A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c51.s7: The Rasendramaṅgala

A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c51.s7

Language: English

v3.c51.s7.t1 Contents — 122 parts
v3.c51.s7.t2 The author — 2 parts

The Rasendramaṅgala

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The Rasendramaṅgala by Nāgārjuna¹ is an important and very interesting early treatise. Confusion concerning this work was created by Prafulla Chandra Rāy, who based his studies on the text of the Jammu MS, catalogued as the Rasaratnākara of Nāgārjuna; probably he was already aware of the problems caused by this MS, which gives Rasendramaṅgala as the title in some of the colophons, but the one who first drew attention to the confusion of the so-called Rasaratnākara of Nāgārjuna with the Rasendramaṅgala² was P. Cordier.³

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A number of Indian scholars also noticed the identity of the so-called Rasaratnākara with the Rasendramaṅgala and commented on the remarkable fact that all the verses from the Rasaratnākara MS in *P.C. Rāy’s ‘A History of Hindu Chemistry’ and P. Rāy’s ‘History of Chemistry’ form part of the Rasendramaṅgala. Explicit notice of this may have been given first by Durgāśaṃkar Kevalrām Śāstrī in his *Āyurvedno itihās* (1942).⁴ Atrideva Vidyālaṃkāra’s references to this discovery⁵ were repeated by later Indian authors.⁶

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The jumble concerning the Rasendramaṅgala was definitely clarified by D. Wujastyk,⁷ who also pointed to the close relationship between Nāgārjuna’s Kakṣapuṭa and the Mantrakhaṇḍa of Nityanātha’s Rasaratnākara.

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The Rasendramaṅgala consists of about 400 verses, arranged in eight chapters.⁹ The Paris and Bombay manuscripts have the following chapters: (1) rasoparasasodhanādhikāra, (2) vajramāraṇasattvapātanabhrakādidrutidrāvaṇalohamāraṇādhikāra, (3) guṭikāsattvadrutijalūkāmāraṇādirasabandhana.

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The treatise opens with a maṅgala addressed to Śrīvardhamāna-Jineśvara and the author’s teachers, followed by a eulogy of mercury, which bestows Śiva’s bliss and enables one to reach the other shore of the ocean of transmigration (saṃsārasamudratāraka). The title of the treatise that will be exposed (Rasendramaṅgala) and the name of its author (Nāgārjuna) are mentioned.

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The next verses (3–5) summarize the contents of the eight chapters of the treatise, now called Rasamaṅgala (6): (1) the purification (śodhana) of the rasas, uparasas and lohas, (2) the killing (māraṇa) of vajra, etc., and liquefaction (drāvaṇa) of all the dhātus, (3) rasabandha, (4) the preparation and application of pills (guṭikāvidhi), (5) the treatment of all the diseases, caused by vāta, etc., (6) the preparation of diverse perfumes (citragandhayukti) and ointments (añjana), (7) a treatise on poisons (viṣatantra), (8) groups of substances (gaṇa).

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A long series of stanzas in praise of mercury and the physician with expertise in its application (7–17) precedes the section of chapter one that deals with processes (saṃskāra) making mercury fit for therapeutic and alchemical uses.

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The five natural blemishes (naisargikadoṣa) of mercury are mala, viṣa, vahni, gurutva and cāpalya, the two aupādhika impurities (doṣa) arise from tin and lead. These doṣas cause particular disorders and should therefore be removed (18–20). The eighteen saṃskāras are referred to and enumerated: saṃsvedana, mardana, mūrcchana, utthāpana, pātana, dīpana, niyamana, rodhana, cāraṇa, the two kinds of druti, jāraṇa, grāsapramāṇa, rañjana, saṃsāraṇa, krāmaṇa, vedha, and yoga (21–23). The purificatory processes (26–31) and the first eight saṃskāras are dealt with (32–39).

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The second part of chapter one is devoted to the purification of some rasas and uparasas¹⁰ (40–48): rājāvarta, rasaka, darada, mākṣika, manaḥśilā, tāla, abhraka, vajra(?), and vaikrānta.¹¹ The last part of the chapter is about the purification of metals and alloys (loha; 1.49–64): śulva (copper), heman (gold), tāra (silver), āra (brass), ghoṣa (bronze), tīkṣṇa (iron), nāga (lead), and vaṅga (tin).¹²

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Chapter two gives an account of the killing and liquefaction of diamonds (vajra) and vaikrānta (1–17), the extraction of the essence (sattvapātana) of mica (abhraka), mākṣika, tāla, rājāvarta, vimala and abhraka,¹³ and the liquefaction (drāvaṇa, druti) of metals and gems.¹⁴ The chapter ends with verses on the killing of metals.¹⁵

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Chapter three contains a series of rasas to be used in the treatment of diseases: svacchandabhairava, tīkṣṇamukha,¹⁶ śulva,¹⁷ saṃdhānabhairava, śaśanagarbha, kāntavallabha,¹⁸ jayamangala,¹⁹ vaḍavāmukha,²⁰ siddhasūtavatī,²¹ sarvājīrṇahara,²² gandhakādya, meghanāda,²³ haṃsanāda, nāgendra,²⁴ ravagendra(?), and mṛgāṅka.²⁵ The preparation of mercurial bhasman of various colours is described, together with their medicinal²⁶ and alchemical uses. A few stray verses are about the seven varieties of vaikrānta: white, red, yellow, blue, grey like a pigeon, coloured like a peacock’s throat, and green like an emerald. Recipes containing vaikrānta are also given.²⁷ The chapter goes on with a description of the garbhayantra and the preparation of mercurial bhasman, followed by verses extolling the effects of the bhasman, if properly used.

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The remaining part of chapter three consists of rasayogas again: saṃkocagolaka (two formulae),²⁸ candraprabha,²⁹ parpaṭī, pramarda…(?), sūryaprabha, pañcāmṛta, laṅkeśvara, mānikyakhaṇḍa, kruṣṭeśvara, pratāpalaṅkeśvara, saṃkocapiṣṭikā,³⁰ kanakaṣamkoca, gaganādya,³¹ tīkṣṇamukha,³² ghanagarbha,³³ a piṣṭikā,³⁴ pratāpalaṅkeśvara,³⁵ madātyayahara,³⁶ bhasmasūtaka, śulvacūrṇa, rasarāja,³⁷ mahārasa, gandhamardana,³⁸ pratāpa, gandhajaka(?), gaganamukha, and dvijendra;³⁹ some recipes, concerned with the preparation of a particular bhasman or piṣṭikā, are not provided with a name.

