1. Uniform Substrate Alloys

"Rasarnavakalpa" is a Sanskrit alchemical text which chiefly deals with transmutation of base-metals into gold and silver. As seen earlier, the older attempts of such transmutations were found to be fruitless. What the alchemists obtained were metals or alloys with the colour of the desired noble metal. They adopted various methods to achieve this goal. Sometimes a homogeneous alloy of the desired colour was obtained, at other times only the surface layer of the metal was made to look like the noble metal. A close study of the text Rasarnavakalpa enables us to draw inferences regarding the processes involved in light of the present state of chemical knowledge. 2 Needham analyses the so-called transmutation processes given in the Chinese alchemical texts. He differentiates them into the following five categories: See Rasarnavakalpa in Primary Sources. 2 Needham, Joseph (1), Vol. 5, Pt. II, p. 189. 70

1. 2. Uniform substrate alloys Surface-layer enrichment by addition 3. Surface-layer enrichment by withdrawal 4. Surface-film formation 5. Special cases. 71 The above categorisation is adopted here for analysing the processes described in Rasarnavakalpa. I. Uniform Substrate Alloys 3 These alloys are of two types; one is the simple debasement of noble metals, i.e., by adding the base metal or a suitable percentage of two or more base metals to the noble metal, the percentage of the noble metal is thus reduced without changing the colour. The product is more or less the same colour as that of the original noble metal. In the second kind of uniform substrate alloy the noble metal is totally absent. The desirable colour is achieved by mixing or alloying two or more base metals, e.g., brass-making. i. Debasement of noble metals Twenty-two carat gold contains 8.3 percent copper addition of copper to and 91.6 percent gold. further 4 By 3 'Gold and silver and a few other metals are called noble metals because they do not get tarnished easily due to their being chemically inactive. They are much valued also for this reason. Needham, Joseph (1), Vol. 5, Pt. II, p. 194.

72 this twenty-two carat gold, the colour changes to pale yellow and to bright golden red. We come across this kind of debasement of gold by copper in Sloka 599. 5 "Five' parts of Rudanti, ground with gold and thrown into molten copper, makes it turn into impotent gold." In this verse, the quantities of two metals are not mentioned but, since the product is termed as "impotent gold" it could be reddish and hard. The percentage of gold could not be less than fifty percent even for it to go under the name "impotent gold" because beyond fifty percent, copper will cause a distinct red tinge. A similar process is described in Sloka 762. Here mention is made that the colour of the alloy improves by addition of more and more gold to it. 6 Likewise, the oil of red variety of "ankola" is to be exuded. Copper leaves smeared with this 5. Rasarnavakalpa, Sloka 599, p. 49. rudantyascaiva pancan ‌ga svarnena saha madhyet | drutagulve prativaem nirbija kanakam bhavet || 599 6 Rasarnavakalpa Sloka 762, 63, p. 58. arunan ‌ko labijastha tailam purvavadahanam |

73 oil are to be roasted in Puta (fire). This copper admixed with one niska (a measure) of gold, becomes free from its blackish colour, odourless and when digested with three niskas of gold, are turned into gold. ' Sloka 80 line 2, Sloka 81 line 1 describe the preparation of an alloy of gold, silver and copper, approximately in the proportions 1:2:6 by weight of the respective metals. 7 This copper, having the weight of three times that of silver, is to be amalgamated with the latter on being heated. If with this silver (mixed with copper), gold (half the weight of silver) is mixed, gold of pure quality will be produced. Simple debasement of silver with copper, the colour remaining white until the latter reaches about fifty percent, after which it is yellowish until seventy percent FN. 6 continued 7 tena pratitinamrasya patrani putapakatah 1176211 kalimagandha nirmuktam niska ‌matram krte sati | triniskena ca svarnena galita kanakam bhavan || 763 || Rasarnavakalpa, Sloka 81-82, p. 12. natasca naramadhye tu trigunam vahayettatah | hemarddhamiline hemamatrika samatam vrajet |

