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A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v2.c32.s2: Chemistry in Rasaratnakara of Nagarjuna

A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v2.c32.s2

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English

Contents

Chemistry in Rasaratnakara of Nagarjuna

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[ In the rendering of Rasaratnākara of Nāgārjuna and other Sanskrit texts we have often given only free translations. Such passages as are unnecessary repetitions or are not of sufficient interest to the general student of the history of Chemistry have been left out ]

Chapter I

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I shall now speak of the purification of the important rasas* (minerals).

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What wonder is it that rājāvarta digested with the juice of *Acacia sirisa* converts silver of the weight of one guñja into one hundred times its weight of gold of the lustre of the rising sun? 1

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∗ Regarding rasas see Vol. 1, p. 79.

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What wonder is it that yellow sulphur, purified with the juice of *Butea frondosa*, converts silver into gold when roasted thrice over the fire of cowdung cakes? 2

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What wonder is it that calamine ... ... roasted thrice with copper converts the latter into gold? * 3

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* These laconic recipes all refer to the floating mass of traditions current at the time of the author on the transmutation of the base metals into gold. As they are of a fragmentary and disjointed character, the meaning is not always clear. Recipe 3 also occurs in *Rasārnava*; *vide* Vol. i, pp. 70-71. Various ingenious methods were resorted to for debasing gold or making an alloy, which would mimic the appearance of this metal. Silver, copper, lead, zinc and mercury were often made into an amalgam, and the latter rendered compact and coloured yellow with the aid of orpiment. No wonder that the law-books prescribe several penalties on the fraudulent debasers of the precious metals. Thus according to Manu "the king shall cause a goldsmith, who behaves dishonestly, the most nocuous of all the thorns, to be cut to pieces with razors." IX, 292.

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The reader who feels interest in this subject may consult Berthelot's "La Chimie au moyen âge," t. i. pp. 31 *et seq.*, where will be found several recipes for augmenting gold *aurum plurimum facere*, or for the "fabrication of gold." One example may be cited here. Take gold, copper and mercury, make an amalgam of the whole, afterwards add sulphur, orpiment, "sandarac"(a kind of resin) and the bile of the vulture &c. The author of the recipe thus concludes :—"Thou wilt now discover a secret, which is sacred and worthy of praise" (*l. c.* p. 35).

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What wonder is it that cinnabar digested several times with the milk of the ewe and the acids* imparts to silver the lustre of gold glowing as saffron? 4

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Digestion [of minerals] is to be effected in the decoction of *Dolichos uniflorus*, *Paspalum scrobiculatum*, the urine of man and the acid juices of [the fruit of] ratan (*Calamus rotang*) and afterwards with the addition of the alkalies (soda, borax &c.) The operation of roasting is to be performed thrice.—Cf. the process of Rasaratnasamuchaya (R. R. S.), Bk. ii, 67-68 in Vol. i, p. 83.

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What wonder is it that the pyrites macerated in the juice of *Musa sapientum* and in castor oil and clarified butter, and placed inside the bulb of *Arum campanulatum* and roasted [in a closed crucible] undergoes perfect purification? † 6

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Chapala and other minerals, being macerated in the juice of the lemon for 3 days, become purified. Gold being smeared with the 5 earths, the ashes and salts ‡ and roasted, undergoes purification. 12

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∗ Vegetable acids are meant here. *Vide* Vol. i, p. 128. † Here extraction of copper from the pyrites is no doubt meant. Cf. R. R. S. Bk. ii, 89-90; *vide* Vol. i, p. 84. ‡ Cf. R. R. S. Bk. x, 71, 85; *vide* Vol. i, pp. 128-129.

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Silver alloyed with lead and fused with ashes becomes purified.* 13

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Lo! it is not to be wondered at that copper, melted with the alkali derived from the earth† and the milk of the ewe, clarified butter and one-sixteenth of its weight of oil, will become pure like the crescent of the moon. 14

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† पृथिवीभवेन क्षारेण may refer to natron or to saltpetre.

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Verses 23-25: Extraction of the essence of vaikrānta: exactly the same as in R. R. S. Bk. ii, 71-72. *Vide* Vol. i, pp. 83-84.

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Verses 25-30: Have reference to the extraction of copper from mākshika and tāpya (varieties of the pyrites). They agree in all essentials with Rasārnava, Ch. VII, 12-13. *Vide* Vol. i, p. 70.

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Verses 31-32: Extraction of zinc from calamine. Cf. R.R S. Bk. ii, 163-164. *Vide* Vol. i, p. 88.

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Verses 35-36: Exactly the same as in R. R. S. Bk. ii, 103-104. *Vide* Vol. i, p. 85.

