History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c17.3

c17.3

Indian alchemy very largely derived its colour, flavour and, in fact, its nourishment from the Tantric Cult. In almost every country the progress of chemistry can be traced to medicine and a belief in the artificial gold-making or the transmutation of the base metals into gold, as well as to the search after the *vital elixir of life* or the *philosopher’s stone*. In India, however, these ends have played a secondary part and, in fact, as means to a still higher end, i.e. religious worship, and performance of religious rites. It is well-known that the Indian life in all its aspects, social, political and intellectual, had been at all times under the mighty sway of religion. Medicine and alchemy too, along with the other branches of science, had their origin and growth with this end in view, as necessary aids and helping agents to spiritual pursuit. The ultimate goal of life according to Hindu philosophy and religion is to gain a beatific experience of the Divine in human nature. Health, wealth, vigour and longevity do not constitute the self-sufficient ends of medicine and alchemy, but are pursued for the fulfilment of the ultimate and higher goal of life on the transcendental plane. In the words of Zimmer, “they are prerequisites of the ever-lasting quest, along the paths of pious exercise and austere discipline to win for man a divine freedom beyond all the needs and bonds of human nature”.