Essay name: Alchemy in India and China
Author:
Vijaya Jayant Deshpande
Affiliation: Panjab University / Department of Chemistry
The thesis "Alchemy in India and China" explores the comparative aspects of alchemy in these two countries, focusing on chemical and protochemical formulations while addressing why modern science developed in the West rather than in India or China. It briefly touches upon internal alchemy in China and the ritualistic tantra in India.
Chapter 2 - Alchemy in India
4 (of 26)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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22
gold-making as a pre-requisite to the one of the elixir for
internal administration.
The alchemist looked upon the process of transmu-
tation as a process of purifying metals, as bringing them
to an imperishable state, that of gold. This process was
looked upon as identical to that of culturing human body
and making it indestructible. That these two processes
were supposed to be parallel is evident from the following
of Rasaratn膩kara of Nagarjuna.
verse
4 I shall certainly tell you whatever is asked
by you, i.e. remedies of warding off wrinkles and
grey hair, and also of stopping the process of
ageing. These preparations can act with equal
efficacy on the metals as well as on human body.
Maharasa
Various names were given to mercury, e.g.,
chief of all rasas, i.e., substances or
-
in the sense
chemicals; Rasendra Indra (or king of Gods) of the rasas.
Other names for mercury were P膩rada (the one which leads us
to cross the ocean of life), Suta (born
originating from God), Haribija (essence of God Siva),
Svarnak膩raka (gold-maker), the last one suggesting its
p. 317.
4 Rasaratn膩kara of N膩g膩rjuna (see Primary Sources),
啶曕ぅ啶ぞ啶た 啶� 啶膏え啷嵿う啷囙す啶� 啶むい啷嵿い啷嵿さ啶ぞ 啶ぐ啶苦お啷冟啷嵿啶むぞ啶 啷�
啶掂げ啷�啶げ啶苦い 啶ㄠぞ啶班ぞ啶�
啶むぅ啶� 啶曕ぞ啶侧じ啷嵿く 啶о啶掂啶膏え啶
啶ぅ啶� 啶侧啶灌 啶むぅ啶� 啶︵啶灌 啶曕啶粪ぎ啶む 啶ㄠぞ啶む啶�
啶膏啶椸く啶� 啷�
[kathay膩mi na sandeha岣� tattvay膩 parip峁沜chat膩m ||
val墨palita n膩r膩ca
tath膩 k膩lasya dhva峁僺anam
yath膩 lohe tath膩 dehe k峁mate n膩tra
sa峁僩aya岣� ||
] ll
