A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v2.c32.s8: Chemistry in Rasakalpa (Rudra-yamala Tantra)

A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v2.c32.s8

Language: English

v2.c32.s8.t1 Chapter I — 19 parts

Chemistry in Rasakalpa (Rudra-yamala Tantra)

v2.c32.s8.1

Bowing to Siva, the lord of mercury, and also the feet of Chandikā, I write this Rasakalpa, the depository of mercurial lore.

Chapter I

Killed mercury is that which is devoid of (metallic) lustre, not so ponderous, white,[*] destroyer of metals, divested of fluidity and non-volatile when stirred over a fire. 40 Cf. tests in Rasārnava in Vol. i, p. 74; as also in Rasaratnākara, ante, p. 9.

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∗ The author previously refers to the red, black, white and even yellow ash (calx) of mercury ; it is not clear why he should here

v2.c32.s8.t1.4

Purified mercury should be preserved in the hollow of a tooth or gem or bamboo. 42

v2.c32.s8.t1.5

Gold, silver, copper, tin, lead and iron—these are the 6 metals; vartaloha, &c., (Vol. i, p. 114) are simply alloys. 1

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Honest readers! I beseech you with folded arms to favour my book with your merciful glance.

v2.c32.s8.t1.7

The mahārasas are 8 in number; e. g. mercury, cinnabar, sasyaka, rasaka, &c. ... ... ... the rasas are mica, green vitriol and rājāvarta, &c. ... ... ... sulphur, orpiment and realgar, &c. are the uparasas as regarded by learned teachers. Cf. Vol. i, pp. 79 and 89.

v2.c32.s8.t1.8

There are 4 kinds of sulphur:—white, black, yellow and red. Cf. Vol. i, p. 90.

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restrict himself to the white variety only. Chloride or sulphide of mercury, when treated with a metal and heated, kills (i. e. parts with its chlorine or sulphur to) the latter and in that sense it is a destroyer of metals लोहहा.

v2.c32.s8.t1.10

The saurāṣṭrīs (alums) are of various kinds; the kāsīsas (vitriols) are of 3 kinds,—namely, kāsīsa proper, pushpa kāsīsa and hīrakāsīsa.* Cf. Vol. i, p. 91.

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Gairika is stated to be of 2 varieties,—the one of golden hue, the other red; Kaṅkuṣṭha and other rasas are also described by certain teachers; but these, however, are not referred to here, as we are treading in the footsteps of sages of old.† Sans. texts, pp. 75-78.

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† Evidently Charaka and Susruta, who mention only a few commonly occurring minerals. Vide Vol. i, pp. 29 and 44.

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For the purification of mercury this process is recommended by Svachchhandabhairava and Govinda.

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Chūlikalavana (Sal-ammoniac), sulphur and the ash of ginger, &c., digested one hundred times with cow's urine, ... ... ... make a vida for killing gold. Cf. Vol. i, p. 72.

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This process for killing [metals] was revealed by Siva and has been transmitted by successive schools of adepts.

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∗ Hīrákasa is the name by which green vitriol is known throughout India; Royle supposes that this word is derived from the Persian hura green, and Sans. kāsīsa. (Antiq. Hindu Med.) There is no necessity for looking upon hīrákasa as a hybrid term, seeing that it occurs in the present work in which Mahommedan influence is nowhere traceable.

Linked texts (5)

Carakasaṃhitā — Agniveśa (Āyurveda) & Caraka, Sanskrit
Suśrutasaṃhitā — Suśruta & Nāgārjuna (siddha/alchemist), Sanskrit
Rasaratnasamuccaya — Vāgbhaṭa (alchemist), Sanskrit
Rasaratnākara — Nityanātha Siddha, Sanskrit
Rasārṇava — Sanskrit