana}
Causing the state of destroyed amalgam paste with medicines prescribed for grinding,
that is swooning, which destroys the impurities arising from tin and lead.
4.85
{Naṣṭapiṣṭa}
The bringing about of the paste state through destruction of its own form—
that mercury subdued by the learned is called destroyed amalgam paste.
4.86
{Utthāpana}
The restoration of its own form by means of steam, sunlight, and the like
is called resuscitation; it destroys the mishap of swooning.
4.87
{Pātana}
The driving upward, downward, and obliquely of mercury ground with the stated herbs
and placed in an apparatus is designated distillation; it destroys the impurities born of contact with tin and lead.
4.88
{Rodhana}
The detention of mercury combined with water and rock salt
placed for three days in a pot is called confinement.
4.89
{Niyama}
The steaming performed in a pot to check the volatility
of that which has acquired potency from confinement is declared restraint.
4.90
{Dīpana}
Combined with metals, minerals, roots, and the like, placed inside a pot,
steaming for three days for the sake of [eating] a morsel is deemed stimulation by the wise.
4.91
{Grāsamāna}
The measure of morsel-substance for this much measure of mercury
that is stated as 'so much' is declared morsel-measure.
4.92
{Jāraṇā}
Moving the morsel into the belly, melting, and likewise digesting—
thus digestion is declared to be threefold by excellent alchemists.
4.93
Morsel, lump, and transformation are remembered as three further designations;
moreover, digestion is twofold: with mouth and mouthless.
4.94
Digestion without a mouth (nirmukhā jāraṇā) is declared [to occur] by taking seed in [measured] portions.
Pure gold and silver are designated as the seed.
4.95
The introduction of seed in the amount of a sixty-fourth part is called the 'mouth'.
When this is done, mercury becomes eager for morsels and possesses a mouth.
4.96
It becomes capable of consuming even hard metals.
This indeed is declared to be digestion with a mouth by him who wanders like a deer (Mṛgacārin).
4.97
Placed in open furnaces through the application of divine herbs,
that [mercury] which consumes all metals and the like has the mouth of a demon.
4.98
Throwing a morsel into the mouth of mercury is regarded as feeding (cāraṇā).
Liquefying that which has been swallowed in its interior is declared to be internal liquefaction.
4.99
Liquefying solid essence and the like on the outside indeed,
for the digestion of mercury, is called external liquefaction.
4.100
Non-stickiness, liquidity, brightness, and lightness,
and rapid union with mercury: the characteristic of liquefaction is fivefold.
4.101
When through the application of chaff, grain, and the like, base metals and other substances
remain permanently in a liquid form, that is proclaimed to be liquefaction.
4.102
The transformation of a liquefied morsel through the application of an alchemical flux, apparatuses, and the like
is called digestion; its varieties are by the millions.
4.103
[Compounded] with alkalis, acids, sulphurs and the like, urines, and salts,
for the purpose of digesting mercury's morsel, that is proclaimed to be an alchemical flux.
4.104
The generation of a yellow or other coloration in mercury
by the digestion of well-prepared seed, metals, and the like is proclaimed to be coloration (rañjana).
4.105
The throwing of gold and the like into mercury placed in an apparatus with oil,
which causes an increase of transmutation in base metal, is proclaimed to be filtration (sāraṇā).
4.106
Mercury, accompanied by diffusive medicaments, thrown into a substance:
that indeed is called transmutation by the experts, and it is remembered to be of many kinds.
4.107
[Transmutation by] smearing, throwing, spear-point, smoke, and sound.
By smearing, it turns base metal into gold or silver:
4.108
that is to be known as transmutation by smearing, and here a wild-boar [furnace] heating is used.
Throwing [mercury] into molten metal is the transmutation called throwing.
4.109
Taking molten substance with mercury held by tongs,
which effects [the state of] gold or the like, is called transmutation by spear-point.
4.110
From the smoke of mercury thrown inside [a vessel] while smoking over fire,
the bringing about of gold or the like in base metal is called transmutation by smoke.
4.111
By blowing upon a small amount of base metal with mercury held in the mouth,
the production of the nature of gold or silver is proclaimed to be transmutation by sound.
4.112
The removal of tarnish and the like from a substance transmuted by mercury,
and the bringing to light of its colour, is declared to be uncovering (udghāṭana).
4.113
Sealing [mercury] with great care along with alkaline, acid medicaments in a vessel
and burying it in the earth: that is proclaimed to be sweating (svedana).
4.114
Sealing the vessel of mercury combined with medicaments with great care,
and throwing it inside a hearth that has continuous fire, is called laying-in (saṃnyāsa).
4.115
Both of these, sweating and laying-in, for the king of rasas definitely
generate efficacy and potency, and cause rapid penetration.
4.116
Having gathered from all sides the jewels called clear technical terms from the great ocean of alchemical lore,
Somadeva fashioned with great effort this necklace with them, which the foremost physician wears for ornament in an assembly.
4.117
The alchemist who has recited this chapter and recites it repeatedly,
when performing mercurial operations, is nowhere bewildered.
Linked texts (1)
- Rasendracūḍāmaṇi — Somadeva (alchemist), Sanskrit