Iron in Ancient India c7.s5.t1.14

c7.s5.t1.14

The first notice of 'killing' iron and other metals (gold, silver, lead, copper and tin) occurs in the *Uttartantra* or supplement of the *Sushruta*, which is said by the commentator Dalhana to have been added by Nāgārjuna, who is also the redactor of *Sushruta*. In it we find the process called *ayashriti-bidhi* of iron and other metals in which "thin leaves of iron are to be smeared with the levigated powder of 'the salts' and heated in the fire of the cow-dung cakes and then plunged into a decoction of the myrobalans and assafœtida. This process is to be repeated sixteen times. The leaves are then to be ignited in the fire of the wood of *mimosa catechu* (khadira) and afterwards finely powdered and passed through linen of fine texture. The above process is equally applicable to the roasting of the other metals."²