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Verse 37: Essence of darada, *i. e.* extraction of mercury from cinnabar by distillation. Cf. R. R. S. Bk. i, 89-90. *Vide* Vol. i, p. 78.

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∗ Refers to cupellation. Cf. Rasārnava in Vol. i, p. 68, footnote (1).

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Verses 50-51: Dissolution of gems (pearls &c.) by digestion in vegetable acids, *e. g.* sour gruel (impure vinegar) and the juice of certain acid plants.

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Here ends Chapter Second of Rasaratnākara by Nāgārjuna on the killing of diamond and the metals, extraction of the essence of minerals and liquefaction of mica.

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I shall now explain [the process of] fixation of mercury. The king of rasas (mercury), rubbed with the juice of lime, sal-ammoniac, the acids, the alkalies, the 5 salts, *Piper nigrum*, *P. longum*, the dried root of ginger, the juice of *Moringa pter.*, the tuber of *Amorphophallus campanulatus*, can readily amalgamate itself with the 8 metals. 1

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Prajñāpāramitā (perfection of wisdom) appeared before Nāgārjuna at midnight in a dream and revealed to him the ingredients of a recipe (consisting of steel, copper, mica, pyrites, &c.) 4

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Mercury is to be rubbed with its equal weight of gold and then [the amalgam] further admixed with sulphur, borax &c. The mixture is then to be transferred to a crucible and its lid put on and then submitted to gentle roasting. By partaking of this elixir (i.e. the sublimate) the devotee acquires a body not liable to decay. 30-32

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I shall now describe the Garbha yantram.* 62-65

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Recipe for Kajjali or æthiops mineral.† 84-86

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Having made salutation to all the Buddhas, free from the taint of sins, I shall now deliver the Kakshaputa tantram‡ for the benefit of suffering humanity.

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[The most important part, from an historical point of view, is the dialogue between Nāgārjuna, King Sālivāhana and Ratnaghosha.]

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Nāgārjuna, whose end (salvation) had been attained, benevolent towards all living creatures, blessed with all favours, residing on mount Srīsaila, before him stood Ratnaghosha with folded arms, saying: "Be pleased to communicate to me knowledge on chemical operations."

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∗ The same as in Rasārnava. Vide Vol. i, p. 66. † The process is practically the same as in Chakrapāni; vide Vol. i, p. 58. ‡ There is extant a Tantra, which goes by this name, the reputed author of which is Nāgārjuna.

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Nāgārjuna said:—

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Well done! well done! I am pleased with your devotion and shall convey to you all that you want to know, namely remedies for warding off wrinkles, grey hair and other signs of old age. Mineral preparations act with equal efficacy on the metals as on the body (human system). *

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For the benefit of living beings I went through all manner of penances for 12 tedious years and worshipped the goddess Yakshinī presiding over the Ficus religiosus. Then I heard an oracle.

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Nāgārjuna said:—

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O Goddess! if thou art propitiated, be pleased to communicate to me the rare knowledge of the fixation of mercury.

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Sālivāhana said:—

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I have dedicated to thee, O Goddess! treasures of gold and gems, now I await thy instructions.

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∗ This was a favourite metaphor with the alchemists. Cf. Vol. i, Intro. lxxvi.

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The Goddess said:—

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Well done! well done! O wise ruler! I shall speak to you of chemical operations performed by Māndavya.* ... ... A disciple should be intelligent, devoted to work, sinless, and master of his passions. †

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The apparatus known as koshthi, mouth blow-pipe, cow-dung, substantial wood (as fuel), a pair of bellows, iron plates, * * * having collected all these, chemical operations are to be performed.‡

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Ratnaghosha said:—

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Having prepared with great care “the powder of projection,” which transforms a ten million times its weight of the base metal into gold, § * * * *

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Nāgārjuna said:—

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I shall convey to you what has been experimented upon by Sākānda. ¶

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∗ A well-known alchemist; one of the 27 adepts mentioned in the opening lines of R. R. S. Vide Vol. i, p. 77. † Cf. “Initiation into discipleship” in Vol. i, p. 115. ‡ Cf. Rasārnava in Vol. i, pp. 64-65. § कोटिवेधी महारसः—the term वेधः has technical meaning. Cf. Vol. i, p. 120. ¶ We are unfamiliar with this name, probably the reading is corrupt.

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Tests for *killed* mercury.

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The first two couplets are almost the same as in Rasārnava. Cf. Vol. i, p. 74.

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When the quicksilver, which has acquired the colour and the lustre of the rising sun, stands the test of fire (*i. e.* is not readily volatilised), then it is to be regarded as *fixed*.

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Here follows a list of apparatus borrowed from Rasendramaṅgala.—Detailed account of most of these will be found in R. R. S. Bk. ix. *Vide* Vol. i, p. 67.

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