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Chapter four begins with the description of a mercurial preparation (mahārasa) used in the transmutation of base metals (lohavedha) and in dehavedha; ten varieties of saṃkalā are characterized.⁴⁰ The next part is concerned with the preparation of pills (guṭikā) with the following names: vajrāṅgasundarī-,⁴¹ amarasundarī,⁴² arkādi-, hemabaddha-,⁴³ mākṣika-,⁴⁴ vyāghrī-, and vaikrāntaguṭikā.⁴⁵

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A section on the bandha (solidification) of mercury follows. Types of bandha characterized are: khoṭa-, sajīva-, piṣṭikā-, druti-, saṃkala-, and jalūkābandha. Three sizes of the jalūkā are mentioned: eight aṅguli for women called bālā, ten aṅguli for women called yuvatī, and twelve aṅguli for women called pragalbhā. Four varieties of such a jalūkā are described; they are employed as female aphrodisiacs, to be put into the vagina.46

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The next part of chapter four deals with prescriptions which suppress ejaculation (vīryastambha) and facilitate luring women (drāvaṇa). One formula is called kāmāṅkuśarasa.47 Prescriptions increasing the size of the penis in men and of the breasts in women, etc., are also found in this part of the chapter.

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Chapter four proceeds with a section devoted to jāraṇa and other saṃskāras, employed in aurifaction. The Kakṣapuṭa and an authority called Nāgabuddhi are mentioned.

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The section that follows is very important in presenting the great Siddha Nāgārjuna, expounding his alchemical doctrines on the sacred mountain Śrīśaila to Ratnaghoṣa,48 who asks for instruction in the arts of aurifaction and rasāyana. Nāgārjuna, complying with this request, relates that these arts were revealed to him by the Vātayakṣiṇī, propitiated after twelve years of penance. King Śālivāhana, who dedicated treasures of gold and gems to the Yakṣiṇī, is represented as having approached her too, eager to learn about alchemy.49

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The Vātayakṣiṇī declares that she is going to set forth the methods of aurifaction developed by Māṇḍavya and his pupil Vasiṣṭha, laid down in the Vasiṣṭhamāṇḍavyaśāstra, a treatise explained to her by her teacher. She transmits Māṇḍavya’s views on transmutation, followed by an exposition on rasabandhana.50

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Ratnaghoṣa appears again on the scene, asking Nāgārjuna questions on rasāyana and dehasiddhi. Nāgārjuna gives an exposition on these subjects;51 one of the procedures explained is called bhūtakālāntakabandha. Ratnaghoṣa wants to know how dehasiddhi can be attained if one is unable to perform the bhūtakālāntakabandha. Nāgārjuna teaches him an alternative method, called khecarabandha, in which jāraṇa of gems is an essential process. If this bandha is successfully performed, Śiva himself will make his appearance, praising the expert alchemist and promising him a long life in heaven, accompanied by the enjoyment of the daughters of Rudra, Viṣṇu and Brahmā.

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The last part of chapter four gives the characteristics of śuddha, baddha, mṛta and mūrchita mercury;52 the six types of solidified (baddha) mercury are described: khoṭa-, pada-, jalūka-, bhasma-, mūrti- and mūrchitabaddha. The chapter ends with a concise exposition on the saṃskāras.

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The general contents of chapters five to eight are known from the references in the short table of chapter one. Chapter five, on the treatment of diseases, is referred to in chapter three.53 The commentary (tippaṇa) on the Rasendra-maṅgala explains some parts of chapter five, dealing with the treatment of vātavyādhi, atīsāra and kuṣṭha. It probably also mentions the gandhayukti section of chapter six.

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The list of apparatus at the end of the Jammu MS of the so-called Rasaratnākara of Nāgārjuna54 actually forms part of the tippaṇa on the Rasendramaṅgala. This list55 enumerates the following yantras: śilā-, pāṣāṇa-, bhūdhara-, vamśa-, nalikā-,56

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gajadanta-, dolā-, adhahpātana-, bhuvahpātana-, pātana-, niyāmaka-, gamana-,57 tulā-, kacchapa-, cākī-, vālukā-, agnisoma-, gandhakatrāhika-,58 mūṣā-, kamabhājana-,59 ghoṇa-60 guḍābhraka-,61 nārāyaṇa-, jālikā-,62 and cāraṇayantra;63 a haṇḍikā also forms part of the list.

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The Rasendramaṅgala is quoted or referred to in the Bhāvaprakāśa,64 Caturbhuja’s commentary on the Rasahṛdaya, the Kūpīpakvarasanirmāṇavijñāna, Rasakakṣapuṭa, Rasasindhu, Rasatattvavivecana, Rasayogasāgara,65 Rasendrasambhava, and Ṭoḍara’s Āyurvedasaukhya66.

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Some verses of the Rasendramaṅgala also part of the Rasārṇava67 and Vāgbhaṭa’s Rasaratnasamuccaya.68

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Formulae from the Rasendramaṅgala occur in the Basavarājīya,69 in Kāśīnātha’s Cikitsākramakalpavalī,70 Narapati’s Narapatijayacaryā,71 the Rasacaṇḍāṃśu,72 Rasakalpata,73 Rasakāmadhenu,74 Rasarājasundara,75 Rasaratnākara,76 Rasaratnakamudī,77 Rasaratnasamuccaya,78 Rasārṇava,79 Rasāvatāra,80 Rasendracintāmaṇi,81 Rasendrakalpadruma,82 Rasendraratnakośa,83 Rasendrasārasaṃgraha,84 Vaidyacintāmaṇi,85 and Yogamārṇava.86

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The author87 The Rasendramaṅgala mentions Nāgārjuna as its author in one of the introductory verses. The colophons attribute the work to Nāgārjuna too. In spite of this, it appears doubtful that the famous Siddha Nāgārjuna wrote the work, because stories about him are told in chapter four. The Rasendramaṅgala was more probably composed by some unknown author in a period in which tales about the colourful personality of the alchemist Nāgārjuna were already current.88 The Kakṣapuṭa, usually ascribed to Nāgārjuna, is mentioned in the Rasendramaṅgala. An authority called Nāgabuddhi, known as one of the Rasasiddhas, figures in the treatise as the discoverer of a rasa that transmutes one hundred times its amount of base metal into gold; he is represented as inspired by Buddhist doctrines.89

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The religion of the author was apparently of a syncretic type.90 The introductory verses pay homage to Vardhamāna-Jineśvara and Śiva; the deity Prajñāpāramitā figures in the formula of tīkṣṇamukharasa. Deities of the Hindu pantheon are frequently mentioned: Bhairava, Brahmā, Caturbhuja, Gaṇanātha, Janārdana, Kālī, Pārvatīnātha, Viṣṇu, etc.

