A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c50.s1: The Rasakhaṇḍa
A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c50.s1
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The Rasakhaṇḍa
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The Rasakhaṇḍa 4 (577 verses) consists of ten chapters (upadeśa). 5 Chapter one (rasapīṭhikā; 33 verses) opens with a maṅgala addressed to Caṇḍikā (i.e., a terrific form of Pārvatī) 6 and Candraśekhara (i.e., Śiva), followed by some verses on the five sections of the Rasaratnākara and those to whom they are addressed (1–6). The other subjects of chapter one are: the praise of mercury (7–14 and 23–24) and the iatrochemist (15), the usefulness of the book (16–22 and 25–26), the doṣas of naturally occurring mercury (27–29ab), the qualities of purified mercury (29cd–30), and the quantity to be taken for purification (31–33). The treatise is declared to be based on earlier works, the teachings of the author's guru and personal experience (16–22). Chapter two (rasaśodhanamāraṇa; 46 verses) describes the purification and killing of mercury. Four kinds of bhasman are produced by these processes: white, yellow, red, and black in colour. The māraṇauṣadhis are listed in this chapter (15–20). Chapter three (māraṇa; 46 verses) is about a better method of killing mercury; this type of killing is preceded by jāraṇā and the addition of a bīja (1–2). In order to achieve jāraṇā, mercury has to be provided with a ‘mouth’ (mukha) first (3–7ab), which process is called mukhakaraṇa. Killing of mercury is also possible, without giving a mukha to mercury (nirmukha), by adding a bīḍa; the way to prepare a bīḍa is described (13cd–18). The niyāmaka plants are enumerated, employed in the māraṇa, mūrchana and bandhana of mercury (34–41). The examination of mercurial bhasmans and their uses are dealt with (43cd–46). Chapter four (mūrchanādinirūpaṇa; 54 verses) is concerned with the mūrchana and bandha of mercury. The same chapter describes the preparation of hairayaṅgabhakarasa (29cd–30). The chapter ends with a verse on the daivī, mānuṣī and rākṣasī types of medical treatment (54), i.e., the treatment with rasas, with herbs and mantras, and with surgical methods.
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Chapter five (vajravaikrāntaśodhanamāraṇa; 49 verses) enumerates the uparasas: gandhaka, vajra, vaikrānta, 7 tālaka, (manaḥ)śilā, kharpara, śikhituttha, 8 vimalā, hemamākṣika, kāsīsa, kāntapāṣāṇa, varāṭī, hiṅgula, kaṅkuṣṭha, śaṅkha, bhūnāga, ṭaṅkaṇa, and śilājatu (1–2). Described are the purification and killing of sulphur (gandhaka; 4–9), diamonds (vajra; 10–46) and vaikrānta (47–49), as well as the varieties of diamonds, distinguished according to their colour: śveta (= brāhmaṇa), rakta (= kṣatriya), pīta (= vaiśya), and kṛṣṇa (= śūdra), or their gender: puruṣa, strī and napuṃsaka (16–23).
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Chapter six (abhrakaśodhanamāraṇa; 44 verses) gives an account of the four varieties of mica (abhraka), the purification of its best variety (vajrābhra), resulting in dhānyābhraka, 9 killing of dhānyābhraka, and the amṛtīkaraṇa of the bhasman.
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Chapter seven (sarvoparasasattvapātana; 56 verses) deals with the purification of tālaka (1–8), manaḥśilā (9–12), rasaka (= kharpara; 13), tuttha (14–15), vimalā (16–18), and mākṣika (19–28); the impurities of the uparasas (called dhātu here; 29–30), the killing of coral (vidruma; 31), the purification and killing of the eight gems and manaḥśilā (32–34), the purification of śaṅkha, nīlāñjana, darada (= hiṅgula), sauvīra, kāntapāṣāṇa, etc. (35–42), and the sattvapātana of guggulu, tālaka, (manaḥ)śilā, mākṣika, and all the uparasas (43–56).
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Chapter eight (sarvaṇādivaṅgāntamāraṇa; 101 verses) begins with an enumeration of the group of twelve metals and allied substances; the eight metals (lauha) consist of: gold, silver, copper, lead, tin, and three kinds of iron: kānta, tīkṣṇaka, and muṇḍa; the three alloys (upalauha) are: kāṃsya, āra (= pittala) and ghoṣaka; maṇḍūra is the twelfth item (1–2). Described in this chapter are the purification and killing of gold, silver, copper, lead and tin.
