Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 2: Minerals (uparasa)

by Bhudeb Mookerjee | 1938 | 28,803 words | ISBN-10: 8170305829 | ISBN-13: 9788170305828

Hinduism Rasashastra

Summary: This second volume of the Rasa-jala-nidhi deals with the purification, incineration and medicinal uses of various minerals (uparasa), as well as preventing faults due to misuse. It is continued in the third volume which deals with the various metals.

The Rasa-jala-nidhi (“the ocean of Iatrochemistry, or, chemical medicine) is a compendium of Sanskrit verses dealing with ancient Indian alchemy and chemistry and its medicinal uses, scientifically known as Rasa-shastra or Rasa-vidya.

This is the English translation of Sanskrit verses compiled into one volume. Alternative title: Rasajalanidhi.

Source 1: motilalbanarsidass.com
Source 2: archive.org

Contents of this online book ( + / - )

The full text of the Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 2: Minerals (uparasa) in English is available here and publically accesible (free to read online). Of course, I would always recommend buying the book so you get the latest edition. You can see all this book’s content by visiting the pages in the below index:

Introduction (classes of uparasa)

+ Chapter I - Uparasa (1): Abhra or Abhraka (mica)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Mica (abhra or abhraka)

. Part 2 - Mica should be deprived of its glaze

. Part 3 - Purification of Mica

. Part 4 - Process for creation of Dhanya-abhra (paddy mica)

. Part 5 - Killing (incineration) of Mica

. Part 6 - Use of incinerated mica

. Part 7 - Extraction of essence of mica

. Part 8 - Incineration of essence of mica

. Part 9 - Liquefaction of mica

. Part 10 - Transformation of tin into silver by means of mica

+ Chapter II - Uparasa (2): Makshika (pyrites)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Pyrite (makshika)

. Part 2 - Purification of Makshika

. Part 3 - Incineration of Makshika

. Part 4 - Extraction of essence of Makshika

. Part 5 - Use of essence of Makshika

+ Chapter III - Uparasa (3): Bimala or Vimala (pyrites with red tints)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Bimala or Vimala (pyrites with red tints)

. Part 2 - Purification of Bimala

. Part 3 - Incineration of bimala

. Part 4 - Extraction of essence of Bimala

. Part 5 - Use of the essence of Bimala

+ Chapter IV - Uparasa (4): Shilajatu or Shilajit (bitumen)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Shilajatu or Shilajit (bitumen)

. Part 2 - Purification of shilajatu

. Part 3 - Incineration of shilajatu

. Part 4 - Karpura-shilajatu (having the odour and appearance of camphor)

. Part 5 - Evil effects of taking impure shila-jatu

. Part 6 - Sora: a kind of shila-jatu

+ Chapter V - Uparasa (5-6): Tuttha and Sasyaka (copper sulphate)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Tuttha (sulphate of copper, prepared in laboratory)

. Part 2 - Purification of tuttha

. Part 3 - Extraction of essence from tuttha

. Part 4 - Characteristics of Sasyaka (blue stone, found in nature)

. Part 5 - Purification of sasyaka

. Part 6 - Incineration of the essence of tuttha and that of sasyaka

. Part 7 - How to remedy the evil effects of impure tutthaka and sasyaka

+ Chapter VI - Uparasa (7): Chapala (rare type of ore)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Chapala (rare type of ore)

. Part 2 - Purification of Chapala

. Part 3 - Extraction of essence from Chapala

. Part 4 - Chapala produced from lead and tin

+ Chapter VII - Uparasa (8): Rasaka or Kharpara (calamine)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Rasaka/Kharpara (calamine)

. Part 2 - How rasaka may be made to stand fire

. Part 3 - Purification of kharpara

. Part 4 - Incineration of kharpara

. Part 5 - Extraction of essence from Rasaka (calamine)

. Part 6 - Incineration of the essence of rasaka

. Part 7 - Dyeing of mercury, etc. by rasaka

+ Chapter VIII - Uparasa (9): Gandhaka (sulphur)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Gandhaka (sulphur)

