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A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c49.s3: Rasāmṛta

A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c49.s3

Language
English

Contents

Rasāmṛta

v3.c49.s3.1

Rasāmṛta by Vaidya Yādavjī Trikamjī Ācārya.¹²⁴

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¹²⁴ Rasāmṛta, p. 1.

Contents

v3.c49.s3.t1.1

¹²⁵ Rasāmṛta, pp. 1–2.

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This modern compilation consists of nine chapters (adhyāya) and nine appendices (pariśiṣṭa).

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Chapter one (rasavijñānīya; 58 verses) gives an account of mercury, its impurities (doṣa),¹²⁶ eight saṃskāras, the preparation of mercury from cinnabar (hiṅgula), some rasayogas, cinnabar, and girisindūra.¹²⁷ Chapter two (gandhakavijñānīya; 5 verses) describes sulphur, its purification, and a recipe. Chapter three (lohavijñānīya; 186 verses) is about the dhātus:¹²⁸ suvarṇa (gold; 1–24), rajata (silver; 25–34ab), tāmra (copper; 34cd–47), pittala (brass; 48–53), kāṃsya (bronze; 54–56), mākṣī-ka (57–72ab), tuttha (72cd–82), nīlakalka (in Hindī),¹²⁹ vaṅga (tin; 83–101ab), nāga (lead; 101cd–108ab), sindūra (108cd–109), mṛddāraśṛṅga (110–112), safedā (in Hindī),¹³⁰ sauvirāñjana (113–115ab), yaśada (zinc; 115cd–120ab), puṣpāñjana (120cd–121), rasaka (122–128), loha (iron; 129–147) and maṇḍūra (148–151ab), vimala (151cd–156), kāśīśa (157–164ab), gairika (164cd–168), gile armanī (in Hindī),¹³¹ gile makhtūm (in Hindī),¹³² abhraka (169–182ab), and ayaskānta (182cd–186). Chapter four (mallavijñānīya; 15 verses) is concerned with malla or gurīpāṣāṇa

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¹²⁶ Rasāmṛta, pp. 3–10.

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¹²⁷ Rasāmṛta, pp. 11–12.

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¹²⁸ Rasāmṛta, pp. 13–56.

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¹²⁹ Rasāmṛta, p. 33.

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¹³⁰ Rasāmṛta, p. 41.

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¹³¹ Rasāmṛta, p. 53.

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¹³² Rasāmṛta, p. 53.

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(1–4ab), haritāla (4cd–11), and manaḥśilā (12–15). Chapter five (sudhāvijnānīya; 9 verses) describes sudhā (1–4ab),¹³³ khaṭikā (4cd–5ab),¹³⁴ godantī (5cd–9),¹³⁵ and safed surmā (in Hindī).¹³⁶ Chapter six (sikatāvijñānīya; 5 verses) is about sikatā (1–4), dugdhapāṣāṇa (5),¹³⁷ kauśeyāśman, ¹³⁸ nāgapāṣāṇa, ¹³⁹ and aśmabhid (in Hindī).¹⁴⁰ Chapter seven (lavaṇakṣāravijñānīya; 28 verses) is devoted to salts (1–17: saindhava, sāmudra, romaka, viḍa, sauvarcala, and audbhida lavaṇa) and alkalis (18–28: yavakṣāra, svarjikā, ṭaṅkaṇa, sphaṭikā, ¹⁴¹ parpaṭakṣāra ¹⁴² and saurakṣāra).¹⁴³ Chapter eight (ratnavijñānīya; 24 verses) is concerned with the ratnas: māṇikya (1), nīla (2), puṣparāga (3), gomeda (4), vaidūrya (5), tārkṣya (6), and vajra (7–9), their purification and killing (10–12), and the uparatnas: rājāvarta (13–15), saṅgayaśab ¹⁴⁴ (in Hindī), akīka (16), ¹⁴⁵ sphaṭika (17), sūryakānta (18), candrakānta (19), peroja (20), ¹⁴⁶ vaikrānta (21–24), and tṛṇakāntamaṇi ¹⁴⁷ (in Hindī). Chapter nine (rasayoga-vijñānīyayoga; 222 verses) consists of sixty-six formulae.¹⁴⁸ The pariśiṣṭas are about the preparation of bhasman and about puṭa (1; in Hindī), about capala (2), śilājatu (3), mākṣīka and vimala (4; in Hindī), rasāñjana (5; in Hindī), the doṣas of impure dhātus (6), sattvapātana (7), and the purification of some viṣas (8). The last pariśiṣṭa (9) consists of a list of substances which are important in rasaśāstra and mentioned in the Caraka- and Suśrutasaṃhitā (references are given).

