Part 1 - Characteristics of Garnet (vaikranta)

Vaikranta (garnet) has eight or six angles and eight facets. It is smooth, heavy, and has ail sorts of colour, pure or mixed,

Varieties of Vaikranta.

(a) Vaikranta is of the following different colours:—(1) white, (2) red, (3) yellow, (4) blue, (5) pigeon-coloured, (6) green, (7) black, and (8) mixed.

(b) Vaikranta is of the following colours:—(1) white, (2) yellow, (3) red, (4) blue, (5) pigeon-colour, (6) the colour of a peacock’s neck, and (7) the colour of an emerald.

The black variety is beneficial to health; the yellow one is to be used in the process for manufacturing gold; the white one is to be used in the process for manufacturing silver (vide the operations of mercury in Vol I). The red variety has an all-round utility. The remaining two, viz., the blue and the pigeon-coloured varieties, are abortive, and should, therefore, be avoided.

Properties of Vaikranta.

(a) Vaikranta increases longevity, strength, complexion, nutrition, knowledge, and appetite. It removes all the three doshas and the diseases. It has almost the same properties as diamond. It makes the body as strong as iron. As a rasayana, the white one is the best. A vaikranta, devoid of all the defects, may be used in lieu of diamond.

(b) Vaikranta, like diamond, strengthens the body, and cures poison, fever, leprosy, and phthisis. It is also a king of the metallic drugs.