Part 9 - Mercurial operations (7): Restraint of Mercury (niyamana)

In order to do away with the subtleness of mercury due to its gaining in strength by confinement, it is to undergo heating In one of the prescribed manners. This. operation is called, “niyamana”, or “restraint” of mercury..

(a) First process.

Restraint of mercury consists in rubbing it for three days with the decoction of gandhanakuli, bark of tamarind, bitter karkoti, bhringaraja, lotus, and kanaka dhustura. This causes the stability of mercury.

(b) Second process.

In order to remove the subtleness of mercury, it is necessary to restrain it by rubbing it with karkoti, gandhanakuli, punarnava, lotus, and bhringaraja, and then boiling it for three days with kanji.

Mercury, if rubbed for 3 days with kanji and the following, and then heated, is restrained, and is capable of devouring metals:—maricha, earthworm, saindhaba, rajika, sigru, and tankana.

(d) Fourth process.

Three crucibles are to be made out of a thick lump of saindhava (each for use for one day). Mercury, with one sixteenth its weight of nabasara, is to be put inside the crucible, the mouth of which is to be hermetically closed with mud and rags. It is then to be boiled by means of a Bhudhara-yantra for three days (one day in each crucible).

(e) Fifth process.

Mercury is to be put inside a hole made in a red saindhava lump. Chanaka-kshara is then to be put inside the hole. Next is to be poured some lime juice into it. The hole is then to be tightly closed by means of another piece of red rock salt. The samputa, thus prepared, is to be put in a hole made in the earth, which is to be filled in with dust eight angulis in depth deposited upon the salt samputa. A fire made of cow dung, found dried in the pasturage, is to be kept ablaze for seven days. The mercury is then to be washed off with kanji. Narasara may be made use of if chanaka-kshara is not available.