2.12. Pharmaceutical use of Perfumes

Perfume was an important article among the ancient Indian toilet. Scents not only provide good smell to the body, but as told by Caraka^[1], perfumes bring about charm and strength also. He mentions some other advantages also. Perfumes are considered one among the Aṣṭabhoga (Eight objects of enjoyment). Others are being women, garments, music, betel, dinners, bed and flowers. A few of the different kinds of perfumes used for various purposes that attested in our literature are given below.

a) Jalavāsa (Hair Bath)

Scented water was usually used by kings and other aristocrats for their royal bath. Water for this purpose was perfumed with certain flowers and other aromatic substances. Tvak (Cassia bark), Kuṣṭha (Costus), Rasa (Resin), Tagara, Reṇu, Nalika, Spṛkka, Vālaka, Kesara, Patra etc are some of the ingredients used to perfume water. Agnipurāṇa^[2], Gandhasāra^[3], Mānasollāsa^[4] and Bṛhatsaṃhitā^[5] record some recipes of different sorts of scented water.

b) Mukhavāsaka (Mouth Perfume)

Mouth perfumes were not only meant for perfuming mouth, but were beneficial in curing and preventing mouth diseases also. They were of different forms -powder, tablet and candle shaped incenses -Dhūpavarti. Aromatic flowers, sprouts, seeds, leaves and barks were employed as mouth perfumes. Some of the ingredients of a mouth perfume are Karpūra, Śrīkhaṇḍa, Kalka, Kakkola, Khadira, Lavaṅga, Kaṭuka, Jāti, Ela, Niśākara, Kuṅkuma, Mṛgadarpa, Sahakāra, Pārijāta, Pūgaphala, Bījapūraka, Kastūrī, Māṃsī, Kāntā, Reṇuka and Musta. Agnipurāṇa^[6], Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa^[7], Gandhasāra^[8], Mānasollāsa^[9] and Bṛhatsaṃhitā^[10] refer to the preparation and properties of some kinds of mouth perfumes. Verses pertaining to the preparation of mouth perfumes found in Agnipurāṇa and Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa are same. There the sprout of Sahakāra is prescribed as an ingredient of a tablet formed mouth perfume.

Gandhasāra refers to the recipe of a Guṭikā thus–

[...]

Other types of mouth perfumes also are mentioned there. In Mānasollāsa, we have reference to a Guṭikā made of Khadira, Kastūrī, Karpūra, Śrīkhaṇḍa and Kalka. Bṛhatsaṃhitā describes a mouth perfume with the scent of Pārijāta flower. The mode of preparation is mentioned as follows. Honey and mango juice are sprinkled into a mixture of any four of the sixteen ingredients of the Sarvatobhadra, a compound perfume described earlier. Along with this, nutmeg, musk and camphor are added.

In addition to the aforesaid texts, some medicinal treatises also describe mouth perfume. Suśruta^[11] gives an account of the medicinal properties of the ingredients of mouth perfumes. According to him, these ingredients, not only beneficial in mouth diseases and bad odour of mouth, but they proves curative in the deranged Kapha and Pitta. Caraka^[12] also lists some chewables, which according to him dispels the foul smell of mouth and they stimulate hunger.

Mouth perfume was an unavoidable object in the daily life of aristocrats. In Kāmasūtra^[13], we read of Nāgaraka chewing the bark of Bījapūraka to repel the foul smell of liquor. Kālidāsa^[14] gives plenty of references to dignitaries enjoying Matulaṅga, Bījapūraka and betel.

c) Essence of Flowers

Essence of flowers is generally known as ‘Attar’. Among attars, attar of roses is more popular.

In Bhogyavarga section of Rājavyavahārakośa, attar is explained thus -

[...].^[15]

Here P.K Gode defines Attarā as rose water. Rose water was not only used as perfume, but as medicines also. According to some medical texts^[16], rose water is useful in pacifying Pitta and Kapha. Kings and other royal dignitaries usually took this beverage in summer to quench thirst. We come across the preparation of rose water in a manuscript of Bhojanakutūhala^[17], a treatise supposed to have written in 1851 by Raghunāthagaṇeśanavahasta. In this text a few verses in the first chapter entitled Pānīyavarga describes the procedures adopted in the manufacture of rose water. In Svapnavāsavadatta^[18], Bhāsa alluded an attar namely Sumanovarṇaka. Perhaps this attar was an essence of jasmine, for the word Sumanas denotes jasmine flower.

