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A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c51.s5: The Rasendracintāmaṇi

A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c51.s5

Language
English

Contents

The Rasendracintāmaṇi

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The Rasendracintāmaṇi, ascribed to Ḍhuṇḍhukanātha or to Rāmacandra Guha,¹⁶⁹ is a treatise on alchemy and iatrochemistry. Its structure resembles that of the Rasendrasaṃgraha, but, in contrast with the latter work, it also deals with deha- and lohavedha.

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Contents¹⁷⁰ Chapter one (śāstravatāra; 1–6) is of an introductory nature; it contains a eulogy of mercury and its products, which enable a human being to obtain an indestructable (ajarāmara) body, khecaratva and śivatva (4). Six types of benefit result from the darśana, sparśana, bhakṣaṇa, smaraṇa, pūjana and dāna of mercury (4–5). Mercury, when free from blemishes, is like Brahmā; it is like Janārdana when mūṛchita, like Rudra when mārita, like Sadāśiva when baddha (5).

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Chapter two (mūrchanādhyāya; 6–10) describes gandhakajāraṇa, two sikatāyantras, the preparation of kajjalī and niṣada. Chapter three (bandhanādhyāya; 10–23) enumerates nineteen saṃskāras: svedana, mardana, mūrchana, utthāpana, pātana, bodhana, niyamana, dīpana, anuvāsana, gaganādigrāsapramāṇa, cāraṇa, garbhadruṭi, bāhyadruṭi, yogajāraṇa, rañjana, sāraṇa, krāmaṇa, vedhana, and bhakṣaṇa (10). Saṃskāras described in the chapter are mardana, mūrchana, utthāpana (10–11), svedana (12), ūrdhva-, adhaḥ-, and tiryakpātana (12–13), bodhana (13–14), niyamana (14), dīpana (14), anuvāsana (14–15), grāsana (15–16), cāraṇa (16–18), jāraṇa (18–21), and druṭi (21–23). Chapter three also gives an account of the taptakhalla and dolāyantra (18). Chapter four (puṭapākādhyāya; 23–36) continues the description of the saṃskāras: rañjana (23–24), sāraṇa and the gandharvataila used for this purpose (24–28),¹⁷¹ krāmaṇa (29), vedhana, kṣetrīkaraṇa, and bhakṣaṇa (29–36).

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Chapter five (abhrīya; 36–41) is concerned withthe mica (abhraka), its sattva (37), druṭi (38–39), māraṇa (39), amṛtīkaraṇa (39–40), sattvapātana, and sattvadruṭi (40–41). Chapter six (sarvagandhakādhyāya; 41–43) is about sulphur (gandhaka), its purification (41–43), and the preparation of gandhataila (43).

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Chapter seven (sarvalauhādhyāya; 44–52) is concerned with the purification and killing of the seven metals (loha; dhātu): gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, tin, rītikā or rājārīti (brass), and kāṃsya (bronze). Chapter eight (viṣopaviṣasādhana; 52–65) deals with the viṣas and upaviṣas (52–57), vajra and vaikrānta (57–58), tālaka, tuttha, bhūnāga, manaḥśilā, kharpara, vimalā, mākṣika, kāśīsa, kāntapāṣāṇa, varāṭikā, hiṅgula, maṇḍūra (58–64), and the nine gems (ratna; 64–65).

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Chapter nine (prayogīya; 66–195) is about the medicinal uses of mercurial and other metallic preparations. The first part of this long chapter (66–96) is called rasāyanādhikāra and contains, as indicated by this name, rasāyana formulae and prescriptions. The second part is devoted to rasayogas against diseases which are arranged in conformity with the Mādhavanidāna.

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The Rasendracintāmaṇi, chiefly written in verse, is accompanied by passages in prose which repeatedly give the impression of being an auto-commentary or a collection of glosses.¹⁷²

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The work itself is based on earlier treatises,¹⁷³ the teachings of the author's guru, and, in particular, his personal experience.¹⁷⁴

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Authorities and methods mentioned in chapters one to eight are: Bhuṣuṇḍopākhyāna (3),¹⁷⁵ Govinda (21),¹⁷⁶ Nāgārjuna (13),¹⁷⁷ Nityanātha (22), Rasahṛdaya (25), Rasārṇava (3; 6), Siddhilakṣmīśvara (44),¹⁷⁸ tantrāntara (17), and Vasiṣṭha (3).¹⁷⁹

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Schools of interpretation are alluded to (69).¹⁸⁰

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Chapter nine mentions many divine and other authorities to whom formulae are attributed.¹⁸¹

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Numerous rasayogas of chapter nine are also found in the Rasendrasārasaṃgraha.¹⁸²

