Rasa-Jala-Nidhi - Ocean of Indian Chemistry, Medicine & Alchemy SANSKRIT+ENGLISH (5-Volume Set)

by Bhudeb Mookerjee

Indian medical science - Ayurveda can claim its legitimate place among all other systems of medicine known to the world. But its glory and greatness is due neither to the progress in Surgery or Anatomy as taught by Susruta nor to the excellence of herbal durgs as taught by Caraka but to the exceptional and unique progress which Ayurveda made in the region of medical chemistry.

There were four different schools of treatment of diseases in ancient India, Viz., treatments:

By rasa, i.e, mercury and other metals
By herbs and vegetable drugs
By charms, incantations, etc.
By surgical instruments.

The work is entitled Rasa-Jala-nidhi (Ocean of Indian Chemistry of medicine) perhaps on the analogy of Rasarnava Saivatantra on the subject of alchemy. the analogy imparts divinity to the subject itself. The system is of divine origin. It goes back to hoary antiquity, as old as the Ramayana of Valmiki. Herodotus, the Greek chronicler testifies that ancient Indians know a good deal of chenmistry much earlier than the races of the world; that in chemistry of medicine and alchemy the ancient Aryans reached a high of degree of perfection and that there were Yogins in Indian who lived an unusually long life by the use of mercurial preparations.

This book on medical chemistry and Alchemy is a sort of compilation of Sanskrit verses transmitted to us from generation to generation, either through oral tradition or by way of citations occurring in ancient texts on medicine which fortunately for us have escaped the rowdiness of barbarous invaders in the medieval period of Indian history.

The Books by Volume:

VOLUME I

It is an almost universal belief with the equcated people of modern times that the world was created only a few thousand years ago, and that the oldest civilization cannot date father back than, say, twenty-five thousand years before Christ. This assumption would seem to be nost absurd to those who have entered into the spirit of the ancient Indian culture, unbiassed by any judgment passed by modern scholars on the antiquity of such a culture. The idea of the absolute creation of the Universe out of nothing, at a particular point of time, is more than an ordinary human being can conceive, in an much as it involves an attribution to God of such human characteristics as desire, want, and striving for the attainment of an wished for object, and thus reduces him to the level of an imperfect and human being.

VOLUME II

The following are the uparasas:-

GROUP I - bajra abhra, two kinds of makshikam, bimala, shilajatu, tutthaka, sasyaka, chapala, and rasaka. These are to be collected for purifictaion and incineration.

GROUP II - gandhaka, gairika, kasisa, kankshi, haritala, manas-shila, anjana, and kankustha. These are used in mercurial operations.

GROUP III - kampilla, gouripashana, navasara, kapardaka, agnijara, girisindura, hingula, and mriddara-shringaka, and bhunaga.

They are called uparasas, simply because they posses some of the qualities of Rasa or mercury.

VOLUME III

The publication of the present volume has well-nigh brought to close that part of the Rasa-Vidya (or the science of the minerals in all their aspects, viz., medicinal, alchemical, and industrial) which should be considered to be an introduction to the study of a pharmacopoea of drugs prepared mainly from minerals-a pharmacopoea of a colossal magnitude, prepared, in pre-historic times, by the ancient Indians. Much of the materials, originally intended to be dealt with in the first three volumes, are left out for treatment in a subsequent volume. The fourth and a few of the succeeding volumes would be mainly devoted to the study of recipes most of whom would be found to be astonishingly infallible.

VOLUME IV

Vol. 111 of Rasa-jala-nidhi was published as far back as December 1929. The present volume is published after more than six years. This undue delay is due to my shortness of leisure and ill-health owing to hard labour.

It has already been stated that the Rasa-chikitsa-vidya or the science of Iatro chemistry, as dealt with in the present publication, is the best part of the science of Ayurveda (i. e. the indigenous system of medical science prevalent in India.) The present state of degradation of the followers of this science is due to Rasa-chikitsa-vidya being almost forgotten under circumstances referred to in the preface of vol. 1.This is a perfect system of medical science.

VOLUME V

Strenuous labour for more than a year again told heavily upon his weak health, resulting in a physical prostration from which I have not yet completely recovered. This accounts for the delay in bringing out vol V of his book. The Indian national congress, which is now the dominant political force in the country, appears to be indifferent to the revival of ancient Indian culture and civilization; nay, it appears to be bent upon destroying them. Many of the leaders of the congress have been so much westernized that they look up to the west for their social, moral, and religious ideals. Mahatma Gandhi, the universally adored leader of the congress is reported to have declared that Ayurveda has not a better medicine for fever than guinine.