d) Compound Perfumes

Compound perfumes are perfumes, which by slightly altering a few ingredients can be used to produce different other scents. Bṛhatsaṃhitā^[19] gives recipes of some compound perfumes. Smāroddīpana is one among them. As its name indicates, this perfume was considered as an aggravator of passion. The ingredients of this perfume are Patra, Turuṣka and Tagara. This combination with the addition of Vyāṅkha and being fumigated with Kaṭuka forms another perfume known as Vakula, which has the scent of Bakula flower. A lotus scented perfume was prepared by mixing costus and the ingredients of the aforesaid Smāroddīpana. Same ingredients along with sandal powder gives the fragrance of Campaka flower and that with cassia bark and Kustumburu (Spice coriander) causes the formation of perfume smelling like Atimuktaka (Jasmine flower). Another combination is known as Sarvatobhadra, for which sixteen components are used. They are, Aguru, Patra, Musta, Rasa, Keśa, Spṛkka, Tvak, Nakha, Tagara, Māṃsī, Malaya, Turuṣka, Śaileyaka, Priyaṅgu and Kunduruka. In the view of Varāhamihira, eighty-four types of perfumes having the smell of Vakula flower can be prepared in this manner. A fine variety of perfume namely Yakṣakardama is mentioned in Amarakośa^[20]. It was prepared by mixing camphor, Aguru musk and Kakkola.

e) Perfumery

Perfumery or the manufacturing of perfumes is an important aspect of cosmetics. It is considered both as science and art.

Vātsyāyana^[21] mentions perfumery as one among the sixty four arts, which he lists in Kāmasūtra. According to him Gaṇikās or courtesans should acquire knowledge in all these sixty-four arts. In Mṛcchakaṭika^[22], we come across maid servants preparing perfumes in Vasantasenā’s house. Gaṅgādhara, author of Gandhasāra treats this subject as science.

He begins his text with the following verse.

[...].^[23]

However there are ample references regarding perfumery in ancient and medieval Sanskrit texts. Texts like Agnipurāṇa, Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, Bṛhatsaṃhitā and Gandhasāra have certain chapters entitled Gandhayukti, which are dedicated to the description of perfumes, their mode of preparation and use. The title Gandhayukti is used to mean the art and science of cosmetics, even though literally it means combination of perfumes. Gandhayukti describes several processes involved in the manufacture of perfumes.

Some of them listed in Agnipurāṇa^[24] are -

1. Śauca (Purification of the ingredients),
2. Ācamana,
3. Virecana,
4. Bhāvana (Saturation of a powder with a liquid),
5. Pācana (Decoction of materials),
6. Bhodhana (Combination of one powder with another),
7. Dhūpana (Fumigation),
8. Vāsana (Perfuming with aromatic substances).

Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa^[25] records seven of the aforesaid processes except Ācamana. With the exception of Śauca and Ācamana, Gandhasāra^[26] mentions all the processes. Bṛhatsaṃhitā^[27] also lists eight processes. But there we read of Samyojana (Mixing), Secana (Sprinkling) and Drvyasaṃskāra instead of Ācamana, Virecana and Śauca.

Perfumes were prepared in glass vessels and earthen vessels. For their preparation machines like Pātālayantra, Nālakayantra etc. were used. Different kinds of Pākas were adopted in making different perfumes. We have reference to seven types of Pākas in Gandhasāra^[28]. They are Puṭapāka, Gartapāka, Veṇupāka, Dolapāka, Gharparapāka, Baijayūrapāka and Kālapāka.

Of these Puṭapāka and Gartapāka are defined thus -

[...].^[29]

f) Perfume Caskets

Different sorts of perfumes were kept in a box and this box was known as Sugandhapuṭaka or Gandhasamudga. Bhāsa has mentioned incidentally a scent-box in Bālacarita^[30]. While describing the life of a Nāgaraka, Vātsyāyana^[31] also refers to a perfume casket which was an unavoidable object in the toilet of a Nāgaraka. 1.3. Other Tips for Enhancing Beauty

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sūtrasthāna, v.96

[2]:

Gandhayukti, v.28

[3]:

SIICH, p.70

[4]:

Ibid, p.56

[5]:

LXXVI.5

[6]:

Gandhayukti, vv. 34, 39

[7]:

Gandhayukti

[8]:

SIICH, p.71

[9]:

p.85

[10]:

LXXVI.27

[11]:

Sūtrasthāna, Capter 46, vv. 201-204

[12]:

Sūtrasthāna, vv.76-77

[13]:

IIK, p.207

[14]:

Mālavikāgnimitra, V; Ṛtusaṃhāra, V.5

[15]:

SIICH, p.15

[16]:

Aṣṭāṅgasaṅgraha

[17]:

SIICH, p.94

[18]:

Act IV; Avimāraka (Avimāraka), Act III

[19]:

LXXVI.7

[20]:

2.6.133

[21]:

RHAI, p.35

[22]:

Act I.8

[23]:

SIICH, p.73

[24]:

Chapter, 224, v.20

[25]:

Chapter 64

[26]:

SIICH, p.75

[27]:

LXXVI.2, vv.2, 6, 8, 11, 12, 16, 26, 27, 30

[28]:

SIICH, p.76

[29]:

Ibid

[30]:

Act V

[31]:

Kāmasūtra, IV.5