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The Rasendracintāmaṇi is quoted or referred to in Āśubodha and Nityabodha Senagupta's commentary on the Rasaratnasamuccaya, the Ayurvedavijñāna, Ayurveda Khanijavijñāna, Bhāvaprakāśa, Bheṣajasamhitā, Bṛhadasarājasundara, Gulrājśarmamiśra's commentary on the Ayurvedaprakāśa, Harīśaraṇānanda's Kūpīpakvarasanirmāṇavijñāna, the Pāradasamhitā, Rasajalanidhi,¹⁸³ Rasakāmadhenu, Rasatattvavivecana, Rasavidyāmahārṇava, Rasāyanasamgraha, Rasayogasāgara, Rasoddhāratantra, Somadevaśarman's commentary on the Ayurvedaprakāśa, Trimalla's Yogarataraṅgiṇī and Bṛhadyogataraṅgiṇī, Vaidyarāja's Sukhabodha, and the Yogaratnākara.

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Mādhava's Ayurvedaprakāśa quotes numerous verses from the Rasendracintāmaṇi.¹⁸⁴

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Ḍhuṇḍukanātha is quoted in Gulrājśarmamiśra's commentary on the Ayurvedaprakāśa and Hazārīlāl Sukul's commentary on the Rasaratnasamuccaya.

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A commentary (ṭīkā) on the Rasendracintāmaṇi by Maṇirāma is quoted in Gulrājśarmamiśra's commentary on the Ayurvedaprakāśa. A short commentary by Ramānatha Gaṇaka is recorded.¹⁸⁵

Special features

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Eighteen poisonous substances are distinguished:¹⁸⁶ eight of these, śaktuka, mustaka, kaurma, darvika, sārṣapa, saikata, vatsanābhaka¹⁸⁷ and śṛṅgī,¹⁸⁸ may be used for medicinal purposes and rasāyana; the other ten, suitable for rasāyana, dhātuvāda and viṣavāda purposes, are: kālakūṭa, meṣaśṛṅgī, dardūra, halāhala, karkoṭa, granthi, hāridra, raktaśṛṅgī, keśara, and yamadaṃṣṭra (52–54). Poisonous substances are also divided into four

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classes: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra, identifiable by their colours; white, red, yellow and black. Eight stages (vega) of intoxication are enumerated, characterized respectively by praśama, vepathu, dāha, patana, phena, vikalatā, jaḍatā, and maraṇa. A second classification, recognized by some authorities, distinguishes nine major (viṣa) and seven minor (upaviṣa) poisons; the nine major poisons are: kālakūṭa, vatsanābha, śṛṅgaka, pradīpana, halāhala, brahmaputra, hāridra, śaktuka, and saurāṣṭrika; the seven minor poisons are: arka, sehuṇḍa, dhustūra, lāṅgalī, karavīraka, guñjā, and ahiphena (56–57).

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Some remarkable names of disorders in the formulae are: agramāṃsa (176),¹⁸⁹ bāhukampa (trembling of the arms; 149), jaṅghākampa (trembling of the legs; 149), lūtā (121; 192), and śukrapravāha (spermatorrhoea; 127).

The author

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The Rasendracintāmaṇi is ascribed to Ḍhuṇḍukanātha¹⁹⁰ and to Rāmacandra of the Guha family.¹⁹¹ The improbable view that Ḍhuṇḍukanātha is a corruption of Daṇḍakanātha, i.e., Rāma, the son of Daśaratha,¹⁹² which would make the author identical with the hero of the Rāmāyaṇa,¹⁹³ was already rejected by Girīndranāth Mukhopādhyāya.¹⁹⁴ Some scholars assume that both Ḍhuṇḍukanātha and Rāmacandra Guha wrote a treatise called Rasendracintāmaṇi.¹⁹⁵

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Ḍhuṇḍukanātha was a pupil of Kālanātha.¹⁹⁶

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Rāmacandra is sometimes credited with the Rasapārijāta,¹⁹⁷ a Rasapradīpa,¹⁹⁸ and a Cakradattanāmakagrantha.¹⁹⁹ G. Hāldār²⁰⁰ ascribes a Rasaratnākara to him. He is also identified with the author of the Rādhāvinodakāvya.²⁰¹

Date

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The Rasendracintāmaṇi is posterior to the Rasārṇava and Rasahṛdaya, works quoted in it; it is also later than the Rasaratnākara, which is mentioned. The terminus ante quem is provided by the Bhāvaprakāśa and Rasakāmadhenu which refer to it. This evidence implies that the Rasendracintāmaṇi was written between the middle of the fifteenth century and the second half of the sixteenth century.²⁰²

Cites (16)