RASAVIDYA - CHEMISTRY

 

RasaVidya or RasayanaSastram is a famous subject in Sanskrit which deals about Chemistry.  Nagarjuna the famous Buddhist philosopher was himself an erudite Ayurvedic Physician and an expert in Chemistry.

Chemical Laboratory

The experiments of ancient Indian Alchemy were conducted in chemical laboratory RASASAALAA.  A full description of such a laboratory is described in RasaRatnaSamucchaya a Sanskrit treatise on Chemistry, which is given below:

रसशालां प्रकुर्वीत सर्वबाधाविवर्जिते।  सर्वौषधिमये देशे रम्ये कूपसमन्विते॥

यक्षत्र्यक्षसहस्राक्षदिग्विभागसुशोभने।  नानोपकरणोपेतां प्राकारेण सुशोभिताम्॥

शालायाः पूर्वदिग्भागे स्थापयेद्रसभैरवम्। वह्निकर्मानि चाग्नेये याम्ये पाषाणकर्म च॥

नैर्ऋत्ये शस्त्रकर्माणि वारुणे क्षालनादिकम्। शोषणं वायुकोणे च वेधकर्मोत्तरे तथा॥

स्थापनं सिद्धवस्तूनां प्रकुर्यादीशकोणके। पदार्थसङ्ग्रहः कार्यो रससाधनहेतुकः॥

             -  RasaRatnaSamucchaya 7 (1-5)

A laboratory is to be established in a region where abounds in medical plants, water and free from all interferences.  The building should be well protected with high boundary walls.  The laboratory is to be furnished with a variety of equipment.  The presiding diety , RasaBhairava made of Mercury is to be installed in the east.  The furnace should be arranged in the south-east.  Stone implements should be kept in the south.  In the south-west, apparatus for cutting, slicing etc., should be housed.  In the west, washing and cleaning should be arranged.  The north-west is reserved for dying operations.  Metallic investigations may be carried in the north.  The north-east is reserved for preserving and storing the preparations made in the laboratory.

CORROSION & LOSS ON HEATING

The Sanskrit text named Rasarnavam says that:

सुवर्णं रजतं ताम्रं तीक्ष्णं वङ्गं भुजङ्गमम्। लोहन्तु षड्विधं तच्च यथापूर्वं तदक्षयम्॥

               - Rasarnavam VII-96

Gold, Silver, Copper, Iron, Lead, Zinc are the six types of metals, their stability (resistance towards corrosion / reactivity)is in the reverse order of the above.

EXRACTION OF MERCURY

RasaRatnaSamucchaya a Sanskrit treatise on Chemistry describes about the Mercury that

उक्तोषधैर्मर्दितस्य यन्त्रस्थितस्योर्ध्वमधश्च तिर्यक्।

निर्यातनं पातनसंज्ञमुक्तं वङ्गाहिसम्पर्कजकञ्चुकघ्नम्॥

                  - RasaRatnaSamucchaya VII - 67

Sublimation is the process to remove the Naaga and Vanga Doshas from PARADA=Mercury.  The Paarada is ground with specific drugs and subjected to Paatana = Sublimation Uthpaatana=upwards, Adhafpaathana=downwards and Tiryakpaathana=obligue.

(This blog post is a part of Blogchatter's #BlogchatterA2Z)