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History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c17.s2: II

History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c17.s2

Language
English

II

c17.s2.1

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 five salts, *Piper nigrum*, *Piper longum*, the dried root of ginger, the juice of *Moringa pterygosperma*, the tuber of *Amorphophalus campanulatus*, can readily amalgamate itself with the eight metals.

c17.s2.2

Prajnaparamita (perfection of wisdom) appeared before Nagarjuna at midnight in a dream and revealed to him the ingredients of a recipe (consisting of steel, copper, mica, pyrites, etc.).

c17.s2.3

Mercury is to be rubbed with its equal weight of gold and then (the amalgam) further admixed with sulphur, borax, etc. 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.

c17.s2.4

I shall now describe the *garbha yantram* for reducing *pistika* (a cake of mercury and sulphur) to ashes. Make a clay crucible, 4 digits in length and 3 digits in width, with the mouth rounded. Take 20 parts of salt and one of bdellium and pound them finely, adding water frequently; smear the crucible with this mixture. Make a fire of paddy husks and apply gentle heat.

c17.s2.5

Recipe for *kajjali* or Aethiops mineral.

c17.s2.6

The preparation is very similar to those described by Vrinda and Chakrapani

c17.s2.7

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.

c17.s2.8

Now follows a dialogue between Nagarjuna, Ratnaghosha and king Salivahana.

c17.s2.9

Nagarjuna whose end (salvation) had been attained, benevolent towards all living creatures, blessed with all favours, residing on mount Srisaila

c17.s2.10

Before him stood Ratnaghosha with folded hands, saying "Be pleased to communicate to me knowledge of chemical operations".

c17.s2.11

Nagarjuna said :— "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).

c17.s2.12

"For the benefit of living bodies I went through all manner of penances for 12 tedious years and worshipped the goddess Yakshini presiding over the *Ficus bengalensis*. Then I heard an oracle :

c17.s2.13

"Well! well! the great sage, I shall give you all that you may ask from me." Nagarjuna said :— "O Goddess! If thou art propitiated, be pleased to communicate to me the rare knowledge of the fixation of mercury."

c17.s2.14

Salivahana said ·— "I have dedicated to thee, O Goddess! treasures of gold and gems, now I await thy instructions." The Goddess said .— "Well done! well done! O wise ruler! I shall speak to you of chemical operations performed by Mandavya"—(a well-known alchemist, one of the 27 adepts mentioned in the famous iatrochemcial treatise, Rasaratnasamuchchaya).

c17.s2.15

"A disciple should be intelligent, devoted to work, sinless, and master of his passions.

c17.s2.16

"The apparatus known as *koshthi*, mouth blow-pipe, cow-dung, substantial wood (as fuel), a pair of bellows, iron plates, *vidam* (preparation for killing metals ),.. .... having collected all these, chemical operations are to be performed." Ratnagosha said :— "Having prepared with great care 'the powder of projection', which transforms a ten million times its weight of the base metal into gold... ."

c17.s2.17

Nagarjuna said :—

c17.s2.18

"I shall convey to you what has been experimented upon by Sakanda."

c17.s2.19

*Tests for killed mercury :*— When the mercury assumes diverse colours after having given up its fluidity, it is known as swooned. Killed mercury is that which does not show signs of fluidity, mobility and lustre. When the quick-silver, which has acquired the colour and the lustre of the rising sun, stands the test of fire (i.e., is not readily volatilized), then it is to be regarded as *fixed*.

c17.s2.20

Then follows a list of apparatus borrowed from Rasendramangala :

c17.s2.21

Sila yantram, peshana yantram, bhudhar yantram, bansha yantram, nalika yantram, gajadanta yantram, dola yantram, adhaspatana yantram, bhuvaspatana yantram, patana yantram, niyamaka yantram, gamana yantram, tula yantram, kachchapa yantram, chacki yantram, valuka yantram, agnisoma yantram, gandhaka trahika yantram, musha yantram, handica yantram, kambhajana yantram, ghona yantram, gudabhraka yantram, narayana yantram, jalika yantram, charana yantram.

c17.s2.22

A description of many of these yantrams or apparatuses has been given in later treatises like Rasarnava and particularly in Rasaratnasamuchchaya of the iatrochemical period

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