History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c37.s4: Cosmetics and Perfumery
History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c37.s4
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- English
Cosmetics and Perfumery
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The use of cosmetics and perfumes, and the knowledge of their preparation were known in ancient and medieval India. P. K. Gode, in his article on *Indian Science of Cosmetics and Perfumery*, refers to two Sanskrit treatises on the subject, believed to be composed sometime between A.D. 1000-1200. These, as their contents indicate, were based on earlier texts, some of which are partly extant, and were composed between A.D. 500-1000. The two treatises recovered by him are : (1) ‘Gandhasara’ by Gangadhara and (2) ‘Gandhavada’ by an anonymous author, with a commentary in Marathi.
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Cont * *Cf* P. K. Gode's article on the *History of Ink Manufacture in Ancient India*, Pracyavani, Vol III, 4, 1946 p 10-11.
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In one of the chapters in Gandhasara by Gangadhara, the author describes how to examine and use the several aromatic ingredients for the preparation of cosmetics and perfumes. His classification of the aromatic ingredients in different *vargas* or classes is quite scientific, and deserves particular mention here. The aromatic ingredients are classified as :
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(1) Leaves—holy basil leaves, etc.
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(2) Flowers—saffron, champaka, clove, etc.
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(3) Fruits—pepper, nutmeg, cardamum, etc.
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(4) Barks—bark of camphor tree, bark of clove tree, etc.
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(5) Woods—sandal wood, fir wood, etc.
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(6) Roots—nut-grass (*Cyperus rotandus*), *vala* (*Pavonia odorata*), etc.
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(7) Exudations from plants—camphor, etc.
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(8) Organic products—musk, lac, etc.
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The treatise Gandhasara by Gangadhara contains three chapters. Chapter I explains the technical processes and terminology of the science of scents and perfumes. Chapter II gives recipes for the preparations of different perfumed products, such as perfumed waters, oils, sticks, powders, incense, etc. Chapter III gives a classified glossary of aromatic ingredients to be used for the preparation of cosmetics and perfumes Some of the technical processes, given in this treatise for the preparation of cosmetics and perfumes, have been quoted by Gode in his paper. These are six in number, viz :
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(1) *Bhavana*—infusing or saturating powders with fluid.
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(2) *Pacana*—ripening, or decoction of materials after they have passed through previous process of *bhavana*.
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(3) *Bodha*—strengthening the scent of a perfume with the help of aromatic ingredients, serving as intensifying agents.
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(4) *Vedha*—this seems to represent a further development of *bodha* or intensification process.
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(5) *Dhūpana*—fumigating with aromatic vapours of incense, etc.
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(6) *Vāsanā*—preparing scents with perfumes of flowers
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The processes described are quite systematic, and appear to be based more or less on a knowledge of physico-chemical principles.