Part 3 - Incineration of gold

Importance of mercury in the killing of metals.

(a) The killing of a metal with the help of incinerated mercury is the best. That with the help of vegetable drugs is the next in efficacy; that with the help of sulphur, etc. is still less efficacious; whereas that with the help of a metal having antagonistic properties is positively injurious.

(b) Worms grow in the abdomen of the man who takes metals killed without the help of mercury.

(c) The physicians who are experts in the performance of processes explained by Siddha Lakshmisvara have no doubt that the ashes of metals containing mercury are the best that can be prepared. (See the fourth process)

First process.

Leaves of gold, so thin as to be pierced through by acacia thorns, are to be smeared with a paste made of incinerated mercury, rubbed with the juice of matulunga, and then subjected to putara. The process, performed for ten times, will lead to the incineration of the gold.

Second process.

Gold is to be melted over fire and mixed with an equal quantity of incinerated mercury. The amalgam, thus prepared, is then to be powdered, robbed with the juice of matulunga and cinnabar, and then subjected to puta. Twelve such putas will result in the reduction of the gold to ashes of the colour of saffron,

Third process.

Gold leaves are reduced to ashes, if they are smeared with one-fourth their weight of incinerated mercury, rubbed with a non-mineral acid and subjected to puta for eight times.

Fourth process.

All the metals may be reduced to ashes in the following way:—One part of mercury and two parts of sulphur are to be rubbed into kajjvali (black powder), and then mixed with three parts of the metal (meant to be reduced to ashes) and rubbed for six hours with the juice of kanya. The whole thing is then to be made into a ball, wrapped up with eranda leaves, kept in a copper pot, and exposed to the sun for half an hour till the ball grows hot. It is then to be kept inside a heap of rice for three days, covered with an earthen basin. On the fourth day, the lump is to be powdered very fine, and sifted through a piece of cloth. This powder will be found to be so light as to float on the surface of water.

Gold and the six other metals become very efficacious, if killed in a Baluka-yantra, mixed with mercury and sulphur. The metal gains in efficacy, If incinerated with two to six times its weight of sulphur.

Fifth process.

Mercury with twice its weight of sulphur is to be rubbed together with a vegetable acid and made into a black powder which again is to be rubbed in the same manner with thin gold leaves, equal in quantity to the mercury and sulphur combined, and made into a lump. The whole thing is then to be covered with rock salt, put below and upon it, and confined within a samputara, which is to be heated for 24 hours resulting in the incineration of the gold, which may now be used for all purposes.

Sixth process.

Purified gold leaves are to be smeared again and again with mercury and sulphur (made into a black powder and saturated with a sour vegetable juice). They are then to be immersed in the juice of kanchanara, langali, and jvala-mukhi, and confined within a samputa which is then to be subjected to heat resulting in the incineration of the gold.

Seventh process.

Purified mercury and an equal quantity of thin gold leaves, cut into pieces, are to be rubbed together and made into a lump, which is to be confined in a samputa with doable its quantity of sulphur, put on all sides of the lump. The samputa is then to be subjected to heat by fire made of 30 pieces of cow-dung balls found dried in the pasturage. The process is to be performed for 14 times leading to the incineration of the gold.

Eighth process.

Gold leaves are to be rubbed with purified mercury and made into a ball which is to be covered on all sides with powdered lead and then subjected to puta which causes the incineration.

Ninth process.

Gold leaves, smeared with mercury or ashes of mercury, are to be rubbed for one day with the juice of kanchana and an equal quantity of hingu, hingula, sindura, and manas-shila, and made into a ball which is to be kept at the bottom of a vessel, the remaining parts of which are to be filled with ashes. The vessel is then to be subjected to puta for two times and opened only when cooled of itself. If, on opening the vessel, a part of the ball is found to be still unincinerated, it is again to be subjected to puta for two times. In this way gold is reduced to ashes which can not be restored to the original state.

In the foregoing process for incineration of gold, each of langali, jvalamukhi, and manas-shila may be used as a substitute for kanchana.

Tenth process.

Gold and an equal quantity of mercury are to be rubbed together and made into a lump, which is to be heated by fire causing the disappearance of the mercury from the lump. The gold is then to be mixed with an equal quantity of copper and subjected to puta leading to the incineration of the gold.

Eleventh process.

