History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c17.12

c17.12

Another important treatise of this period is Rasarnava, a Brahminical Tantra of the Saiva cult. Like Rasaratnakara it embodies much valuable informations on chemistry As already stated, Tantras deal largely with mercury and mercurial preparations, the virtues of which have been prominently extolled in Rasarnava, (lit. sea of mercury) Mercury has been described in Rasarnava as of divine origin, being the seed of the god Siva or Hara; in a similar manner mica has been defined as the seed of the goddess Gouri, the consort of Siva; and the combination of the two is held as destructive of death and poverty. Thus we find that alchemy was closely related in India with the Tantric Cult. In fact, the Tantric treatise Rasahridaya speaks of 'rasasiddhas' (alchemists) as those who, without quitting their bodies, have attained to new ones through the influence of Hara and Gouri (mercury and mica). By the science of mercury is to be understood not only a branch of chemistry alone, but it is also to be applied to salvation according to the Tantric treatises. Mercury, according to Rasarnava, can improve not only the quality of metals (i.e. convert the base metals into gold), but can make the body undecaying and imperishable. Rasarnava is believed to be a Tantric work of the 12th century A.D., which throws a flood of light on the chemical knowledge of the Indians in those days. There are evidences that it has been compiled from pre-existing works; for instance, it has not hesitated, as we find, to borrow copiously from Rasaratnakara of the renowned alchemist Nagarjuna, which we have discussed above. It possesses, in addition, the merit of being the inspirer of several works of the following period, the Iatrochemical Period, notably of Rasaratnasamuchchaya and Rasendrachintamani.