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The Kāpālikas were known to the author.91 The Brahmayāmala is referred to as the source of the formula called vajrāṅgasundarīvaṭī.92

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Date The Rasendramaṅgala is often thought to be a very early work, dating from the seventh, eighth or ninth century.93 Its attribution to Nāgārjuna is rarely put into question.

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As already pointed out, it is hardly credible that Nāgārjuna was the author of the work. Its chronological position depends for that reason on internal evidence and quotations from it in later works. The quotations in the Rasasindhu prove that the Rasendramaṅgala is earlier than the third quarter of the fourteenth century.94 The upper limit is conditional upon the date of the Nāgārjuna and the king called Śālivāhana who figure in chapter four, and the stories about these persons.

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Atrideva⁹⁵ was convinced that the *Rasendramaṅgala* is posterior to the eleventh or twelfth century, because the *vālukāyantra* was known to its author.⁹⁶ This argument can be disregarded, for the list of yantras forms part of the commentary and does not belong to the treatise itself.

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Commentary The commentary (tippaṇa) on the *Rasendramaṅgala* consists of short explanations concerning the alchemical procedures described in the text. Many names of plants are elucidated by means of synonyms.

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The tippaṇa on chapter two contains a list of yantras.⁹⁷ The section of chapter four in which Nāgārjuna, Ratnaghoṣa and Śālivāhana figure is not commented upon.

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The comments on chapter five have partly been preserved and the section on gandhayukti of chapter six is referred to.

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The last three parts of the tippaṇa are concerned with subjects which are not listed in the table of contents of chapter one. These parts are about metals, in particular iron (loha), and the use of metallic preparations for rasāyana purposes. The commentator remarks that Nāgārjuna distinguished eighteen kinds of loha, enumerated and discussed by him. The names of these types can be reconstructed by help of a passage from Āḍhamalla’s commentary on the *Śārṅgadharasaṃhitā* where they are listed and also said to derive from Nāgārjuna. Their names are: māndūra, māṇḍūka, sāra, madhyasāra, sthūlasāra, cakramarda, bandha, vajraka, surāyasa, kaliṅga, bhadra, garala, sthita, vajra, pāṇḍinirava, arbudaka, kānta, and kuliśa.⁹⁸

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The tippaṇa on the part describing loharasāyanas mentions the four periods of a man’s life: bāla, kumāra, yuvan, sthavira.

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The opening lines of the tippaṇa state, after a maṅgala, addressed to Śiva, that its author studied the opinions of twenty-seven Siddhas, various sciences, *Nighaṇṭus*, the *Vaidyakatraya*, and the regional names of plants.

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The names of the twenty-seven Siddhas are those found in the *Rasaratnasamuccaya*, which is not mentioned as a source.

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The name of the author of the commentary remains unknown. A commentary on which no details are available is attributed to Govindacandra.⁹⁹

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The *Rasendrapurāṇa*

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The *Rasendrapurāṇa* was written by Rāmaprasāda.¹⁰⁰

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Contents The work consists of 2,655 verses, arranged in thirty chapters (adhyāya). It is written in the form of a dialogue between Śiva as a teacher and Vīrabhadra as his pupil.

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Chapter one (126 verses) introduces the subject of the book: rasavidyā; it describes its divine origin (5–30)¹⁰¹ and praises the wonderful properties of mercury (31–59). The names of mercury are enumerated (60–61), Śiva’s abode in the Himālaya is described (62–71), and an account is given of the mythical origin of mercury (72–78).

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Five varieties of mercury are distinguished and their properties described (79–88). These five kinds are: rasa, rasendra, sūta, pārada and miśraka.¹⁰²

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Chapter two (nānārthavivecanīya; 218 verses) is about technical terms (10–37), weights and measures (38–50), the types of puṭa (51–66), and the yantras (67–218).

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Chapter three (pāradasaṃskāravarṇana; 329 verses) begins with the construction of the rasaliṅga and its pūjā. The eight mahādoṣas or naisargikadoṣas and the seven kañcukas are dealt with (6–15). The rasaśālā is described (17–21). The saṃskāras are listed: the series of eighteen (31–32), the eight saṃskāras employed for medicinal purposes (33; quoted from the *Rasapaddhati*), and a less usual series of nineteen (35). The eight saṃskāras which result in a purified mercury, suitable to medicinal use, are described (39–88). The process called anuvāsana is added (89). Mercury is said to be completely purified if one-eighth of the original quantity remains (90). The preparation of mercury from cinnabar is dealt with (91–94), followed by the purification of mercury by means of the taptakalva (95–96), and the mukhakaraṇa and pakṣacchedana of purified mercury (97–104). Several methods of preparing the form of mercury called candrodaya, a substance used as a drug, are described (120–151).¹⁰³ Other subjects of chapter three are kṣetrīkaraṇa (152–156), the preparation of rasasindūra (157–169), the varieties of rasabhasman (170–179), the preparation of rasakarpūra (187–207), the sabīja and nirbīja bandha of mercury (208–209), the twenty-five or twenty-six varieties of bandha (210–249), the sixty-four divyauṣadhis (238–246), gandhakajāraṇa (258–292), and the formulae of a number of pills (guṭikā; 300–328).¹⁰⁴

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Chapter four (pāradamāraṇakriyāvarṇana; 99 verses) gives information on the killing of mercury (1–26); the remaining part of the chapter is devoted to rules about the use of mercurial ashes and the treatment of disorders caused by injudicious use. Chapter five (hīngulasindūravarṇana; 48 verses) describes cinnabar (hīngula), its purification and killing (1–36ab), as well as sindūra and its purification (36c–48); three varieties of hīngula are distinguished: carmāra, śukaṭuṇḍaka and haṃsapāda (6–7). Chapter six (gandhapāṣāṇavarṇana; 56 verses) is concerned with sulphur (gandhapāṣāṇa), its mythical origin, properties, purification, and medicinal uses.

