History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c17.6

c17.6

But there are evidences that alchemical knowledge was widely cultivated in India even before the Tantric age. The Vasavadatta and the Dasakumaracharita in the sixth century allude to the preparation of a mass of fixed or coagulated mercury (*paradapindadraba*—Vasavadatta); of a chemical powder capable of producing deep sleep or stupor by its inhalation (*yogachurna*—Dasakumaracharita); of a chemically prepared wick for producing light without fire (*yogabartika*—Dasakumaracharita); and of a powder which acts as an anaesthetic and paralyses sensory and motor nerves (*stambhanachurnam*—Vasavadatta).