Table of Contents:

VOLUME I

PREFACE

CHAPTER I
Requisites for metallurgical operations
Qualifications of a preceptor
Qualifications of a disciple
Construction of a laboratory
Details of laboratory

CHAPTER II
Initiation of disciple
Kalini wife

CHAPTER III
Mercury
Attributes of mercury
Mercurial operations
Purification of mercury
Boiling of mercury
Rubbing of mercury
Raising of mercury
Sublimation of mercury
Upward sublimation of mercury
Downward sublimation of mercury
Confinement of mercury
Restraint of mercury
Stimulation of mercury
Rehabilitation of mercury
Easy Process of Absolute purification of mercury
Swallowing of metals of mercury
Order of swallowing of metals by mercury
Swallowing of sulphur by mercury
Swallowing of the essence of mica by mercury
Swooning of mercury
Movement of mercury
Internal liquefaction of mercury
Exhaustion of mercury
killing of mercury
Incineration of mercury
Incineration without killing
Characteristics of incinerated mercury
How incinerated mercury is to be used in all sorts of diseases
Bajra panjara rasa
Panchamrita
Preparations for taking mercury
Dose of incinerated mercury
Special directions for use of mercury
Dietary regulations
How to cure symptoms due to an improper use of mercury
Mrita-sanjivani-gutika
Drugs controlling mercury

CHAPTER V
Dyeing of mercury
Dyeing by means of oil
Gandharva tailam
Seeds of silver
Process of Sarana
Another process of dyeing of mercury
Transformation of base metals into gold by mercury
Importance of metals in the above
Different kinds of transformations of base metals

CHAPTER VI
Apparata
Crucibles
Putams

CHAPTER VII
Definitions
Measures of weight
Different classes of solidification of mercury

CHAPTER VIII
Additional processes for transformation of base metals into gold and silver

Appendix-Glossary

VOLUME II

Uparasas
Abhram (Mica)
Different kinds of Mica
Mica should be deprived of its glaze
Purificatio of Mica
Dhanya abhram
Incineration of mica
Characteristic of killed mica
Nectaization of mica
Importance of putam in killing of mica
Rubbing not necessary in putams for 1000 times
Killers of Mica
Use of incinerated mica
Special accompaniments of mica
General directions for use of mica
Dietary in the use of Mica
Evil effects of mica, not properly incinerated
Removal of mica, not properly incinerated
Extraction of essence of mica
Removal of mica, not properly incinerated
Purification of essence of mica
How incinerated essence of mica is to be used
Softening of essence of mica
How incinerated essence of mica is to be used
Softening of essence of mica
Liquefaction of mica
Amalgamation of more than one metal in a state of cold liquid
Transformation of tin into silver by means of mica
Makshikam (pyrites)
Detailed classificatin of pyrites
Merits of makshika
Evil effects of impure makshika
Purifiction of Makshika
Incineration of makshika
Extraction of essence of makshika
Use of essence of makshika
Liquefactin of essence of makshika
Accompaniments of makshika
Removal of evil effects caused by impure makshika
Bimala (pyrites with red tints)
Purification of Bimala
Incineration of Bimala
Extraction of essence of Bimala
Use of the essence of Bimala
Shila-jatu (Bitumen)
Special properties of different kinds of shilajatu
Gold shila-jatu
Silver shila-jatu
Copper shilajatu (d) iron shilajatu 9e) tin shilajatu (f0 lead shilajatu
Test of genuine shila-jatu
Properties of shila-jatus in general
Purification of shila-jatu
Test of purified Shila-jatu
Incineratin of shila-jatu
Camphor shila-jatu
Evil effects of taking impure shila-jatu
How to cure the diseases due to the use of impure shila-jatu
Sora (saltpetre), a kind of shila-jatu
Tuttham (Sulphate of copper, manufactured)
Purification of tuttham
Extractin of essence from tuttham
Ditto without application of heat
How to extract copper from feathers of peacock
The finger ring which cures colic and neutralises poison
Sasyakam or blue stone
Qualities of sasyakam
Purification of sasyakam
Incineration of sasyaka
Extraction of essence from sasyaka
Another kind of finger ring which cures colic and removes poison
Incineration of the essence of tuttham or sasyakam
How to remedy the evil effect of impure tutthaka and sasyaka
Chapala
Purification of Chapala
Extraction of essence from Chapala
Chapala produced from lead and tin
Rasaka or kharpra (calamine)
Inability of Rasaka to stand fire
How Rasaka may be made to stand fire
Purificationof Rasaka
Incineratin of Rasaka
Extraction of essence from Rasaka
Incineration of the essence of Rasaka
Dyeing of mercury, etc. by rasaka

