The Jewel Mine of Mercury

6

The chapter on the killing of mercury, the second instruction. 2. Shri. Shri. Now, the method of mūrchanā swooning/transformation of pure mercury is described.

Now, the method of mūrchanā of pure mercury is stated. Grind meghanāda, vacā, hiṅgu asafoetida, and laśuna garlic. With the naṣṭapiṣṭa dead/lost state, wrap the mercury ball with hiṅgu. Cook it in a lavaṇayantra salt apparatus for one day with a fierce fire. Collect the mercury attached to the top and bind it with a strong thread. Give equal amounts of sulfur beneath and on top, and cook it in the somamala. When the sulfur is digested, add more. After six times, with equal parts of sulfur—six times the amount of sulfur—it becomes the swooned king of liquids (rasarāja). Take sulfur, dhūmasāra soot, and pure mercury in equal parts. When six parts of sulfur are digested, grind for one yāma three hours in a mortar. Put it in a glass bottle.

A symbol resembling "Shri" is in the margin.

Seal it with pure clay, place it in a sand apparatus (vālukāyantra), and cook it. When it cools naturally, discard the sulfur attached to the top. Collect the mercury from the bottom and use it in all processes. Add twice the amount of sulfur and a portion of saindhava rock salt to the pure mercury. Grind for three days with the juices of sitajayā. Make a ball, place it in a water vessel, and keep it firm. After drying, heat it slightly and throw it into water. Collect the mercury from there, flavor it with trikaṭu the three pungent spices, and use it in all processes. Cook it in an acid-holding [vessel]. Grind half the amount of sulfur with ghee, make a ball, and bind it with thread. Cook it in a ḍaulāyantra swinging apparatus. It should be in cow's urine for a yāma three hours and in human urine for three days, then dry it.

Shri 6