A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s6.t4.220

v2.c19.s6.t4.220

² Thus especially in No. 16 of the "Stories of the 84 Magicians," translated by *A. Grünwedel* (Baessler-Archiv, V, 1916, 161 ff). A medical writer Nāgārjuna is named as the author of the Uttara-Tantra on the Suśruta; s. J. *Jolly*, Medizin (Grundriss), pp. 16, 125, and in ZDMG 53, 1899, 378. About Nāgārjuna, the author of Tantras, who lived in the 7th century, see below. Albērūnī says of the alchemist Nāgārjuna, the author of the Rasaratnākara, that he lived a hundred years before his time. P. C. Ray places him in the 7th or 8th century A.D. In the Rasaratnākara we find dialogues between Nāgārjuna and King Śālivāhana (for Śālivāhana or Sātavāhana as a friend of Nāgārjuna, see below), and at the beginning of Chapter III, which deals with quicksilver, we read that the goddess Prajñā-Pāramitā appeared to Nāgārjuna in a dream, and revealed to him the ingredients for a recipe. *Cf.* P. C. *Ray*, A History of Indian Chemistry, I, Calcutta 1903, pp. xxiv, xcii ff. ; II, 1909, pp. xx, xxiii ff., xxxviii ff., 6 ff. Most likely the Buddhist philosopher, the Tantric writer, the medical writer and the alchemist were four different men, who were confused owing to the identity of the names.