CHAPTER II
Gandhaka (sulphur)
Variety of sulphur
Properties of Sulphur
Sulphur is to be purified
Purification of Gandhaka
How to take gandhaka
The Rasayana gandhaka
Sulphur oil
Deitary when taking sulpur
Removal of odour from sulphur
Transformation of base metals by Gandhaka
Removla of the evil consequences of taking impure sulphur
Gairikam (red ochre)
Purification of gairikam
Extraction of essence form gairikam
Uses of gairikam
kasisam (sulphate of iron)
Purification of kasisam
How to take kasisam
Kankshi (alum clay)
Properties of kankshi
Purification of extraction of essence from tubari
Haritalam (Orpiment)
Patra haritalam
pinda haritalam
Godanta haritalam
Vakadala haritalam
properties of purified haritalam
Haritalam fit for incinaeration Evils of using impure haritalam Purification of haritalam
Incineration of haritalam
Liquefaction of haritalam
est of incinerated hartalam
Merits of incinerated haritalam
Extraction of essence form haritalam
Use of esence of haritalam
Antedotes to the bad effects of taking impure haritalam
Dieary
Transformation of base metals into gold by haritalam
Manas-shila realger
Different kinds of manas-shila
Properties of mans-shila
Evil effects of taking mans-shila, not properly purified
Purificatin of manas-shila
Extraction of essence of manas-shila
Antedotes to th bad effects of taking impure manas-shila
Anjanam
Sauviranjanam
Nilanjanam
Rasanjanam
Srotonjanam
kulatthanjanam
Pushpanjama
Purification of anjanams
Extraction of essence form anjanams
Solidification of mercury by means of Srotonjana
Kunkustham (an ore contianing tin)
Purification of kunkustaham
How to take kunkustham

CHAPTER III
Kampilla
Purification of sadharana uparassas (viz, from kampilla to bhunaga)
Use of Kampilla
Gouripashana(Arsenic Stone)
Purification of arsenic Stone
Extraction of esence form gauripashana
Navasara (Sal ammoniac)
Properties of Navasara
Kapardaka (cowri or marine shells)
Properties of cowry or marine shells
Purificatin of kapardi (crowri0
Incineration of kapaardi or cowri
Shankha (conch shell)
Purification of Shankha
Incineration of Shankha
Properties of Shankha
Bahni jara or agni jara
Girisinduram (mineral red vermilion)
Properties of girisinduram
Red vermilion fit for use
Purification of red vermilion
Cinnabar (Hingula)
Varieties of Hingula
Properties of Hingula
Purification of Hingula
Preparations of Hingula
Prepartion of cinnabar at laboratory
Evil effects of impure hingula
Their remedies
Essence of hingula
Mriddara shringaka
Purification of Ditto
Bhunaga (earthworm)
Purification of Ditto
Essence of Ditto
Properties of essence of earthworms

CHAPTER IV
Metals
Gold Varieties of gold
properties of gold
Evil effects of taking gold not duly incinerated and purified
purifictin of gold
Incineration of gold
Importance of mercury in the incineration of gold
ccompaniments of gold
Liquefaction of gold
Silver
Varieties of silver
Qualities of silver
Silver is to be purified and incinerated
Purification of silver.
Uses of incinerated silver
liquefaction of silver
Tamram (Copper)
Characteristics of bad copper
Characteristics of good copper
Propertie of copper
Evil properties of copper not duly purified and incinerated
Purificatin of copper
Incineration of copper
Somanatha Tamram
Arka-talam
nectarisation of incinerated copper
Use of incinerated copper
Somanatha Tamram
Arka-talam
Nectarisation of incinerated copper
Use of incinerated copper
Glossary
Appendix