74 8 and then distinctly red. In certain conditions, therefore, a gold-like alloy is obtained with silver and copper alone. Sloka 473 gives the method for this kind of silver-copper alloy. 9 The compound of the two substances will be heated in two stages with equal parts of onefourteenth of the weight of silver. Gold of the best quality and with the lustre of the rising sun is produced. 1 Sloka 184 describes an alloy of gold with lead. Lead 10 is transmuted instantly by the small balls prepared from the milky juice of Snuhi (Euphorbia Neriifolia) and half niska of gold, by roasting over fire. ii. Uniform alloys without the noble metal as a constituent Uniform alloys of the second type, i.e., without having the noble metal as their constituent are preapred by 10 Needham, Joseph (1), Vol. 5, Pt. II, p. 223. 9 Rasarnnavakalpa, Sloka 473, p. 40. tayoscaturdasamsena naradaina prayojayet | jayate ca hemam divyam tarunadityavarcasam || 473 || Rasarnavakalpa, Sloka 184, p. 21. snuhoksiram samadaya niskarya hemam dhmapayet | gutikakaranenaiva nagam vidhyati tatksanat || 184 ||

75 two methods. First is amalgamation and the second is Amalgams of various metals, e.g., tin, lead, brass-making. copper are silver-coloured and silver amalgam itself is golden-coloured. This property is made use of in many Synthesis of amalgam of tin is gold-making processes. described in Sloka 803. 11 Mercury, one part, transmutes a thousand parts of killed tin (with Eranda or Risinus Communis - oil). This tin remains intact as long as the moon and the stars exist. The amalgamation of copper is described in Slokas 260, 363 and 404. 12 Copper is transmuted to silver with the aid of sixty-fourth of its weight of the abovementioned mercury. This silver gives success in the attainment of dharma, artha and kama. 11. 12. Rasarnavakalpa, Sloka 803, p. 61 hte bakace sahastraka bedhate masamatrakam | tadvangam badamayati yavadacandratarakam ' asarnavakalpa, Sloka 260, p. 26. catuhsasthiprayogena gulvavedham pradapayet | || 803 || tacchrutvam jayate taram dharmakamarthasadhanam || 260 ||

76 13 Copper becomes gold with the aid of a compound consisting of sulphur, red chalk, equal_quantity of mercury and the juice of Devadali. 14 Mercury thus rubbed loses its own character and assumes the form of a cake. This cake is to undergo steaming for three days. Copper is to be transmuted with the aid of this mercury. In Slokas 130-132, the method of amalgamation is combined with that of debasement of gold. By the addition of increasing amounts of gold to the copper amalgam, the required golden alloy is obtained with decreasing amounts of mercury. o 15 Beautiful-faced! I shall now tell another means by which the performer attains siddhi. Mercury and the juice of Harindari (Nerium Odorem) kept in the hole of the cow's horn, is to be deposited in heaps of paddy. Mercury is thus killed. 13. 14. ' ' Rasarnavakalpa, Sloka 363, p. 32. gandhakam gairikayuktam samabhagena sutakas devadali samayuktam sulvamayati kancanam ' || 363 | Rasarnavakalpa, Sloka 404, p. 35. nantapistam bhavettavadyavatsvedyam dinatrayam | tenaiva cantamamgena sutvam vedyena vedhayen || 404 || 15 Rasarnavakalpa, sloka 130-132, pp. 16-17. punaranyanpravaksami sadhakah siddhimeti ca |

77 0 God-praised! mercury which is killed with the juice of this plant, being digested with equal weight of gold, can attain the power of transmuting ten hundred thousand times its weight of base metals into noble metals. If digested (with gold) four times of its own weight, it (mercury) is endowed with the capacity of transmuting hundred million times its weight of base metals into noble metals. When digested (with gold) six times its own weight, mercury acquires the capacity of transmuting base metals into noble metals, by its mere touch. Slokas 375-378 describe the amalgamation of silver to give a golden-coloured alloy. Here the heating is in a closed crucible whereby mercury is not allowed to volatilise and escape. 16 Mercury, pounded with sulphur and orpiment and rubbed with bija (pure gold or pure silver) is to be deposited inside the earth for one month. Silver smeared with this, and heated in a closed crucible, becomes gold. FN. 15 continued 16. harandarirase nyasya gosrrmge ca varanane || 130 || dhanyaragau nidhatavyam mrtam tisthati sunakam | divyausadhirasenaiva rasendre sukhandite 11 131 11 kanake jirnam dasalaksam tu vedhayet | caturgune dasakotim sad ‌gune sparsabedhakam || 132 || same tu 'Rasarnavakalpa, Slokas 357-385, p. 31. gandhakam talapistham ca rasam bijena mardayet || 357 ||