Thin leaves of gold are to be smeared with incinerated lead rubbed with lemon juice and subjected to puta. This process is to be performed for three tunes. The ashes, thus prepared, are to be deprived of the lead, if they are again rubbed with hingula and subjected to puta for three times.

Twelfth process.

Gold leaves, smeared with sauvira-anjana, previously rubbed with the juice of bhringaraja, are reduced to ashes, if subjected to Gaja-puta.

Thirteenth process.

One tola of gold and one masha (1/16th of a tola) of purified lead are to be melted and rolled together with some sour vegetable juice and then powdered. This powder, with an equal quantity of sulphur and svarna-makshika, are to be rubbed for three hours with a sour vegetable juice, and subjected to laghu-puta for ten times, fresh quantity of sulphur being used every time. Gold is incinerated in this way.

Fourteenth process.

Powdered manas-shila and red vermilion are to he subjected to bhavana with an equal quantity of the milk of arka. This powder is to be thrown into an equal quantity of melted gold which is to be heated again in such a way as to let the powder disappear altogether. If the process is repeated for three times, the gold will be incinerated.

Fifteenth process.

Leaves of gold are incinerated very soon, if smeared with powdered makshika and lead, rubbed together with the milk of arka.

Sixteenth process.

Gold leaves, cut into pieces, with half their weight of mercury are to be rubbed together and made into a lump, which is reduced to ashes, if subjected to puta after having been confined in a sam- puta with powdered lead put below and upon the lump.

Seventeenth process.

Gold is incinerated, if smeared with powdered lead and manas-shila, rubbed with the milk of bajri, and then subjected to puta.

Eighteenth process.

Gold leaves are to be smeared with incinerated lead rubbed with the milk of snuhi or some sour vegetable juice, and then heated by Gajaputa, It is then to be smeared with one eighth its quantity of earth-worms rubbed with some sour vagetable juice, and again subjected to heat by Gajaputa. Performance of this process for eight times will result In the incineration of the gold leaves.

Nineteenth process.

Gold leaves are to be smeared with purified mercury, an equal quantity of sulphur, and the same quantity of makshika, all rubbed with a strong non-metallic acid. They are then to be subjected to heat by Gajaputa. Eight such putas will cause the incineration of the leaves.

Twentieth process.

Gold leaves with double their quantity of mercury are to be rubbed together for three hours with a sour vegetable juice. Svarna-makshika, equal in quantity to gold, is to be similarly rubbed. Half the quantity of this is to be put at the bottom of the crucible. Upon this is to be placed the gold leaves rubbed with mercury, upon which is to be kept the remaining half of the svarna-makshika. Next is to be put powdered sulphur, equal in quantity to the gold. The crucible is then to be closed and heated steadily for some time. It is then to be broken open and a fresh quantity of sulphur of the same weight, as before, is again to be put, and the crucible closed and heated as before. Sulphur is thus to be put for six times in all.

Five parts of these ashes and one part each of tankana and white glass are to be rubbed with honey and ghee and made into a lump. This is to be confined within a samputa with one part of dhany-abhraka put below and upon the lump. The crucible is then to be closed and heated for two ghatis with the result that the ashes of gold attain a state of incineration in which it is physically impossible to restore them to their original state (i.e. the state of gold).

Twenty-first process.

Gold leaves are to be smeared with the juice of aragbadha, bhallataka, and tankana, all rubbed together, and then subjected to Gajaputa. The process is to be performed for seven times leading to the incineration of the gold leaves.

Accompaniments of gold. (1)

Incinerated gold cures inflammation of the body, if taken with the bile of fish. It is nutritive, if taken with the juice of bhringaraja. It serves as a tonic, if taken with milk. It improves eye-sight, if taken with the juice of punarnava; serves as a rasayana, if taken with clarified butter; improves memory, if taken with bacha; improves beauty, if taken with saffron; cures phthisis, if taken with milk; removes poison, if taken with nirbishi (visalyakarani). It also cures insanity due to the three dosbas, if taken with shunthi, lavanga, and maricha.

Accompaniments of gold. (2)

Incinerated gold, when taken with powdered maricha and ghee (clarified butter), in doses of two raktis a day, cures phthisis, loss of appetite, asthma, nausea, jaundice, chronic diarrhoea, and all kinds of poison. It increases vitality, strength, and is an excellent tonic.