VOLUME III

CHAPTER I

Lauha (iron)
Properties of Iauha
Natural blemishes of iron
Evil effects of impure iron
Varieties of iron
Munda or ordinary iron
Properties of excellent munda iron
Tikshna iron-its varieties:-Properties of tikshna iron
Kanta-Iauha (magnetic oxide of iron)
Its characteritics
Its varieties
Their special features
Properties of kanta-lauha
Purification of iron
Incineratin of iron
Utility of putam
Bhanupaka
Sthali-paka
Puta-paka
Putam with special drugs
Sthali-paka for the second time
how to heat a thin by putam
Removal of defects of iron incinerated without mercury
Sudha-sagara-lauham
Test of incinerated iron
How to deprie the ashes of iron of the power of being restored to their original condition
Nectarization of incinerated iron
Doses of iron
Anupanas or accompaniments of iron
Dietary in taking iron
Prohibitions
Remedy of evils due to irregularities in taking metals-siddhisara
Evil effects of iron, not properly incinerated
Remedy of the evils
Liquefaction of iron
Mandura
Varieties of mandura
Fitness of mandura
Incineration of mandura
Use of mandura
Liquefaction of mandura

CHAPTER II
Jasoda (zinc)

CHAPTER III
Mixed metals-pittala (brass)-its varieties

CHAPTER IV
Ratnas (gems)

CHAPTER V
Ksharas (alkalis)

CHAPTER VI
Lavanas (salts)

CHAPTER VII
Poisons

CHAPTER VIII
Upabisha (semi-poison)

CHAPTER IX
Extraction of oil from seeds of any kind
Extraction of oil from seeds, in particular

CHAPTER X
Alcoholic Iiquors (wine)

CHAPTER XI
Paribhasa (Definations)

VOLUME IV

CHAPTER I
Prayer to God
Diet
Unwholesome diet and deeds
Diet incongenial by combination
Drinking of water at dawn
Restrictions regaerding exposure to the sun
Restrictions regarding dress
Restrictions regarding exposure to wind
Restrictions regarding sleeping in day time
Rubbing the whole body with oil
Restrictions regarding bath
Restrictions regarding taking of food
Chewing of betel leaves
Restrictions regarding physical exercise
Actions prohibited just at sunrise and sunset
Directions for sleeping
Advantages of iatro-medical treatment
Accompaniments of such medicines
Dosage
Directions fro prearing a medicine with ingredients more than one
Special directons for taking medicines mixed with bile (pittam)
Time for taking medicine
Persons unfit to take medicines
Bad effects of medicine, not assimilated
Prohibitions for taking poisonous medicine

CHAPTER II
Symptoms of fever
Varieties of fever
Nava-jwara (primary fever)
Varieties of nava jwara
Primary fever, caused by one's own self
Primary fever due to external agencies
Visama-jwara (chronic fever)
Fever due to consumption
Symptoms of fever due to an excess of va'yu
Symptoms of fever due to an excess of pittam
symptoms of fever due to an excess of kapha (phlegm)
Fever due to an excess of two or three of the dosas
General Symptoms of fever due to an excess of the three dosas
Directoins to be followed in nava-jwara
Living in a place not exposed to drafts of air
Directions for taking medicine
Prohibitions to be observed in primary fever
Fasting in nava-jwara
Persons unfit tor fast
drinking of water during fasting
Cases for drinking water is forbidden in nava-jwara, etc
Properties of water cooled after boilng
Persons who should take unboiled cold water
Diet in nava-jwara
During fever and temporary remission
After the remission of nava-jwara
Things and actions harmful in fever
Iatro-chemical medicines applicable in fever
Vomiting in visama-jwara
Application of parpati in fever

CHAPTER III
JWARA'TISA'RA (fever with diarrhoea)

