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 9 - The Rasaratna-samuccaya鈥攁 pinnacle in the Indian iatro-chemistry
2 (of 31)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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White flame at the time metal is released is called
suddhavarta:
啶多啶︵啶оぞ啶掂ぐ啷嵿い啶膏啶むう啶� 啶溹啶炧啶ぞ 啶� 啶曕ぞ啶侧 啶膏い啷嵿さ啶ㄠた啶班啶椸ぎ啷� 啷�
( [艣uddh膩vartastad膩 j帽ey膩 sa k膩la岣� satvanirgame |
(] RRS. 8.56)
IX-2
Bij膩varta is the characteristic colour of flame when
the metal produced is about to melt (8.57)= The metal could be
cooled in the furnace (swanca sita) or out side, bahihsita
(8.58).
Marana means killing or oxidation of metal from which
metal can be regenerated (utthapana) (8.39). If the metal is
oxidised irreversibly, then it is called apunarbhava (8.29)
Removal of a metallic impurity by blowing through a bent pipe
(yankan膩la) in a way it is converted to an oxide scum is called
tadana (8.32).
easy -
Dhalana meant pouring of molten metal. Capala meant
melting oxide of lead or naga, tin or vanga etc. (8.41-8.44)
The concepts of alloy (misraloha) and heat-treatment were
first put into literature by Somadeva in his Rasendra Cudamani, and
RRS followed Somadeva. Nirvapana or nirvahana was defined as the
art of putting one metal into another through vankan膩la (8.24-8.25)
This was probably practised by introducing Zinc vapour into molten
copper to make brass. Addition of foreign substance to molten
metal was also known as avapa or prativapa
(8.52).