. Part 2 - Purification of Gandhaka

. Part 3 - How to take gandhaka

. Part 4 - How to make and take Sulphur oil

. Part 5 - Dietary prescriptions when taking Gandhaka

. Part 6 - Removal of odour from sulphur

. Part 7 - Transformation of base metals by gandhaka

. Part 8 - Removal of the evil consequences of taking impure sulphur

+ Chapter IX - Uparasa (10): Gairika (red ochre)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Gairaka (red ochre)

. Part 2 - Purification of gairika

. Part 3 - Extraction of essence from gairika

. Part 4 - Uses of gairika

+ Chapter X - Uparasa (11): Kasisa (sulphate of iron)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Kasisa (sulphate of iron)

. Part 2 - Purification of kasisa

. Part 3 - How to take kasisa

+ Chapter XI - Uparasa (12): Kankshi (clay containing alum)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Kankshi/Tubari (clay containing alum)

. Part 2 - Purification and extraction of essence from tubari

. Part 3 - Properties of sphatika (alum)

+ Chapter XII - Uparasa (13): Haritala (orpiment)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Haritala (orpiment)

. Part 2 - Purification of haritala

. Part 3 - Incineration of haritala

. Part 4 - Liquefaction of haritala

. Part 5 - Extraction of essence from haritala

. Part 6 - Using haritala

. Part 7 - Transformation of base metals into gold by haritala

+ Chapter XIII - Uparasa (14): Manahshila or Manas-shila (realgar)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Manahshila or Manas-shila (realgar)

. Part 2 - Purification of manas-shila

. Part 3 - Extraction of essence of manas-shila

. Part 4 - Taking of manas-shila

+ Chapter XIV - Uparasa (15): Anjana (stibnite, sulphide of lead)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Anjana (stibnite, lead sulphide)

. Part 2 - Purification of anjana

. Part 3 - Solidification of mercury by means of srotonjana

+ Chapter XV - Uparasa (16): Kankustha (an ore containing tin)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Kankustha (an ore containing tin)

. Part 2 - Purification of Kankustha (an ore containing tin)

. Part 3 - How to take kankustha

+ Chapter XVI - Uparasa (17): Kampilla

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Kampilla

. Part 2 - Purification of sadharana uparasas (i.e. from kampilla to bhunaga)

+ Chapter XVII - Uparasa (18): Gauripashana (arsenic stone)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Gauripashana (arsenic stone)

. Part 2 - Purification of arsenic stone

+ Chapter XVIII - Uparasa (19): Navasara (sal ammoniac)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Navasara (sal ammoniac)

+ Chapter XIX - Uparasa (20a): Kapardi or Kapardaka (cowri or marine shells)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Kapardi or Kapardaka (cowri or marine shells)

. Part 2 - Purification of kapardi (cowri)

. Part 3 - Incineration of kapardi (cowrie)

+ Chapter XX - Uparasa (20b): Shankha (conch shell)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Shankha (conch shell)

. Part 2 - Purification of shankha

. Part 3 - Incineration of shankha

. Part 4 - Medical appliance of shankha

+ Chapter XXI - Uparasa (21): Vahnijara or Agnijara

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Vahnijara or Agnijara

+ Chapter XXII - Uparasa (22): Girisindura (mineral red vermilion)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Girisindura (mineral red vermilion)

. Part 2 - Purification of red vermilion

+ Chapter XXIII - Uparasa (23): Hingula (cinnabar)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Hingula (cinnabar)

. Part 2 - Purification of Hingula (cinnabar)

. Part 3 - Preparations of Hingula

. Part 4 - Preparation of cinnabar at laboratory

. Part 5 - Evil effects of impure hingula

. Part 6 - Essence of hingula

+ Chapter XXIV - Uparasa (24): Mriddara-shringaka (an ore of lead)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Mriddara-shringaka (an ore of lead)

. Part 2 - Purification of Mriddara-shringaka

+ Chapter XXV - Uparasa (25): Bhunaga (earthworm)

. Part 1 - Characteristics of Bhunaga (earthworm)

. Part 2 - Purification of earthworms

. Part 3 - Extraction of essence from earthworm

+ Notes

. Notes on the five tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, astringent)

. Theory of vayu (vata), pitta and kapha

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Last Updated: 22 June, 2024

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