CHAPTER IV
Irregularity of the digesting heat

CHAPTER V
Piles

CHAPTER VI
Diseases affecting the belly

VOLUME V

INTRODUCTION

Ractapitam (haemeptosis)
Treatment of haemeptosis
Iatro medical treatment of haemeptosis
Diet and actions salutary in racta-pittam
Food and actions injuririous in racta-pittam
Pthisis or consumptin
General sysmptions of pthisis
Treatment of ptisis
Specifics for stopping vomitting blood
Spefics for stopping vomitting
Iatro medical treatment of Pthisis
Articles of food-stuff and deeds considered injurious in Pthisis
Cough-its cause
Treatment of cough
Smoking for the cure of cough
Iatro chemical remedies in cough
Diet and deeds salutary in cough
Deeds and diet injurious in cough
Asthma and hiccough
Treatment of asthma snd hiccough
Smoking in hiccough and Asthma
Iatro chemical treatment of hiccough and Asthma
Diet and actions Salutary in Hiccough
Diet and actions injurious in Hiccough
Diet and actions salutary in asthma
Food and actions injurious in asthma
Hoarseness
Treatment of hoarseness
Diet and actions salutary in hoarseness
Articles of food-stuff and deeds injurious in hoarseness
Heart Diseases
Symptoms of heart disease due to va'yu
Symptoms of heart disease dut to pittam
Symptoms of hert disease due to phlegm
Causes and symptoms of heart disease due to worms
General symptoms of heart diseses
Treatment of heart disease
Iatro chemical treatment of heart disease
Deeds and diet salutary in heart disease
Articles of food-stuff and deeds injurious in heart disease
Urograha
Treatment of urograha
iatro chemical treatment
Dietary
Amlapitam or Acidity and Biliousness
Tratment of amlapittam
iatro chemical tratment of Amlapittam
Diet and actions salutary in Amlapittam
Food and deeds consided injurious in Amlapittam
Treatment of abnormal exeese of Pittam
Pacifiers of Pittam
Increasers of Pittam
Shulam 9all shorts of pain in the belly including Colic
Tratment of Shulam
Some simple remedies
iato chemical tratment of shulam
Diet and deeds beneficcial in shulam
Articles of food-stuff and deeds injurious in shulam
Gulma ( A kind of tumour in the belly)
Causes and indications of ractagulma
Treatment of Gulma
Iatro chemical treatment of Gulma
Diet and deeds considered Salutary in Gulma
Articles of food stuffs and actions considered injurious in Gulma
Worma and Becilli
Treatment of worms
Iatro-chemical treatment of worms
Diet and deeds salutary in worms
Articles of food stuff and deeds injurious in worms
Pandu (anemia) Kamla (Jaundice) etc
Canses and Symptoms of Ka'mala
Canses and Symptoms of Kumbha Ka'mala
Treatment of Pa'ndn and Ka'mala
Simple remedies
Iastro-chemical treatment of Pandu, Kamla etc
Diet and deeds salutary in anemia
Deeds and articles of food stuff injurious in anemia
Arochaka (Aversion of Food)
Treatment of aversion of food)
Iatro-chemical remedies
Diet and deeds salntary in arochaka
Articles of ffo-stuff and actions injurious in arochaka
Vomiting
Treatment of aversion of food
Iatro-chemical remedies
Diet and deeds Salutary in vomiting
Diet and deeds injurious in vomitting
Thirst
Treatment of Thirst
Iatro-chemical remedies
Diet and deeds salutary in thirst
Diet and deeds injurions in thirst
Medas (Obesity)
Treatment of Obesity
Iatro-chemical treatment for obesity
Deeds and diet salutary in obesity
Deeds and articles of food-stuffs injurious in obesity
Thinness
Treatment of Thinness
Iatro-chemical remedies
Dietary in thiness
Daha (Sensatin of heat)
Treatment of Da'ha
Iatro-chemical remedies
Diet and deeds salutary in Daha
Diet and deeds injurious in Da'ha
Madya-Pa'n'a-bika'ra (or evil effects of drinking wine in excess)
Treatment of evil effects of wine
Iatro-chemicla remedies
Diet and deeds Salutry in evile, effects of wine
Prohibitions in mada'tyaya, etc
Moorchha (Loss of consciousness)
Treatment of fainting fits
Iatro-Chemical remedies in swoon
Deeds and diet Salutary in moorchha
Articles of ffod stuff and deeds injurious in moorhha Sannya'sa (Malignant Swoon)
Treatment of Sannya'sa
Diet. Etc. in Sannya'sa
Bhrama (Vertigo) Nidra (Sleeping disease) and Tandra (Drowsiness)
Treatment of Vetigo
Iatro-chemical remedies in Vertigo
Dietary etc
Treatment of Sleepiness and drowsiness
Iatro-chemical remedies and dietary in sleepiness and drowsiness
Apasma'ra (Epilepsy)
Treatment of epilepsy
Istor-hemical remedies in Apasma'ra
Diet and deeds Salutary in Apasma'ra
Articles of food stuff and deeds injurious in apsma'ra
Unmada (Insanity)
Treatment of Insanity
Iatro-chemical remedies
Am'ba'ta (Gout and Rheumatism)
Treatment of Rheumatism
Iatro-chemical medicines
Diet and deeds salutary in rheumatism