A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c49.s6.12

v3.c49.s6.12

Chapter five (mahārasanirūpaṇa; 132 verses) is about the mahārasas, their names and varieties, their purification, killing and sattvapātana (the extraction of their essences). Eight mahārasas are listed: gagana (= abhraka), rasaka, tāpya (= mākṣika), vaikrānta, vimalā, sasyaka,⁵⁸ śailasaṃbhūta (= śilājatu) and rājāvartaka (2–3ab). Four varieties of mica (abhraka) are described: vajra, pināka, nāga and maṇḍūka (3cd–7). Vaikrānta is of eight varieties (62); vimalā is of three types (80–81ab). Two varieties of śilājatu are distinguished: gomūtra and ghanasāraka (90cd);⁵⁹ a third one is added, called karpūraśilājatu, which differs from the other varieties because its killing and the extraction of its essence are not described by the experts (104–105).⁶⁰ Two varieties of rasaka are mentioned: kāravella and dardura⁶¹ (106),⁶² and two varieties of mākṣika: rukmamākṣika (= suvarṇamākṣika) and tāpya (121–122).⁶³