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Chapter seven (gaganavarṇana; 196 verses) is about mica (abhraka = gagana). Subjects dealt with are: the mahārasas (2), the mythical origin of mica (6–10), its varieties and their properties (11–22), the harmful effects of impure mica (25–26), its purification (27–29), the preparation of dhānyābhraka (30–33), ways of killing it (34–87), abhrakabhasman and its amṛtīkaraṇa (98–116), the extraction of abhrakasattva (118–140),¹⁰⁵ its purification (141–142), killing (143–160) and druti (161–176), and finally the uses of mica and its products (180–195).

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Chapter eight (haritālaprakaraṇa; 176 verses) describes the mythical origin of haritāla (3), its varieties (4–9), and purification (14–21); various ways of killing it (22–146) and several ways of extracting its essence (156–168) are dealt with; the chapter ends with the medicinal uses of haritāla. (169–175). Chapter nine (añjanakāśīsagairikavarṇana; 44 verses) gives an account of añjana (3–21), kāśīsa (22–37) and gairika (38–43), their varieties, purification and sattvapātana.

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Chapter ten (uparasavarṇana; 78 verses) is concerned with the uparasas, their varieties, properties, purification and medicinal uses. The extraction of the essence of tuvarī is described (23), as well as the killing and the extraction of the essence of manaḥśilā (40–45), and the killing of vārāṭikā (65).

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Chapter eleven to seventeen are devoted to the seven metals (dhātu), their origin, varieties, properties, purification, killing, druti and medicinal uses. Chapter eighteen describes maṇḍūra and chapter nineteen the alloys.

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Chapter twenty to twenty-six are concerned with a series of upadhātus, their origin, names, varieties, properties, purification, killing, and medicinal uses. If relevant, the extraction of the sattva is described, and, occasionally, the killing and drāvaṇa of the essence. 106 The upadhātus dealt with are: svarṇamākṣika (chapter twenty), tāramākṣika (chapter twenty-one), vimala (chapter twenty-two), tuttha (chapter twenty-three), capala and kaṅkuṣṭha (chapter twenty-four), rasaka (chapter twenty-five), and śilājatu (chapter twenty-six).

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Chapter twenty-seven gives an account of the eight sādhāraṇarasas, their names, properties, etc. Chapters twenty-eight and twenty-nine are about the nine ratnas and the uparatnas, their names, varieties, properties, killing, etc. Precious stones dealt with are: vajra (28.35–134), pravāla (28.135–150), mauktika (28.151–183), marakata (28.184–190), vaidūrya (28.192–196), gomeda (28.197–200), māṇikya (28.201–204), nīla (28.205–212), and puṣparāga (28.213–217). Chapter thirty describes the viṣas and upaviṣas, their names, properties, purification, uses, etc.

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Sources are occasionally referred to: granthāntara (6.10–12), Purandararahasya (3. 255), Rasadarpaṇa (25.18), Rasapaddhati (3.33; 25.19), Rasārṇava (17.7), Rasasindhu (3.285–287), and Ṭoḍarānanda (25.28).

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Authorities mentioned are: Bhāluki (24.19), Caraka (1.11), Hārīta (1.11), Nāgārjuna (3.76; 25.17), Suśruta (1.11), and Vāgbhaṭa (1.11; 24.20).

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A large number of the verses of the Rasendrapurāṇa may have been composed by the author. Part of the verses have been taken from sources not referred to, for instance, the Rasasaṃketakalikā, 107 Rasaratnasamuccaya, 108 and Rasendrasāraṃgraha. 109

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The Rasendrapurāṇa is often quotes from the Rasendrapurāṇa without indicating his source. 110

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*Special features*

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The Rasendrapurāṇa is a treatise on iatrochemistry, which explains that it describes the eight saṃskāras which render mercury suitable to medicinal purposes. The other saṃskāras, which are necessary for deha- and lohasiddhi, are not dealt with. The medicinal properties and uses of alchemical products are systematically taken into consideration.

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The naisargikadoṣas of mercury are: asahyāgni, cāñcalya, giri, mala, nāga, raṅga (= vaṅga), vahni, and viṣa (3.6); the names of the seven kañcukas are: andhakārī, bhedī, dhvāṅkṣī, drāvī, malakarī, parpaṭī, and pāṭalī (3.10). The list of eighteen saṃskāras comprises svedana, mardana, mūrchana, utthiti, patana, rodha or bodha, niyāmana, samdīpana, gaganabhakṣaṇamāma (= abhrakagrāsamāma), saṃcāraṇa, garbhadhruti, bāhyadruti, jāraṇa, śāraṇa, saṃkrāmaṇa, vedha, and śarīrayoga 111 (3.31–32). A slightly different series of nineteen items is also mentioned; this series adds anuvāsana and replaces grāsa by rañjana (3.35). The forms of mercury called āroṭaka, 112 candrodaya, baddha and mṛta are defined; mercury is designated as āroṭaka

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when it is still able to move about (cala), as candrodaya when it has assimilated sulphur; it is baddha when able to withstand the fire, 113 and it is a bhasman or mṛta, when killed (3.38–39). The twenty-five or twenty-six types of bandha are anonymously quoted, probably from the Rasaratnasamuccaya; another classification into four types is also recorded: poṭa- or parpaṭikā-, khoṭa- or piṣṭī-, jalaukā- or pakva-, and bhasmabandha (3.250–251). 114 Two types of rasabhasman are described: ūrdhvaga- and talabhasman; 115 rasakarpūra and rasasindūra belong to the former type (3.252–254).

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The eight mahārasas are: abhra, vaikrānta, mākṣika, vimala, adrija, sasyaka, capala and rasaka (7.2). The rasas are: mercury, sulphur, mica, haritāla, añjana, kāsīsa and gairika (7.4).

