2.11. Pharmaceutical use of Incense

Incenses are gums or spices, which produce fragrance when burned. They were usually used by aristocrats to perfume and dry their hair. Clothes and dwellings also were perfumed with incenses. They were important items among the articles of worship. Nakha, Kuṣṭha, Ghana, Māṃsī, Spṛkka, Śaileya, Kuṅkuma, Lākṣā, Candana, Aguru, Sarala, Devakāṣṭha, Karpūra, Kāntā, Vālaka, Kunduruka, Guggulu, Śrīvāsaka, Sarjarasa, Kastūrī, Śaṅkha, Sitāmadhu, Ghṛta, Guḍa, Śrīkhaṇḍa etc. were some commonly used incenses. These substances were burned either alone or by mixing two or more than two.

Texts like Gandhavāda^[1], Gandhasāra^[2], Mānasollāsa^[3], Bṛhatsaṃhitā^[4] and some Purāṇas^[5] refer to the preparation of incenses. Gandhasāra describes different methods for preparing different incenses in 64 verses. Anaṅgasundara, Kolāhala, Kumāradhūpa etc. are some fanciful names of incenses, recorded in Gandhavāda. In Mānasollāsa, there is a separate chapter entitled Dhūpabhoga which discusses the preparation of three types of incenses, namely, Cūrṇadhūpa, Piṇḍadhūpa and Vartidhūpa. Of these Cūrṇadhūpa is in a powdered form. Piṇḍadhūpa is ball shaped, while Vartidhūpa is in the shape of a candle. Gold and silver incense holders designed like birds or beasts also are referred to in that chapter. Kopacchada and Piṇḍadhūpa are two important incenses mentioned in Bṛhatsaṃhitā. They were obtained by mingling equal quantities of several ingredients having fumigative powers. Besides these, a number of other incenses also are discussed in the text. They were prepared by mixing different aromatic ingredients in all possible combinations and permutations. Formulae for the preparation of incenses described in Agnipurāṇa and Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa are similar. Matsyapurāṇa records incenses of Guggulu, ghee and Sarṣapa. Of these, Sarṣapa is considered as antitoxic and hence burning Sarṣapa in houses is there mentioned as effective in dispelling the poisonous insects and reptiles. Fumes produced from cotton and serpent bones were useful in driving away serpents. While describing Pārvati’s wedding, Kālidāsa^[6] refers to some female attendants drying and perfuming Pārvati’s hair by means of incenses.