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Chapter nine (kāntalauhādikiṭṭamāraṇa; 67 verses) is concerned with the purification, killing and amṛtīkaraṇa of the bhasman of iron (1–60), the purification and killing of the upalauhas (61–64), and the purification of maṇḍūra (65–67). One method of killing iron has been borrowed from the Siddhas (47–51ab).
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Chapter ten (tailapātana; 81 verses) deals with the preparation of a large number of oils (1–27) and many other subjects: poisonous substances (28–61), the purification of bile (61), śilājatu (61–69ab and a passage in prose), substances used for bhāvanā (śālasārādi-gaṇa; 69cd–71), the process of bhāvanā (72–73), 10 the purification of dagdhahīraka (74), 11 guggulu and its purification (75–77 and a passage in prose), and the purification of śaṅkhanābhi, varāṭī, and muktā (78–81).
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The Rasendrakhaṇḍa The Rasendrakhaṇḍa 12 (about 5,100 verses) consists of seventy-one chapters (adhikāra), dealing with the aetiology, symptomatology and treatment of diseases, largely arranged in agreement with the Mādhavanidāna. 13 Some chapters on diseases left undescribed in Mādhava's work are added, as well as chapters on rasāyana (68), rasājīrṇa (69), and vājīkaraṇa (70).
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The verses on therapy contain both āyurvedic recipes 14 and rasayogas. Glosses, explaining technical terms, names of plants, etc., are not rare.
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Chapter one (jvara and jvaratīsāra; 421 verses) begins with verses said to represent Caraka's views on the catuṣpāda (the four pillars of treatment; 1–26). 15 Verses on karmaja and doṣaja disorders, the three doṣas, other constituents of the body, etc. (27–89), precede the section on the treatment of fevers (90–405) and jvaratīsāra (406–421). The chapter on raktapitta has an appendix on the purification of sulphur; it is written in verse and prose, borrowed from earlier works. The chapter on vātavyādhi has verses on the purification of substances employed in the preparation of fragrant oils (vātavyādhi 184–195) and on other subjects connected with perfumery (vātavyādhi 196–236).
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Several mantras 16 and two yantras 17 are mentioned.
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The author of the glosses is unknown. The majority consist of short explanations, but some are more elaborate. 18 The glossator refers to variants of the text 19 and disagreeing opinions. 20
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The Vādikhaṇḍa The Vādikhaṇḍa 21 (2,325 verses) deals exclusively with alchemy and some related subjects. It is arranged in twenty chapters.
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Chapter one (rasadīkṣā; 76 verses) is about the teacher and his pupil, the dīkṣā, and the rasaśālā (laboratory) with its inventory.
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Chapter two (vargasādhanādirasaśodhanānta; 54 verses) is concerned with the items belonging to several vargas (4–31), the vajramūṣā (31–39), the purification of mercury (39–45), the taptakhalva (46–47), and the preparation of mercury from cinnabar (48–54). The vargas mentioned are: kṣāra-varga, śuklavarga (= śvetavarga), vidvarga, lavaṇapañcaka, kṣāratraya, mūtravarga, raktavarga, pītavarga, and the group of divine herbs (divyauṣadhi).
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The subjects of chapter three (vajraśodhanādidhātumāraṇa; 129 verses) are: diamonds (vajra), their varieties (2–5), their purification (6–13ab) and killing (13cd–48ab), their mṛdūkaraṇa, which makes them into what is called vajraudana (48cd–64); the purification of vaikrānta and the uparasas (65–67), the purification of sulphur (68–76) and the extraction (pātana) of its oil (77–82), the purification of tālaka, vimalā, rasaka, and other substances (83–97), the preparation of dhānyābhraka (98–99), and the killing of abhraka (100–104); the purification of all the metals (105–108), and the killing of lead, tin, copper, silver, gold, āra (= pittala) and ghoṣa (= kāṃsya) (109–129).
