Essay name: Minerals and Metals in Sanskrit literature
Author:
Sulekha Biswas
Affiliation: Chhatrapati Sahuji Maharaj University / Department of Sanskrit
This essay studies the presence of Minerals and Metals in Sanskrit literature over three millennia, from the Rigveda to Rasaratna-Samuccaya. It establishes that ancient Indians were knowledgeable about various minerals and metallurgy prior to the Harappan era, with literary references starting in the Rgveda.
Chapter 8 - Non-gem Minerals and Metals in Rasa-shastra
38 (of 44)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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VIII-38 Rasakalpa mentioned maharasas, uparasas and rasas. . It referred to chulik膩lavana (sal ammoniac) used as a vida for killing gold. There were two kinds of tala. 啶ㄠぞ啶侧 啶︵啶掂た啶啶班啶距ぐ 啶膏啶ムぞ啶� 啶椸啶︵え啷嵿い啶� 啶ぞ啶熰げ啶氞啶え啶苦 [n膩laka dviprak膩ra sth膩na godanta岣� p膩峁璦lacyani岣� ] two kinds of gairika, one of golden hue, the other red. There were different kinds of saurastris or alums and three kinds of 1 Kasisas (green and other vitriols) :
啶す啷佮お啷嵿ぐ啶曕ぞ啶班ぞ 啶膏啶班ぞ啶粪啶熰啶班 啶曕ぞ啶膏啶膏 啶む啶班た啶掂た啶о 啶い啶 啷�
啶曕ぞ啶膏啶膏 啶啶粪啶啶距じ啷�啶膏 啶灌啶班啶距じ啷�啶膏ぎ啶苦い啷嵿く啶� 啷�
[bahuprak膩r膩 saur膩峁ａ弓r墨 k膩s墨sa峁� trividha峁� matam |
k膩s墨sa峁� pu峁ak膩s墨sa峁� h墨rak膩s墨samityatha ||
] The vitriols ranging from blue copper sulphate to green ferrous
sulphate were variously known as tutthaka, sasvaka and k盲sisa.
Rajavarta mentioned as a rasa has been translated as lapis lazuli,
mineral.
脿 rare gem coloured blue; it could actually be a blue copper 位
from
Processes were described for extraction of copper 位m膩ksika
involving
(copper bearing pyrite), and of zinc from calamine A distilla-
tion through vakranala or bent tube. Vartaloha was mentioned as an
alloy:
啶掂ぐ啷嵿い啶距く啶距 啶膏啶啶膏啶む 啶曕啶む啶班た啶ぞ啶� 啷�
[vart膩y膩岣� syustu k峁泃rim膩岣� |
] The composition was not mentioned. Later Rasaratnasamuceava (RRS)
(5.212) mentioned that vartaloha was composed of bronze, copper,
brass, iron and lead, and hence also known as pa帽caloha.
We would discuss in the next chapter how RRS beautifully
summarised the diverse technical data in the Ratna and Rasas膩stra
texts.
