Cultural Study of Nisitha Curni

SR No.: 001743
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Madhu Sen
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar
Publication Year: 1975
Total Pages: 432
Language: English, Prakrit
Classification: Book_English, Agam, Canon, & Literature
File Size: 23 MB

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Various types of fragrant powders were prepared by pounding differnt substances. The powders like padma-cürṇa (powder made from lotus-leaves), candana-cūrṇa (sandalwood powder), mășa-curņa (powder from kidney beans), vaddhamāṇacurna (powder from castor-oil plant) and patavāsa (powder used to perfume dress) have been mentioned.' The powder prepared by pounding the dry vegetables (kuṭṭita-vanas pati-curņa) was also used."
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A large number of scents and perfumes (gandha) were prepared by subjecting the various aromatic substances to a particular fumigating process (gandha-yukti-kṛtā). The perfumes were used as incense and were largely available from the market called gandhiyavana. Various types of perfumes like that of the sandalwood (camdana), musk (migada), camphor (kappura), aleo-wood (agaru), saffron (kumkum), olibanun (turakkha), palavasa, koṭṭhapuḍa or koṭṭhakapuḍa etc. were common. Bāṇa informs us that after taking his bath Candrāpīda was taken to the perfuming room (vile pana-bhūmi) where his limbs were anointed with sandalwood-paste (candanenovalipta sarvango) and also fumigated with the fragrance of saffron, camphor and musk (mṛgamadakar pūrakumkumavāsa su: abhiņā).10
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MATERIAL CULTURE
The fragrant pastes and unguents (leva-aleva) were prepared by grinding (gharṣaṇa) the various fragrant substances on a grinding stone (gamdha-paṭṭa). 11 Among these pastes sandal
1. NC. 2, p. 27.
2. NG. 2, P. 270.
3. गंधयुक्तिकृता गंधा—NC. 2, p. 109.
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4. NC. 3, p. 243.
5. NC. 3, pp. 106, 110.
6. गंधेत्ति चंदणादिणा विलित्ते - NC. 4, p. 4.
7. मिगंड- कप्पूरागरु-कुंकुम चंदण तुरुक्खादिए गंधे—NC. 2, p. 467.
8. NC. 2, p. 104.
9. NC. 4, p. 24.
10. Kadambari, p. 14, text pp. 33-34
11. पट्टत्ति गंधपट्टातो तत्थ वरा प्रधाना गंधा पीसिज्जंति - NC. 2, p. 5.
I-Tsing mentions the same method of preparing the scent or paste