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Chapter four (tārarāñjana; 163 verses) gives an account of the preparation of gandhakapiṣṭikā (2–3ab and 13–31) and svarṇapiṣṭikā (3cd–4ab), gandhakajāraṇa (4cd–8), the preparation of the gold called siddhayoga (9–12), the stambhana, jāraṇa and māraṇa of gandhakapiṣṭī (32–41ab), the preparation of artificial gold (tāravedha; 41cd–64, 74cd–77ab, 90cd–107ab, 117cd–120ab, 123cd–132, 156–163), the preparation of tārāriṣṭa 22 and its uses in making artificial gold (65–74ab, 77cd–86, 133–151), aurification by means of the bhasman of lead (87–90ab), the preparation of siddhacūrṇa and its uses in aurification (107cd–117ab and 120cd–123ab), and the turning of copper into gold (152–155).
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Chapter five (varṇotkarṣaṇavarṇavivardhana; 56 verses) describes the preparation of sitasvarṇa (an alloy of gold and silver) and its turning into pure gold (2–22), the preparation of pakvabīja which turns sitasvarṇa into pure gold (23–30), the preparation of hemaraktikā, and the improvement of the quality of gold of less than ten varṇa²³ (varṇavivardhana; 31–55).
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Chapter six (rañjanādicandrārkavedhana; 125 verses) is about various methods which transmute lead (2–28ab), copper, candrārka and sitasvarṇa (28cd–125) into gold.
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Chapter seven (drutasūtaprayoga; 127 verses) is concerned with processes which turn various metals into gold and with substances employed in these processes. Its subjects are: the preparation of piṣṭigola (2–9), nigaḍa (10–16),²⁴ mercurial khoṭa (17–25ab), biḍavaṭī (25cd–28ab),²⁵ drutasūta (28cd–42), and the transmutation, by means of drutasūta, of various metals into gold: copper, lead, candrārka, silver and sitasvarṇa. An additional subject is the khoṭabandha of mercury (72–73).
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Chapter eight (vaṅgastambhanādidalakaraṇa; 144 verses) describes operations which turn tin and copper into silver. Additional subjects are the purification of tin (2–4) and copper (93–97).
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Chapter nine (vajrayogena hemakaraṇam; 131 verses) gives an account of methods which turn various metals into gold by means of substances prepared from mixtures of diamonds and mercury or gold (dvandvakhoṭa).
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Chapter ten (pakvabījavargasādhana; 90 verses) is about the following subjects: the preparation of pakvabīja (2–8) and nīgabīja (9–12); the colouring of a bīja (13–24); the preparation of tārabīja (25–34); the preparation of sāraṇātaila (38–44); the preparation of krāmakasattva, used in krāmaṇa (45–52); the preparation of various types of bīḍa and their use in jāraṇa (54–90).
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Chapter eleven (svedanādyanuvāsānantasaṃskāraṇavaka; 36 verses) enumerates eighteen saṃskāras of mercury: svedana, mardana, mūrchā, utthāpana, nirodhana, niyāma, dīpana, anuvāsana, jāraṇa, cāraṇa, garbha(druti), bāhyadruti, rañjana, sāraṇa, anusāraṇa, pratisāraṇa, and krāmaṇa (2–3). The first five saṃskāras, followed by dīpana and anuvāsana, are described in this chapter.
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Chapter twelve (gandhakābhrahemarajatajāraṇa; 85 verses) is concerned with the jāraṇa of sulphur (2–9) and with pakvabīja (10–16), the mukha- and khoṭabandha of mercury (17–22), methods which give a mukha to mercury (25–31), a ritual, accompanied by a mantra, that should precede cāraṇa (32–37), the cāraṇa of abhraka (38–57), the vedha of mercury that has been subjected to cāraṇa (38–70), the nirmukhacāraṇa and -jāraṇa of abhraka (71–74) and the results of these processes (75–84).
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Chapter thirteen (abhrakādisattvapātanādyabhiṣekānta; 105 verses) describes the extraction of the essence of abhraka (5–21), mākṣika (22–32), manaḥśilā (33–41), haritāla (42–50), tuttha (51–55), sauvīra (56), rasaka (57–62), vaikrānta (63–70), gairika (71), saurāṣṭrī (72), sasyaka (73–74), kāsīsa (75–76), rājāvarta (77–78), and śroto'ñjana (79–80). The second part of the chapter is devoted to the making of mixtures of two substances (dvandvamelāpana; 81–98) and to two ways of preparing the fluid used for abhiṣeka (99–103).
