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Eight drugs of uparasa group, useful in paradakarma or fixation of mercury, were stated to be: gandhasma or gandhaka (sulphur), gairi (red ochre),Kasisa (ferrous sulphate). Kanksi (alum),tala (orpiment), sila (realgar), anjana (collyrium) and Kankustha (rhubarb) (Rasaratna-samuccaya 3.1). Four varieties of sulphur were known: red or sukacancunibha, yellow or sukapiccha, white variety, good for reaction with iron, and black sulphur which may be used as an anti-bacterial medicine. Sulphur was purified by boiling or melting in milk and filtration (3-20-3.22).

IX-9 Gairika (red ochre) could be deep red (svarna gairika) An earlier or copper - coloured (pasana gairika) (Rasaratna-samuccaya 3.46-3.48) scholar Nandi was quoted to say that gairika is itself a satva or metal. Rasaratna-samuccaya quoted dissenting scholars saying that satva (iron) can be obtained from gairika (iron oxide) (3.49). Kasisa (ferrous sulphate) could be of two varieties: puspakasisa, which imparts black colour to hair and removes pimples (vranaghna), and balukakasisa which looks like aguru-dhuma and is either alkaline or acidic in solution. ksaramla gurudhumabham (Rasaratna-samuccaya 3.52) We know that ferrous sulphate hydrolyses, and the solution is not neutral. Tuvari or alum used to be obtained from the mountain rocks of Saurastra. This was widely used as a mordant to bind and deepen the colour of a dye such as manjistha (Rasaratna-samuccaya 3.59). Two varieties were recognised: slightly yellow, heavy and brilliant phataki or pitika, and white, light and amla or sour in taste, phullika. The latter was known to react with copper sheets (Rasaratna-samuccaya 3.61-62) indicating the reactivity of copper with the sulphate ion from alum. Kank si described as Kasaya or astringent is also alum. Talaka/tala/haritala (orpiment) could be of two types: many-layered, golden coloured, heavy, brilliant patra talaka, and massive pinda talaka containing less satva or pale yellowish metal (Rasaratna-samuccaya 3.76-77)

IX-10 Manahsila Manahsila or realgar came under three varieties: yellowish red, heavy syamangi, copper-red Kanaviraka like Kanavira or Karavi flower and deep red, heavy Khandakhya which contains more metal (3.89-90). Five varieties of anjanas or collyrium were described: sauviranjana, srotanjana, nilanjana which were antimony sulphide, carrollite (copper -cobalt sulphide) etc. Navasara, also known as cullika lavana was produced by burning shoots of bamboos, or pilu woods. Typified as a ksara or alkali (3.127-129) it was likely to contain potassium carbonate and potassium chloride; Ray (1956: 176) claimed this to be salammoniae or ammonium chloride but confessed that 'sal-ammoniae, however, can not be an alkali. Identity of some of the cited minerals could not be firmly established: Kampillaka from Saurasthra, which looks like brick powder, 'White or quartz-like gauripasana which yields a white satva', yellow marine nodules varatika, girisindura 'inside rocks of big mountains which becomes red on drying' etc. Mrddaras-rnga was probably litharge or lead monoxide from which lead could be extracted. It 'came from Gurjara province near the Arbuda mountains, coloured yellow with lamellae yielding lead and used as a hair-tonic' sadalam pitavarna gurjara mandale arbudasya gire parkhe jatam mrddarasrmgakam sisasatvam kesaram janamuttamam || (Rasaratna-samuccaya 3.146) 11

IX-11 Hinqula/darada or cinnabar was known to occur in two varieties: inferior grade Sukatunda and white-lined, coral-like hamsapaka (Rasaratna-samuccaya 3.139) Hingula when distilled, released its satva 'which is definitely like suta or mercury, and has the property of the material which is fixed by sulphur' daradah patanayantre patitasca jalasraye tat satvam sutasamkasam jayate natra samsaya etasmadahutah suto jirnagandhasamo gunaih . (Rasaratna-samuccaya 3.141 and 3.144) It may be noted that the author fell short of saying that the metal obtained from mercuric sulphide was mercury itself he merely stated the close resemblence between the two. As a matter of apparatus like fact, the metal extracted from hingula in an vidyadhara or damaru yantra was called hingulakrsta and not rasa or mercury (Rasaratna-samuccaya 8.37 and 9.56-57). Probably it was believed that the property of the end-product (metal) was dependent on the raw material from which it was extracted. For the metallurgical practices, special crucibles were made for which specific raw materials were necessary. Toyamrttika, a water-proof paste was made by mixing fine powder of mandura (rusted iron), guda (molass), curna (limestone) and watery extract of acacia indica; crucible made of this paste was fired before use. Vahnimrttika or fire-clay crucibles and seals were made using Khad: (Chalk), lavana (salt), mandura (iron rust), milk etc. This resis intense heat and is impervious to mercury-liquid and as well as vapour. 'Mercury sealed by this mixture, known to Nagarjuna, Nandi,

IX-12 Somadeva etc., cannot escape, just like a man bound with an ardent love of a mature lustful lady' (Rasaratna-samuccaya 9.64). etaya mrtsnya ruddho na gantum ksamate rasah vidagdha vanita praudha premata saddhah pumaniva || In the tenth chapter of Rasaratna-samuccaya, different kinds of lavana (salt), Ksara (alkali), amla (acidic liquids) were mentioned. Wel have stated them in the previous chapters. Rasaratna-samuccaya mentioned that: dvarah sarve malam hanyuh amlam sodhana jaranam 'all the alkalies destroy impurities and the acids are used for sodhana etc. (purification). (Rasaratna-samuccaya 10.96). Many specific plant and animal products such as taila (oil), vasa (fat) etc. were mentioned and used as reductants, with the belief that they played specific roles, apart from serving the general purpose of reducing minerals to metals in a furnace. Organic and inorganic fluxes (such as tankana or borax), called dravana, were used to aid in the melting of metals which are otherwise difficult to melt', i.e. to lower the fusion point: dudrava akhila lohadeh dravanaya gano matah (Rasaratna-samuccaya 10.95)