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Haritāla is of two or four varieties; the two varieties are pattrākhya and piṇḍa, the four varieties are piṇḍa, pattra, godanta and vakaḍāla (8.4–9). Añjana is of two types: yāmuna and kāpota (9.2), or five types: sauvīra, rasāñjana, sroto’ñjana, puṣpāñjana and nīlāñjana (9.4–10); śarāñjana is described as either pītacandananyāsa or dārvīkvātha (9.6 and 16); kulatthāñjana is added (9.17–18). Kāsīsa is of three varieties: white, śyāma and yellow; the yellow variety is called puṣpakāsīsa (9.22–24); according to another opinion, kāsīsa is of two varieties, called vālukā- and puṣpakāsīsa (9.25–26). Two varieties of gairika are described: pāṣāṇagairika and svarṇagairika (9.39–40).

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The uparasas are: ṭaṅkaṇa (10.7–14), tuvarī (10.16–28), 116 manaḥśilā (10.30–49), śaṅkha (10.51–55), 117 khaṭī (10.56–58), vārāṭikā (10.59–68), 118 śukti (10.69–72), śambukā (10.73–74), and sīkatā (10.75–77). 119 Three varieties of ṭaṅkaṇa are described: sphaṭikābha, guḍaprabha and pāṇḍura or nīlakaṇṭha, two varieties of tuvarī: sphaṭikā and chillikā or phullatuvarī, 120 three varieties of manaḥśilā: śyāmāṅgī, karavīrikā and dvikhaṇḍākhyā, two varieties of khaṭī: khaṭī and gaurakhaṭī.

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The seven metals (dhātu) are gold, silver, copper, tin, zinc, lead and iron (11.1). The chapter on copper includes verses on bhūnāga (13.41–54) and the sattva of mayūrapiccha (the tail feathers of the peacock; 13.54). Two varieties of zinc (yaśada or kharpara) are distinguished: yaśada and śavaka (15.2). Three types of the bhasman of lead are mentioned: harit, vidyudābhāsa and sindūra (16.20–25). Three types of iron are described: muṇḍa, tīkṣṇa and kānta (17.3). Muṇḍa is of three varieties; mṛdu, kuṇḍa and kāṇḍāra, tīkṣṇa of six varieties: kharasāra, tāravaṭṭa, viḍa, kālaloha, and gajākhya; kānta is of four varieties: romaka, bhrāmaka, cumbaka and drāvaka, but the Rasārṇava is reported to describe a fifth variety, called karṣaṇa (17.4–7). Gajākhyaloha is not described; instead, vajraloha and its ten varieties are mentioned: asita, kāla, lohākya, rakta, lohita, vajraka, māyūravajraka, tittiravajraka, rohiṇīvajraka, and śukavajraka (17.19–20). Five varieties of romaka are referred to: ekāsya, dvimukha, vedāsya, śaṅkhacakrika, and sarvatomukha (17.24). A type of loha added is pāṇḍyaloha (17.26). The alloys (miśrakadhātu) described are kāṃsya and pittala (19.2–22), pañcaloha (19.23–25), and vartaloha (19.26).

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Two series of upadhātus are enumerated; the first series consists of mākṣika, tutthaka, abhra, nīlāñjana, śilā, ālaka and rasaka, to which vimala is sometimes added as the eighth item; the second series comprises svarṇamākṣika, tāramākṣika, 121 tuttha, kāṃsya, pittala, sindūra and śilājatu (20.2–3). Vimala is dealt with in one of the chapters (twenty-two) on the upadhātus; three varieties are distinguished: hema-, tāra-, and kāṃsyavimala (22.2–4); its sattva is described as white and resembling candrārka (22.10–13). Two varieties of tuttha are described: sasyaka and kharpara (23.2–4); its sattva is indragopākṛti and the same as copper (23.13–14). Capala is described in one of the chapters on the upadhātus (twenty-four), although some regard it as a mahārasa or uparasa (24.5). The same chapter deals with kaṅkuṣṭha, two varieties of which are distinguished: nalika and reṇuka (24.16–18); Bhāluki is referred to, who considers kaṅkuṣṭha to be an upadhātu of tin (vaṅga) (24.19). The identity of rasaka is discussed (25.1–15); its sattva resembles tin (25.33). The sattva of śilājatu is described as resembling iron (26.53). Soraka is regarded as a variety of śilājatu (26.54–56).

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¹⁰⁶ The upadhātus dealt with are: svarṇamākṣika (chapter twenty), tāramākṣika (chapter twenty-one), vimala (chapter twenty-two), tuttha (chapter twenty-three), capala and kaṅkuṣṭha (chapter twenty-four), rasaka (chapter twenty-five), and śilājatu (chapter twenty-six).

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¹⁰⁷ Rasasaṃketakalikā.

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¹⁰⁸ Rasaratnasamuccaya.

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¹⁰⁹ Rasendrasāraṃgraha.

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¹¹⁰ The Rasendrapurāṇa is often quotes from the Rasendrapurāṇa without indicating his source.

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¹¹¹ 3.31–32.

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¹¹² 112.

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¹¹³ 113.

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¹¹⁴ 114.

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¹¹⁵ 115.

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¹¹⁶ 116.

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¹¹⁷ 117.

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¹¹⁸ 118.

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¹¹⁹ 119.

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¹²⁰ 120.

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¹²¹ 121.

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The sādhāraṇarasas are kāmpilla, capala, gaurīpāṣāṇa, narasāraka, kapardī, vahnijāra, girisindūra, and kedāraśṛṅga (27.2–3). Gaurīpāṣāṇa is of two varieties: an artificial variety, white in colour, and a yellow one, occurring naturally (27.8). The chapter on the sādhāraṇarasas also deals with samudraphena (27.40–41), bola (27.42–47) ¹²² and guggulu (27.48–58); kapardī, girisindūra and kedāraśṛṅga are not discussed.

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¹²² The text mentions bola (myrrh) and guggulu (Commiphora mukul).

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Nine ratnas are listed: vajra, vidruma, mauktika, marakata, vaidūrya, gomedaka, māṇikya, harinīla, and puṣpadrad (28.5). The ratnas are also divided into four uparatnas and five mahāratnas (28.6). The maṇis consist of vaikrānta, sūryakānta, hīraka, mauktika, candrakānta, rājāvarta, garuḍodgāraka, puṣparāga, mahānīla, padmarāga, pravālaka, vaidūrya and nīla (28.8–9). Rājāvarta, puṣpa, mauktika, vidruma and vaikrānta belong to the group of maṇirasas (28.10). Eight sources (yoni) of pearls are enumerated: śukti, śaṅkha, the elephant, boar (kroḍa), serpent, frog and bamboo (veṇu) (28.151); clouds (megha) are added to this series (28.165–167); pearls from Persia (pārasīkodhava), Arab countries (bārbara) and the West (rūmajasambhava) are described too (28.168).

