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Sandal (Candana), a tree of genus Santalum album is found in Indian forests since ancient times. Besides its use as cosmetic, sandal has plenty of medicinal properties and it is necessary in certain religious practices. Sandal is employed in the manufacturing of furniture also. It is interesting to note that we have no reference to sandal in ancient Vedas. But we come across sandal in the later Vedic texts, other literary works and medical treatises.

础尘补谤补办辞艣补 refers to four synonyms of sandal鈥�

1. 骋补苍诲丑补蝉腻谤补,
2. Malayaja,
3. 叠丑补诲谤补艣谤墨 and
4. Candana.

A sandal wood is known as 骋补苍诲丑腻岣峢测补, while powdered sandal is called Gandha. Since sandal is a valuable object, 碍补耻峁璱濒测补 recommends it as one among the articles, which are to be entered into the treasury.

a) Varieties of Sandal

Sandal is varied according to its colour, smell and other characteristics. 碍补耻峁璱濒墨测补 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补^[1] gives an account of different varieties of sandal as shown in the following table.

Sandal	Colour	Other Characteristics
厂腻迟补苍补	Red	Having smell similar to watery earth
骋辞艣墨谤峁�a办补	Dark red	Resembles fish in smell
Haricandana	Looks like the feathers of parrot	Smell of mango fruit
罢腻谤峁嘺蝉补	Looks like the feathers of parrot	Smell of mango fruit
骋谤腻尘别谤耻办补	Red or dark red	Smells like goat鈥檚 urine
Daivasabhey a	Red	Smells like lotus flower
Aupaka (闯腻辫补办补)	Red	Smells like lotus flower
闯腻峁単补办补	Red or dark red	Soft
罢补耻谤奴辫补	Red or dark red	Soft
惭腻濒别测补办补	Reddish white	Soft
Kucandana	Red, dark red or black similar to Aguru	Rough
碍腻濒补辫补谤惫补迟补k a	Red, dark red or black similar to	Obtained from the mountain 碍腻濒补辫补谤惫补迟补
	Aguru
碍辞艣补办腻谤补 Parvataka	Black	This has its origin in the mountain 碍辞艣补办腻谤补
艢墨迟辞诲补办墨测补	Black	Soft, smells like a lotus flower
狈腻驳补parvata ka	Looks like 艢补颈惫补濒补 (Vallisneria)	Rough, found in 狈腻驳补 mountain
艢腻办补濒补	Brown

With the exception of 艢腻办补濒补, we have reference to all the above mentioned varieties in Subh膩峁�itaratnabha峁囜笉膩g膩ra^[2]. 础尘补谤补办辞艣补^[3] records three varieties -罢补颈濒补辫补谤峁噄办补, 骋辞艣墨谤峁�a办补 and Haricandana. According to the commentator Bh膩nujid墨k峁�ita^[4], 罢补颈濒补辫补谤峁噄办补 is originated in the tree Tailapar峁嘺. It is red in colour and 础尘补谤补办辞艣补^[5] mentions four synonyms of it: Raktacandana, Kucandana, Patr膩峁単a and 搁补帽箩补苍补. In Dhanvantar墨苍颈驳丑补峁囜弓耻^[6], five varieties of sandals are mentioned: 艢惫别迟补肠补苍诲补苍补, Raktacandana (Petrocarpus Santalinus), 碍腻濒墨测补办补 and Barbiraka. Of these 碍腻濒墨测补办补 is yellow and the text records Haricandana as one of its synonyms. Barbiraka is white and devoid of smell. It is originated in the country Barbara.

Of the above listed varieties of sandal, Haricandana, Malayaja and 碍腻濒墨测补办补 were most popular and were mostly used by royal personages. Use of Haricandana is recorded even in 笔耻谤腻峁嘺蝉. In 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 (惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺)^[7], the demon 痴颈诲测耻诲谤奴辫补 is described in one context as decorating his body with Haricandana. 碍腻濒颈诲腻蝉补^[8] often refers to 碍腻濒墨测补办补 and Haricandana in his works.

b) Properties of Sandal

In general, sandal is cool, light and hence it is beneficial in alleviating heat. Unguents made of sandal were besmeared on the body of kings during their royal bath. In 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补^[9], we come across, 驰耻诲丑颈峁ａ弓丑颈谤补, anointing his body with red sandal paste before bath. Water for bath also was perfumed with sandal. In 碍腻濒颈诲腻蝉补鈥檚^[10] works, we often read of love sick persons besmearing sandal on their body. Regarding its medicinal properties, medical texts describe a lot. In 顿丑补苍惫补苍迟补谤墨-苍颈驳丑补峁囜弓耻^[11] and 搁腻箩补惫补濒濒补产丑补苍颈驳丑补峁囜弓耻 (搁腻箩补惫补濒濒补产丑补-苍颈驳丑补峁囜弓耻)^[12] properties of different varieties of sandal are described. As per these texts, sandal is a pacifier of thirst and it is used as a medicine for Raktapitta. In addition to its use as cosmetics and medicines, sandal was employed in building houses and making furniture. 叠峁沨补迟蝉补峁僪颈迟腻^[13] suggests sandalwood for making beds, seats, idols and even houses.

Sandal was prepared artificially also. 搁补蝉补谤补迟苍腻办补谤补^[14] refers to a recipe for such a sandal preparation.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

II. XI. 78

[2]:

p.176

[3]:

II. VI. 131

[4]:

p. 383

[5]:

II.VI

[6]:

颁补苍诲补苍腻诲颈惫补谤驳补

[7]:

II.15

[8]:

峁歵耻蝉补峁僪腻谤补, VI.60

[9]:

Epic India (EI)

[10]:

础产丑颈箩帽腻苍补艣腻办耻苍迟补濒补

[11]:

颁补苍诲补苍腻诲颈惫补谤驳补

[12]:

p.34

[13]:

LXXIX.2,12; LIX.5

[14]:

vv.89-131