A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c50.s1.2

v3.c50.s1.2

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).