A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c52.345

v3.c52.345

RASAKALPA 565 This work, said to form part of the Rudrayāmala, and written in the form of a dialogue between Śiva and Caṇḍikā, describes metals and minerals, their killing, druti, sattvapātana and some other processes, without giving attention to the medicinal uses of the substances produced. The author claims to have tested all the processes outlined in the work. Six metals are distinguished (gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, iron), eight mahārasas (pārada, hiṅgula, vaiṣṇava, 566 śasyaka, śaila, capala, rasaka, amala), 567 eight rasas (abhraka, tutthaka, kānta, rājāvarta, añjana, vajra, vaikrāntaka, ṭaṅkana), and an unspecified number of uparasas (gandhaka, tālaka, śilā, kṣiti, 568 khecara, 569 gairika, etc.). Sulphur (gandhaka) is said to be of four types (sita, asita, aruṇa, pīta), tālaka of two types (godanta and pāṭalacchavi), śilā of two types (raktā and pītā), kāsīsa of three types (kāsīsa, puṣpakāsīsa, hīrakāsīsa), gairika of two types (sauvarṇa and lohita). Kaṅkuṣṭha is not accepted as a rasa. The extraction of the essence of rasaka, i.e., the preparation of zinc, is described. 570 Svacchandabhairava and Govinda are referred to. 571 The Rasakalpa is sometimes placed in the thirteenth century. 572