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Uparatnas described are: vaikrānta (29.6–32), sūryakānta (29.38–39), candrakānta (29.40–41), rājāvarta (29.42–51), piroja (29.52–53), and sphaṭika (29.54–58). Seven or eight varieties of vaikrānta are mentioned (29.10–14).

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Eighteen kaṇaviṣas are enumerated and discussed: binduka, cakra, hālāhala, hāridra, harita, kālakūṭa, kardama, markaṭaka, mayūrākhya, musta, puṣkara, saktuka, śaṅkhanābha, śikhī, śṛṅgī, sumaṅgala, vāluka, and vatsanābha (30.11–20). A division into eight saumya and ten ugra poisonous substances is quoted; the eight saumya types are: dāraka, kaurma, mustaka, saikata (= vāluka), saktuka, sārṣapa, śvetaśṛṅgī, and vatsanābha (30.21–24). Lists of thirteen (30.32–33) and nine poisonous substances (30.38) are also cited; the series of thirteen consists of: hālāhala, hāridra, kālakūṭa, kardama, karkaṭa, mahāviṣa, mūlaka, mustaka, saktuka, sarṣapa, śṛṅgaka, vāluka, and vatsanābha; the series of nine comprises brahmaputra, haridra, hālāhala, kālakūṭa, pradīpana, saktuka, saurāṣṭrika, śṛṅgaka, and vatsanābha. ¹²³

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¹²³ The list of eighteen kaṇaviṣas is followed by a discussion of their classification.

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Two series of upaviṣas are enumerated. The first series (30.16) consists of āphūka (= ahiphena), arka, guñjā, hayāri, jaipāla, lāṅgalī, snuhī, unmatta, and viṣamuṣṭika; the second series (30.161–162) is composed of ahiphena, bhallātaka, dhattūra, guñjā, karavīra, khākhasa, lāṅgalī, nirviṣī, and viṣamuṣṭi. Vijayā and sehuṇḍa are also described as upaviṣas (30.184–185). ¹²⁴

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¹²⁴ The text mentions the use of these substances in various preparations.

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The sixty-four divyauṣadhis listed (3.238–246) are: somavallī, jalasthapadminī,

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ajagarī, gonaśī, trijaṭā, īśvarī, bhūtakeśinī, kṛṣṇavallī, rudravantī, vārāhī, sarvarā, aśvattahapattrī, amlapattrī, cakranāsā, aśokikā, punnāgapattrā, nāgā, kṣetrikā, śavarī, devīlatā, vajravallī, citrakā, kālaparṇikā, nīlotpalī, rajanī, palāśatilakā, siṃhikā, goṣṭhāṅgī, khadirapattrikā, tṛṇajyotis, raktavallī, brahmaḍaṇḍī, madhutṛṣā, padmakandā, hemadaṇḍī, vijayā, ajayā, jayā, nalī, śrīnāmnī, kīṭamārī, tumbikā, kaṭutumbī, mayūraśikhā, hemalatā, āsurī, saptaparṇī, gomārī, pītakṣirikā, vyāghrapādalatā, dhanurvallī, triśūlinī, śṛṅgī, tridaṇḍī, vajravallarī, mahatī, raktakandavatī, bilvadalā, rohiṇī, gorocanā, bilvataṅgī, kandapattrikā, viśalyā, and kandakṣīrā. ¹²⁵

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¹²⁵ The list of divyauṣadhis is followed by a discussion of their properties.

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The plants, plant products, and other substances belonging to the abhrakamārakagaṇa are: agni (= citraka), agnimantha, ambhakumbhī (= jalakumbhī), anantā, anilārī, ārdrā, aśvagandhā, bhārgī, bhṛṅgarāja, bilva, cow's urine, dāḍima, devadālī, devadāru, dhātrī, dhattūra, dūrvā, goat's blood, guḍūcī, haritakī, indrāyaṇī, kākamācī, kalī, kapittha, kāravī, kāsamarda, kaṭu, kharamañjarī, kimśuka, koṣātakī, kumārikā, kumbhī, liṅgī, lodhra, maṇḍūkaparṇikā, marīcaka, mīnākṣikā, muni, mūṣakaparṇī, mustā, nāgavallī, nata, the two parṇīs (i.e., śāliparṇī and pṛśniparṇī), pāṭalikā, punarnavā, rambhā, the milky juice of ravi (= arka), śaṅkhapuṣpī, saptaparṇaka, śatāvarī, siddhārthaka, tailaparṇī, tālamūlī, tālisapattra, tiktā, tinduka, trikaṇṭa, vajrī, vartākinī, the milky juice and the young shoots of vaṭa, vijayā, and vṛṣa (7.88–92). ¹²⁶

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¹²⁶ The list of plants is followed by a discussion of their use in the abhrakamāraka process.

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Some noteworthy names of plants are: āmraharidrā (8.151), gaṅgatīriyā (8.99), hulhula (8.131), and pītapuṣpī (8.132).

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The author Rāmaprasāda, born in 1874 or 1875, was a rājavaidya of Paṭiyālā, where he founded an Āyurvedic College. He also wrote the Āyurvedasūtra and Hindī translations of the Carakasaṃhitā and Aṣṭāṅgahṛdaya. ¹²⁷ Rāmaprasāda was the father of Shiv Sharma.

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¹²⁷ The author's works are listed in the bibliography.

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Date The first volume of the Rasendrapurāṇa was completed in 1926 or 1927.

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The Rasendrasambhava The Rasendrasambhava by Viśvanātha Dvivedī ¹²⁸ is a treatise that mainly deals with iatrochemistry.

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¹²⁸ The author is also known as Viśvanātha Śāstrī.

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Contents The treatise consists of 4,162 verses, arranged in five chapters (prakaraṇa) and a pariśiṣṭa.

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Chapter one (paribhāṣyaprakaraṇa; 460 verses) is preceded by a maṅgala and some verses enumerating and praising the originators (pravartakāḥ) of āyurveda; the chapter itself deals with technical terms (paribhāṣā); it lists the components of a large number of groups of substances derived from āyurveda and rasaśāstra; added are the properties of the tastes, rules concerning pharmaceutical preparations, definitions of alchemical terms, descriptions of several types of mūṣā, puṭa and yantra.