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Chapter fourteen (dvandvasattvādibījajāraṇahemajāraṇahematārakaraṇa; 107 verses) is about jāraṇa, the svarṇa- and tārabīja employed in this process, and the vedha resulting from it.²⁶
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Chapter fifteen (jāraṇādigarbhadrāravaṇa; 128 verses) is about the following subjects: the preparation of various bījas (2–16 and 95–101), the colouring of mercury (rañjana; 17–25 and 64–66), druti (38–50 and 58–60ab), jāraṇa (60cd–63, 79–84, 102–104), and vedha (26–37, 51–57, 67–78, 85–101, 105–127).
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Chapter sixteen (bhūnāgasattvādīsidhiyogaiḥ svarṇakaraṇam; 121 verses) is devoted to the preparation of bhūnāgasattva (2–12) and bhūnāgataila (13–14), the preparation of guhyasūta (15–20),²⁷ its jāraṇa and use in making gold (21–41), the use of vaikrānta of a red, yellow, black, white, or coppery colour in making gold and silver (42–89), the four varieties of capalā and their uses in making gold and silver (90–103), and some other methods to arrive at the transmutation of base metals (104–120).
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Chapter seventeen (drutikaraṇa; 73 verses) describes the liquefaction (druti) of mica (abhraka; 2–30), abhrakasattva (31–39), gold and silver (40–42), tīkṣṇaloha (43–44 and 53–54), all the metals (45–46 and 56–59), gold (47–52), kāntaloha (55), mākṣikasattva (60), all the gems and metals (61–65), diamonds (66–68), vaikrānta, and all the gems (69–71). The chapter ends with two verses on the stabilization (sthāpana) of a druti (72–73).
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Chapter eighteen (drutivajraratnajāraṇakrameṇa pāṣāṇavedhaparyantavedhavidhiḥ; 183 verses) deals with several ways of mixing a druti with mercury (drutimelāpana; 2–12)²⁸ and the uses of these mixtures in making gold (57–58, 85–98) and silver (79–84), the preparation of vajrabīja (99–106) and its jāraṇa, which results in several types of vedha (107–149), and the preparation of another bīja which, after processing it, enables mercury to pervade all kinds of materials, even rocks and stones (giri, pāṣāṇa), changing them into gold (150–182).
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Chapter nineteen (ratnādigandhavādanadhanavaradhana; 140 verses) describes how to make paste gems: padmarāga, indranīla, marakata, gomeda, puṣparāga, nīlamāṇikya (2–16), pearls (17–32),²⁹ and coral (33–40). Also described are the preparation of artificial cinnabar (41–45) and sindūra (46–54), the preparation of saindhava and suvarcala (55–59), the adulteration of hingu (60–69), the making of artificial tin (70–74) and amlavetasa (75–78), the preparation of ink (maṣī; 79–80),³⁰ the adulteration of ghee (81–88), the preparation of fake sandal, camphor (karpūra), musk (kastūrī) and saffron (kuṅkuma) (89–119),³¹ the preparation of divyadhūpa (120–127), the extraction of fragrant substances from flowers (puṣpadruti; 128–131), and magical methods to increase the yield of the grain on the fields (dhānyavardhana; 132–139).
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Chapter twenty (no title; 143 verses) gives an account of the bandha of mercury (2–49), the preparation of a mercurial bhasman (50–57), giving a mukha to baddha mercury (58–62), several methods of transmuting base metals into gold or silver (63–104), giving a mukha to lead (105–109), ways to soften (mṛdūkaraṇa) hard metals (110–114), the preparation of guhyasūta and its use (116–121), the preparation of guhyavaṅga and guhyanāga (122–129), three varieties of kāmadhenugutikā (130–137), some methods of changing silver, lead and sitasvarṇa into gold (138–141), and, finally, a method of making mercury to digest mica (abhrakagrāsa; 142).
Cites (3)
- Carakasaṃhitā — Agniveśa (Āyurveda) & Caraka, Sanskrit
- Mādhavanidāna (Rugviniścaya) — Mādhavakara, Sanskrit
- Rasaratnākara — Sāḷva, Kannada