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A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c48.s12: The Kākacaṇḍīśvarakalpatantra

A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c48.s12

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English

Contents

The Kākacaṇḍīśvarakalpatantra

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The Kākacaṇḍīśvarakalpatantra,¹⁹ a treatise in about 700 verses, contains fifty-one kalpas,²⁰ generally belonging to the realm of rasaśāstra, as appears from the ingredients of the prescriptions, the effects of their administration, and the terminology used. Each kalpa consists of several prescriptions, usually with a particular plant as their main ingredient. The formulae serve to cure diseases, have a rasāyana or vājīkaraṇa character, or aim at alchemical purposes (deha- and lohasiddhi). Mantras and Tantric elements are frequent.

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¹⁹ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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²⁰ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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The plants and some other substances,²¹ after which the kalpas are named, are: aparājitā, uccaṭā, nāgadamanī, vajravallī, vajradantī, hastikarṇī, mahānīlī, śailodaka, śvetapunarnavā, raktapalāśa, brahma(vr̥kṣa), śvetapalāśa, kr̥ṣṇaharidrā, kaṭurohiṇī, aśvagandhā, aṅkola, lakṣmaṇā, īśvarī, śālmalī, kākajaṅghā, kṣiprā, karañja, nirguṇḍī, indravāruṇī, bhṛṅgarāja, triphalā, udaka, musalī, muṇḍī, citraka, maṇḍūka, śrīphala (= bilva), āmalakī, śvetaguñjā, maṇḍūkabrāhmī, vandā, vākucī (= somarājī), rudantī, kaṭutumbī, iliyālepa, nimba, tr̥ṇajyotis, śvetārka, bhūkadamba, gandhaka, devadālī, eraṇḍa, mayūraśikhā, brahmadaṇḍī, and sahadevī.²²

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²¹ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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²² The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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The only authority referred to is Nāgārjuna, to whom one of the prescriptions of the iliyālepakalpa is attributed.

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The Kākacaṇḍīśvarakalpatantra is composed in the form of a conversation between Śiva and Pārvatī.²³ It is not clear whether it forms part of the Kākacaṇḍeśvarīmatatantra.²⁴

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²³ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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²⁴ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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Kākacaṇḍīśvara is mentioned as a Rasasiddha in Catur bhuja’s commentary on the Rasahr̥daya (1.⁷), the Pāradasaṃhitā (1.99), the Rasaratnasamuccaya (1.⁶), the Rasataraṅgiṇī (1.29–32), and the Rasendrasambhava (introductory verses). He is a Mahāsiddha in Svātmārāma’s Haṭhayogapradīpikā (1.7).

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⁶ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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⁷ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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Kākacaṇḍīśvara is quoted in the Pāradasaṃhitā.²⁵ Kākacaṇḍīśvara is quoted²⁶ in the Pīyūṣaratnamahodadhi of Akulendranātha²⁷ and the Rasarāja of Viṣṇudeva.²⁸

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²⁵ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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²⁶ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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²⁷ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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²⁸ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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The date of the work is uncertain.

Special features

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²⁹ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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The uccaṭākalpa describes uccaṭā (2–3), which is also called vijayā (15), and mentions locations where this plant is found: the mountain Candrakānta, Hemapuṣṭa, the mountain Jālandhara,³⁰ Kuberanagara,³¹ the mountain Naranārāyaṇa, and Śaṅkhatīrtha³² (13–14). The vajravallīkalpa mentions that vajravallī cures the variety of udara that is called maṇḍūka-ākr̥ti. The śailodakakalpa³³ describes four varieties of śailodaka, which acts as a powerful rasāyana and turns base metals into gold. This type of action, called vedha, is obtained within specified periods of time, dependent on the location of the practitioner. Many geographical names are found in this kalpa:³⁴ Aghora, Āṅgirasakuṇḍa, Bhadrānta, Bhūśaila, Brahmagiri,³⁵ Durgadeśa, Gokarṇa,³⁶ Kalāgiri, Kalindanadī,³⁷ Kiṣkindhāparvata,³⁸ Mālyakarṇa, Mānavarta, Nr̥siṃhanagara, Pampā,³⁹ Siṃhācala,⁴⁰ Siṃhadvīpa,⁴¹ Śrīśaila,⁴² Tāreśvara, Tilodaka,⁴³ Vedaparvata, Vilānta, Vindhya, Vyāghrapāda.⁴⁴

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³⁰ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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³¹ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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³² The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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³³ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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³⁴ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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³⁵ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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³⁶ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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³⁷ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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³⁸ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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³⁹ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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⁴⁰ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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⁴¹ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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⁴² The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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⁴³ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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⁴⁴ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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Śailodaka owes its origin to the drops of sweat that fell from Viṣṇu’s body when he, in his boar incarnation, raised the earth out of the waters.

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The aṅkolakalpa describes four varieties of this plant: white, ruddy (aruṇa), yellowish (harit), and dark (kr̥ṣṇa). The śālmalīkalpa mentions four varieties of śālmalī: white, ruddy (aruṇa), yellowish (harit), and yellow (pīta). The plant called kṣiprā is elaborately characterized. The ratios of the ingredients in triphalā are: three niṣkas of haritakī,⁴⁵ six niṣkas of vibhītaka, and twelve niṣkas of āmalakī.⁴⁶

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⁴⁵ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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⁴⁶ The text is also known as the Kākacaṇḍīśvarītantra.

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The udakalpa gives for the amount of water that should be drunk during the various parts of day and night. The musalīkalpa gives a series of synonyms of this plant. Three varieties of muṇḍī are mentioned, white, red and dark, and two varieties of citraka, called sūcīpattramukha and maṇḍalapattraka. The maṇḍūkakalpa describes the properties of a gem-like substance in the head of a large frog living in particular places.47

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The vandākalpa describes the properties of this plant, which depend on the kind of tree on which it grows.48 Rudantī, said to grow in mountainous regions like the Himālaya, Kailāsa, Mandara, Vindhya, Śrīsaila, Hemakūṭa49 and Pārijāta, is described; four varieties, white, red, yellow and dark, are distinguished. The small tree called iliyālepa or kaṭveraṇḍa50 is characterized. Four varieties of eraṇḍa are mentioned: red, yellow, dark and white. Many synonyms of mayūraśikhā are enumerated. Brahmadāṇḍī is of two varieties, white and dark.

Cites (6)