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Chapter two (śodhanamāraṇadīprakaraṇa; 806 verses) is divided into five sections (adhikāra). Section one (rasoparasādhikāra; 2.1–230) is concerned with mercury (1–66) and the uparasas: cinnabar (hiṅgula; 70–77), rasakarpūra (78–84), sulphur (gandhaka; 85–91), mica (abhraka; 92–122), manaḥśilā (123–132), haritāla and godantiharitāla (133–160), dugdhapāṣāṇa (161–167), kampilla (168–169), tuvarī or sphaṭikā (170–172), ṭaṅkaṇa (173–180), śilājatu (181–195), bola (196–202), sauraṣṭrī (204), khaṭī (205), gairika (206–210), and capala (211–230). The varieties, properties and purification of these substances are described, and, where appropriate, their killing (māraṇa), the extraction of their essences (sattvapātana), etc.

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Section two (dhātūpadhātvadhikāra; 2.231–524) gives an account of the seven metals (dhātu): gold (232–252), silver (253–266), copper (267–292), iron (293–334), zinc (335–355), lead (356–371), and tin (372–391), followed by verses on kāṃsya (392–399), pittala (400–406), māṇḍūra (407–417), and the seven upadhātus: mākṣika (425–451), vimala (452–458), tuttha (459–472), kāntapāṣāṇa (473–481), rasaka or kharpara (482–492), añjana (493–497), and kaṅkuṣṭha (498–505); added to the upadhātus are: sindūra (506–509), kāśīsa (510–516), narasāra (517–518), soraka (519–520), agnijāra (521–522), and samudraphena (523–524). The varieties, properties and purification of these substances are discussed, and, where appropriate, their killing, the extraction of their essences, etc.

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Section three (ratnoparatnādhikāra; 2.525–630) is about the nine ratnas: vajra (527–547), māṇikya (548–554), puṣparāja (555–558), tārkṣya (559–562), nīla (563–566), vaidūrya (567–570), gomeda (571–574), vaikrānta (575–580), and vidruma (581–593), followed by the uparatnas: sphaṭika (597–599), sūryakānta (600–604), candrakānta (605–607), peroja (608–609), rājāvarta (610–614), raktapāṣāṇa (615–618), vyomāśman (619–622), ¹²⁹ tṛṇakānta (623–624), kolopala (625–627), ¹³⁰ and viṣamuktā (628–630). The purification and killing of these precious and semi-precious stones are described, together with their properties.

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Section four (mauktikopamauktikādhikāra; 2.631–654) discusses pearls (mauktika; 631–640), and the group called upamauktika (641–654), their varieties, properties, purification, killing, etc.; the upamauktikas are the shells called śukti, śaṅkha and kapardaka.

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Section five (viṣopaviṣādhikāra; 2.655–806) deals with poisonous substances of mineral, vegetable and animal origin, their varieties, properties, purification, etc.; the treatment of poisoning by these substances is also described. A poisonous mineral discussed is gaurīpāṣāṇa, the other called malla (657–664). The vegetable poisons are divided into viṣas and upaviṣas. The group of nine viṣas consists of halāhala, kālakūṭa, brahmaputra, pradīpana, sauraṣṭrika, haridra, śṛṅgaka, saktuka, and vatsanābha; the eleven upaviṣas are viṣamuṣṭi, unmatta (= dhattūra), agni (= bhallātaka), jaipāla, guñjā, jayā (= bhaṅgā), āphūka (opium), snuhī, arka, hayamāra (= karavīra), and lāṅgalī (665–741). Verses are added about the purification of the seeds of vṛddhadāraka, eraṇḍa, nimbū, dantī, indravaruṇikā, karañja, and a series of other plants and medicinal substances of plant origin (742–757). The remaining part of the chapter is devoted to poisons of animal origin.

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Chapter three (rasaprakaraṇa; 1,606 verses) is a collection of rasayogas against the diseases described in the Mādhavanidāna; the author added a number of disorders

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found in later treatises.

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Chapter four (kupīpakvarasaparpatīlauhaprakaraṇa; 619 verses) is divided into five sections (adhikāra), the first three of which deal with kūpīpakvarasas. ¹³¹ Section one (rasasindūrādhikāra; 4.1–49) gives an account of the preparation and the properties of a series of sindūras: rasa-, svarṇa-, tāra-, tāmra-, nāga-, vaṅga-, abhra-, tāla-, śīla-, malla-, and viṣasindūra. Section two (makaradhvajādhikāra; 4.50–84) is devoted to the preparation of a number of varieties of makaradhvaja and its medicinal properties. Section three (anyakūpīpakvarasa; 4.85–123) is concerned with the preparation and medicinal uses of candrodaya, kāmadevarasa, anaṅgasundararasa, svarṇavaṅga, and rasakarpūra. Section four (parpaṭīkādhikāra; 4.124–224) deals with the preparation and medicinal actions of a number of parpaṭīs: rasa-, pāñcāmṛta-, prāṇada-, vijaya-, lauha-, tāmra-, svarṇa-, ratnaparpaṭī, and some preparations of the same type. Section five (lauhaprakaraṇa; 4.225–619) describes a large number of metallic preparations (lauha) against diseases which are arranged in the same way as in chapter three, but with a smaller number of new syndromes added to those of the Mādhavanidāna.

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Chapter five (sahapānānupānāthypāthyaprakaraṇa; 622 verses) begins with definitions of sahapāna and anupāna (5.1–11); the whole chapter is devoted to descriptions of these drinks, to be taken together with drug (sahapāna) or after its ingestion (anupāna). ¹³² Verses on what is wholesome (pathya) or unwholesome (apathya) in a particular disorder are added. ¹³³ The arrangement of the diseases is the same as in chapter three again. Some verses containing information on the author are appended to chapter five.

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The pariśiṣṭa chapter (vaṭīprakaraṇa; 42 verses) contains a number of recipes for pills called vaṭī.

