Rasahṛdayatantra (1728 manuscript)

Ra. H.
12

A woodcut depicts a manuscript folio featuring two blocks of handwritten Devanagari text, showing age-related darkening along a central horizontal fold.

Combine the mica abhraka with śatāvarī asparagus racemosus and the wood, and perform the process repeatedly with the juice of punarnavā Boerhavia diffusa. [The text then details the method of sampuṭa-maraṇa crucible-sealing death/calcination:] Combine sajjikṣāra sodium carbonate, earth, ṭankaṇa borax, and salt in a vessel. [7] Regarding the specifics of lead and tin: in that, one should pour the molten lead... with tin... according to the method of mercury dissolution. [8] The essence of mica, the mercury-substitute, and mercury itself, when processed with iron-elixirs and other qualities, cause everything to be absorbed. Regarding the specifics of gold and silver: first, one should treat them with the manmatha arousal/amalgamation method and mercury. Then, in the process of the essence, the mercury... [11] Regarding the measurement for the purification of metals: use sea-foam samudra-phena or an equal amount, or double, or quadruple. [12] By the method of the five-mica pañcābhraka rule, one should purify the mercury. This results in the piṣṭī paste/amalgam which is the three-fold purification. [13] The method of purification: by the dolā-yantra swinging apparatus method, one performs various types of break-processings. [14] Now, the maraṇa calcination/death of others... [15] Showing the mukha-cāraṇa mouth-opening/activation of mercury: with the juices of gavailādi and others, gold and silver spheres... the mercury becomes a solid mass. [16] Regarding that intention, others have an opinion: others process it with culla-kṣāra and paste by the mouth method... [17] Another method: or, mix the mercury with mica in equal parts, add paḍu salt, and place it in an iron vessel to sweat. [18] The method of instruction...

...the insertion of sulfur and mica by which the mercury’s wings are cut; it becomes suitable for the rasa-rasāyana mercurial alchemy. [150] By the specific use of sulfur and mica, the king of minerals rasarāja mercury gains color, becomes capable of cooking and calcining the seeds, cuts the wings, and is called the rasabandhaka mercury-binder. [160] The method of cutting the wings of mercury with sulfur and mica: triturate the sulfur and mercury together three times until it becomes a paste. [21] Thereafter, with the essence of balivayasā, place it in the mica on all four sides and heat it until it reaches the state of the puṭa heat treatment. [22] This paste is dropped into a single pala unit of weight... then the wings are released... [23] Commentary: First, in a mortar, triturate the iron and sulfur three times, add the mercury, and triturate repeatedly with sulfur until it becomes a paste. This is the first verse. Thereafter, the essence of mica is added in equal parts... then triturated with balivasā a specific animal fat/lipid. Balivasā is known as the eight-fold essence. [24] Another method for the previously mentioned mercury: it becomes ash-like... or cooked with sulfur paste. [24]