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¹³³ Rasāmṛta, p. 63.

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¹³⁴ Rasāmṛta, p. 63.

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¹³⁵ Rasāmṛta, p. 64.

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¹³⁶ Rasāmṛta, p. 64.

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¹³⁷ Rasāmṛta, p. 65.

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¹³⁸ Rasāmṛta, p. 65.

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¹³⁹ Rasāmṛta, p. 65.

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¹⁴⁰ Rasāmṛta, p. 65.

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¹⁴¹ Rasāmṛta, p. 67.

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¹⁴² Rasāmṛta, p. 67.

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¹⁴³ Rasāmṛta, p. 67.

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¹⁴⁴ Rasāmṛta, p. 69.

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¹⁴⁵ Rasāmṛta, p. 69.

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¹⁴⁶ Rasāmṛta, p. 70.

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¹⁴⁷ Rasāmṛta, p. 70.

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¹⁴⁸ Rasāmṛta, pp. 71–96.

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The Rasāmṛta is restricted to iatrochemistry, which explains that only the first eight saṃskāras of mercury are dealt with. Anuvāsana is omitted.

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The sources are listed in the author's prastāvanā and often indicated in the text of the treatise.

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These sources consist of: Aṣṭāṅgasamgraha, Āyurvedaprakāśa, Bhaiṣajyaratnā-valī, Bhāratīyarasaśāstra by Vāman Gaṇeś Desāī,¹⁴⁹ Carakasaṃhitā, Lohasarvasva, Paribhāṣākhaṇḍa,¹⁵⁰ Rasahṛdaya, Rasapaddhati, Rasaprakāśasudhakara, Rasaratnasa-muccaya, Rasasāra, Rasataraṅgiṇī, Rasendracūḍāmaṇi, Rasendrasārasaṃgraha, Ratna-pradīpa by Mahādeva Lakṣmaṇa Khāṃbeṭe,¹⁵¹ Suśrutasaṃhitā, Yogaratnākara, and Yūnānī Dravyaguṇavijñāna by Daljit Simha.¹⁵²

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¹⁴⁹ Rasāmṛta, p. 1.

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¹⁵⁰ Rasāmṛta, p. 1.

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¹⁵¹ Rasāmṛta, p. 1.

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¹⁵² Rasāmṛta, p. 1.

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Sources not listed by the author, but referred to in his treatise, are: Bhāvaprakā-śa (6.2ab), Dhanvantarīyanighaṇṭu (6.1; 7.4–5ab and 20), Gadanigraha (6.2cd–4), Rā-janighaṇṭu (3.166cd–167ab; 7.6cd–7ab), Rasārṇava (3.64cd–65ab, 122cd–123), Ra-sasamketakalikā (9.55–56), Śārṅgadharasaṃhitā (9.151–158ab), Siddhabhaiṣajyama-ñjūṣā (9.132–134), Siddhabheṣajamaṇimālā (1.46; 4.8; 8.16; 9.183–185), and Vaidya-jīvana (9.167).

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The Rasāmṛta is quoted in the commentaries on the Āyurvedaprakāśa of Gulrā-jśarmamiśra and Somadevaśarman; it is one of the sources of the Bheṣajasamhitā.

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Rasapaddhati to Rasaratnadīpikā