' 78 The Slokas 370 and 373 give the method of brassmaking by using calamine or zinc carbonate, copper, copper sulphate. They are heated in the presence of sulphur, Kacalavana 17 Heating and four kinds of basic substances; two of which are plants and two are minerals. The quantities of copper, copper sulphate and calamine added are such as to give approximate proportion of copper to zinc as 2:1. This is the proportion in common brass. The reducing action of sulphur is made use of in this process. of zinc carbonate and copper sulphate will evolve acidic gases such as carbon di-oxide, sulpher di and tri-oxides which are neutralised by the basic substances which are added initially. Sulphur reduces oxides of zinc and copper to respective metals which form an alloy, i.e., brass. Oxides of sulphur which are again formed will react with the four basic substances to form salts. as a flux in this reaction. Kacalavana acts FN. 16 continued bhumistham masamekena dharayettavicaksanah | andhamusagatam dhyanam tavalepena kancanam || 358 || 17. Kacalavana is the fictitious salt procured_by boiling earth impregnated with saline particles or kaca.

18 (Sulphur which has been killed and) the powders of the four alkalline substances like kadali (Musa Sapientum), Apamarga (Archyranthes Aspera), sesamum and sea-salt are to be arranged in order (one above the other) on "killed" sulphur in the crucible. Over these powders are to be arranged powdered kata having the half powdered kaca over it. One masa (a measure weight, about 6 grams) of the powder of blue vitriol and equal weight of copper-leaves are to be placed (in order) on the above substances. (Likewise) one masa of calamine is to be arranged over all the substances. The mouth of the crucible is to be then sealed. The whole substance thus contained in the crucible, is to be roasted over the fire of cow-dung, until copper becomes liquid. This copper will no doubt assume the form of gold, displaying eight shines. 79 18 Rasarnavakalpa, sloka 370-373, line 1, p. 32. gandhakam || 369 ll curnam kramena kadasyapamarga tilamasika ksarani catvari kacacurna krtva musayamarddha curvam tu krtva tasyopari ksipet || 310 || tutyacuryasya masaika tatsamam tamrapatrakam | khapare ca tatha masa datva tasyopari ksipet || 3 || kacacurna punardattva mudrayenmuthika tatah karisagnau natau dhyatva yavad tamradravam bhavet || 372 || tattamraca bhavetpitamantavarnam na samsayah | | ... 373 - line l

80 19 The property of arsenic when present in copper to the extent of two percent giving copper a golden colour is utilised in Sloka 20 405-406. Mercury fixed with the aid of orpiment, is to be roasted with the juice of Matulunga (Citrus Medica). One prasta of this mercury is to be taken by the wise for one month, after being welladvised (by one versed in alchemical preparations). This mercury admixed with betel-leaf and Orpiment undoubtedly turns copper and lead into heavenly gold on being roasted in "Puta". Surface Film Formation The other category of transmutation processes is that of a surface film formation. This surface film is either of gold itself or of a yellow-coloured compound formed on the surface, usually a sulphide. 19 20. Needham, Joseph (1), Vol. 5., Pt. II, p. 223. 1 Rasarnavakalpa, Sloka 405-406, p. 35. nalakena rasam baddham matulun ‌ge pacedbudhah 11 405 || prastham tu bhaksayetprajno masaikena sumantritam | tambulam pita ‌ya yuktam sisake gulvaka api ca | kancanam kurute divyam putena tu na samsayah || 406 ||