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Sources mentioned by the author in the bhūmikā to the edition of this work are: Bhaiṣajyaratnāvalī, Bhāvaprakāśa, Bhelasaṃhitā, Cakradatta, ¹³⁴ Dhanvantari, Gadanigraha, Harīta, Rasacaṇḍāṃśu, Rasahṛdaya, Rasakāmadhenu, Rasakautūhala, Rasamañjarī, Rasarājasundara, Rasaratnākara, Rasaratnapradīpikā, Rasaratnasamuccaya, Rasārṇava, Rasatantrasāra, Rasataraṅgiṇī, ¹³⁵ Rasāyanasāra, Rasayogasāgara, Rasendramaṅgala, Rasendrasārasaṃgraha, ¹³⁶ Śārṅgadhara, Suśruta, Vāgbhaṭṭa, ¹³⁷ Vaṅgasena, Yogacintāmaṇi, Yogaratnākara, and Yogatarangiṇī.

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Additional sources are the Rasendracūḍāmaṇi ¹³⁸ and Rasendrapurāṇa. ¹³⁹

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*Special features*

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The originators of āyurveda, both the prāṇācāryas and the Rasasiddhas, listed in the introductory verses are: Agasta, Agniveśa, Atri, Bhairava, Bhalluki, Bhāskara, Bhela, Brahmā, Caraka, Dhanvantari, Gahanānanda, Gorakha, Govinda, Kākacaṇḍīśvara, Kapālika, Laṅkeśa, Māṇḍavya, Manthānabhairava, Matta, Nāgabodhi, Nāgārjuna, Nandin, Naravāhana, Narendra, Pāṇina, Ratnakośa, Śambhu, Śaṃkara, Śāraṅgadhara, Suśruta, Svacchandabhairava, Vāgbhaṭṭa, Viśārada, Viṣṇu, Vyāḍi, and Yaśodhana.

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Noteworthy yantras described are: kavacīyantra (1.346–348), ṭaṅkayantra (1.372–373), ¹⁴⁰ tejoyantra (1.383–386), ¹⁴¹ jalayantra (1.399–408), ¹⁴² gaurīyantra (1.417–421), ¹⁴³ bakayantra (1.441), ¹⁴⁴ nāḍīkayantra (1.442–446), ¹⁴⁵ and kaṇḍukayantra (1.454–457ab).

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Eight naisargikadoṣas of mercury are enumerated: nāga, vaṅga, vahni, mala, cā- palya, garala, giri, and asahyāgni (2.3), and seven kañcukas: bhedī, drāvī, malakārī, dhvānkṣī, parpaṭikā, andhakārī, and pāṭanikā (2.6). Eight saṃskāras are said to suffice for rasāyana purposes and described: svedana, mardana, mūrchana, utthāpana, the three varieties of pātana, bodhana, niyāmana, and pradīpana (2.17–59). Anuvāsana is not mentioned. Māraṇa (killing) and the properties of bhasman are dealt with in a few verses (2.60–63).

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Fifteen uparasas are distinguished, divided into a superior and an inferior group. The ten superior uparasas are: darada (cinnabar), rasendu (= rasakarpūra), gandha (sulphur), abhra (mica), (manaḥ)śilā, tālaka, dugdhapāṣāṇa, kampilla, sphaṭika, and taṅkaṇa; the five inferior uparasas are: śilājatu, bola, saurāṣṭrī, khaṭī, and gairika (2.67–68); capala is either regarded as a mahārasa or an uparasa (2.69).

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Rasakarpūra is of two varieties; it is a product of mining (khanija) or made in the workshop (kṛtrima) (2.78). Four varieties of sulphur are mentioned: red, yellow, white and black (2.85). Mica is of four colours: black, yellow, white and red; these types are called vajra, grāhika, tāraka and bhīruka; the vajra type is subdivided into varieties called pināka, dardura, nāga and vajra (2.92–94).

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Sixty-four drugs, mostly plants, used in the killing of mica, are listed (2.111–116). The preparation of abhrakaśattva is not described. Manaḥśilā is of three varieties: śyāmāṅgī, karavīrikā and dvikhaṇḍā (2.123–125). Four varieties of haritāla are distinguished: piṇḍākhya, pattrasamjñika, godanta and vakadāla (2.133). Ṭaṅkaṇa is of three types: sphaṭikābha, guḍaprabha and pāṇḍura; the last type is also known as nīlakaṇṭha (2.173–174). Four kinds of śilājatu are described: suvarṇa-, rājata-, tāmra- and āyasaśilājatu (2.181–183). Bola is of three kinds: rakta, śyāma and manuṣyaja (2.196). Two varieties of gairika are described: pāṣāṇagairika and svarṇagairika (2.206). Capala is of four colours: gaura, śveta, aruṇa and kṛṣṇa (2.211–214).

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The three types of iron, muṇḍa, tīkṣṇa and kānta, are mentioned without any subdivision (2.293). Zinc (yaśada) is of two varieties: yaśada and śavaka (2.335). Lead (nāga) is of two kinds: kumāra and samala (2.356). Kāṃsya is of two kinds, called puṣpa and tailaka (2.393–394). Only two kinds of añjana are distinguished: sroto’ñjana and suvīraja (2.493). Two varieties of kaṅkuṣṭha are described: nalikākhya and reṇuka (2.498). Kāsīsa is of two kinds: cūrṇa- and puṣpakāsīsa (2.510).

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Noteworthy diseases mentioned in chapters three and five are: āhakajvara (3.203–206; 5.24–25), āmāśayaroga (3.340–341), amśughāta (3.1377–1379), aupasargikameha (3.944–946; 5.408), bahumūtra (3.952–974; 4.413–418), gadodvega (3.691–694), granthikajvara (5.22–23), kapharoga (3.846–859), klomaroga (3.977–979), ojomeha (3.947–948), pittaroga (3.860–864), pretajaroga (3.1604–1606), śīrṣāmburoga (3.1373–1376), somaroga (3.1405–1423; 5.615–617), urastoya (3.856–860), and vṛkkaroga (3.975–976).¹⁴⁶

The author

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The author introduces himself in the granthākaraparicaya, appended to chapter five. His name is Viśvanātha Śarman, of a brāhmaṇa Dvivedin family, of Vatsagotra. His parents are Pārvatī Devī and Hanumān, who lived in the village Duvauliyā in the Naravanamandala, in the vicinity of Kāśī.¹⁴⁷

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Date The Rasendrasambhava was completed in 1952/53.¹⁴⁸