A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c43.s29.91

Language: English

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II. The Madhyamakhaṇḍa deals with the various pharmaceutical preparations and contains a great number of formulae. (1) The *svarasādikalpanā* chapter defines a svarasa, describes the way it should be prepared, and gives many examples (2–20). It proceeds in the same way with the variety of svarasa prepared by means of puṭapāka (21–43ab). ¹⁰²⁶ (2) The first part of this *kvāthādikalpanā* chapter (1–149) is on kvāthas; ¹⁰²⁷ it also enumerates the drugs belonging to two gaṇas, namely the *vīratarvādigaṇa* (102cd–104ab) and the *varuṇādigaṇa* (128–129). The second part deals with the preparations called pramathyā (150–151), yavāgū (152–153), yūṣa (154–156), pāna (157–158), uṣṇodaka (159–160), kṣīrapāka (161–164ab), anaprakriyā (164cd–166ab), vilepī (166cd–167ab), peyā and yūṣa (167cd–169ab), and maṇḍa (169cd–175ab). (3) The *phaṇtādikalpanā* chapter describes the preparations called phaṇta (1–8) and mantha (9–13ab). (4) The *himakalpanā* chapter is about himas (1–9ab). (5) The *kalkakalpanā* chapter is concerned with kalkas (1–29ab). (6) The *cūrṇakalpanā* chapter (1–65ab) deals mainly with cūrṇas, ¹⁰²⁸ but has also verses on anupāna (4–5), on some groups of drugs (16cd–19ab: *jīvanīyagaṇa*; 19cd–20: *aṣṭakavarga*) and on kṣāra (24–25). (7) The *guṭikākalpanā* chapter describes guṭikās, modakas and vaṭakas, which are closely related types of preparation (1–105). ¹⁰²⁹ (8) The *avalehakalpanā* chapter is about avalehas (1–89ab).

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¹⁰³⁰ (9) The *ghṛtātailakalpanā* chapter is concerned with snehapāka (1–19ab), various types of medicated ghees (19cd–92) and oils (93–210), and also has some verses on madhusukta (178cd–180). (10) The *saṃdhānakalpanā* chapter is about preparations made by way of fermentation (saṃdhāna), i.e., the types called āsava and ariṣṭa ¹⁰³¹ (2–3), sīdhu, etc. (4), surā, etc. (5–6), vāruṇī (7ab), śukta (7cd–10), tuṣāmbu, sauvīra, kānjīka and saṇḍākī (11–12). A number of āsavas (13–38) ¹⁰³² and ariṣṭas (39–92) are described. (11) The *dhātuśodhanamarāṇa* chapter describes the purification (śodhana) and killing (māraṇa) of metals and a number of other inorganic substances. After enumerating the seven metals (dhātu) distinguished by Śārṅgadhara, namely gold, silver, brass (āra), copper, lead (nāga), tin (vaṇga) and iron (tīkṣṇa), and describing their purification (1–4), the killing of each of these metals is dealt with (5–53ab). This is followed by a section on the seven upadhātus, which are mineral substances consisting of (53cd–54ab) mākṣika (pyrites), tutthaka (sulphate of copper), abhra (mica), nīlānjana (stibnite or antimonite, Sb2S3), śilā (= manaḥśilā, i.e., realgar, As2S2), ālaka (= haritāla, i.e., orpiment, As2S3) and rasaka (calamine, i.e., an ore of zinc).

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Procedures leading to the purification and killing of these substances are described (54cd–76ab), followed by the procedure aiming at the release of the essence of the metals (and upadhātus), the so-called sattvanirgama (76cd–78). The third part of this chapter is concerned with the purification and killing of some (semi)precious stones (79–92ab). It ends with the purification of bitumen (śilājatu; 92cd–99ab), the preparation of rust of iron (maṇḍūra; 99cd–101ab) and finally caustics (kṣāra; 101cd–104). (12) The rasakalpanā chapter mainly deals with mercurial preparations. It opens with a verse in praise of mercury (1), mentions its synonyms (2) and enumerates nine metals (3–4ab), i.e., the seven metals mentioned in chapter eleven, together with bell-metal (kāṃsyaka) and magnetic oxide of iron (kāntaloha). This is followed by the purification of mercury (4cd–13ab), sulphur (gandhaka; 13cd–15ab) and cinnabar (darada; 15cd–16ab), and the extraction of mercury from the last substance of these three (16cd–17). The nine poisons and seven secondary poisons are enumerated (18–20ab), and the so-called mukhakaraṇa of mercury is dealt with, which consists of procedures rendering it capable of ‘eating’ other substances (20cd–24); after this mukhakaraṇa it is called chinnapakṣa, which means that it is now regarded as a bird whose wings have been clipped.

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The chapter goes on with the description of gandhakajārana, i.e., the digestion of sulphur by mercury (25–29ab) and various procedures for the killing of mercury (29cd–41). The remaining part of the chapter consists of recipes for a number of rasaushadhas against various diseases (42–289). ¹⁰³³ It ends with some verses on the purification of jaipāla (290) and poisons (291–294), which may be later additions because the commentators are silent on them.