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
6 (of 44)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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VIII-6
- like hot alkaline caustic', 'just as fire is extinguished by
water'. Distinction was made between yavaksara
(factitious
carbonate of potash) and sarjikaksara (carbonate and bicarbonate
of soda from river bed alluvium)
Susruta recommended as drugs, the oxides (calces) of tin,
lead, copper, silver, iron and gold which were prepared by roasting
the metals with minerals like alum-earth and red ochre. For the
roasting of iron, thin leaves of the metal were smeared with the
levigated powder of the salts including common salt, saltpetre,
sulphate of magnesia, and heated in the fire of cow-dung cakes.
This process, called ayaskrti, affected the metal and produced
oxides and oxy-salts. Mercury was not well-known during Su艣ruta's
time. Two types of pyrites (maksika) known to 'resemble gold and
silver' were evidently chalcopyrite and ordinary iron-bearing pyrite.
Compounds of arsenic (phenasama bhasma) and orpiment were recognised
as poisons.
Both Caraka and Susruta mentioned crude processes of
calcination, distillation (of liquor from fermented juices), sublima"
tion, steaming, fixation etc. They distinguished between chemical
compounds and mechanical mixtures.
At this stage, it may be useful to mention the compilatory
nature of the Samhitas of Caraka and Susruta
and Susruta
. The two texts
recognised that Ayurveda or the early medical science of India was
an upaveda of the Atharvaveda. Even in the Atharvavedic age, mineral:
and metals were used as medicines (see chapter three). There must hav
been many medical texts between the Atharvaveda and the Caraka Samhit
