Suvarna Raupya Siddhi Shastra

SR No.: 006907
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: J C Sikdar
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1997
Total Pages: 434
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 7 MB

Page 39

XXXIV
6. Estimate of the literary and aesthetic aspects of the Suvarna-Raupya
Siddhi-Śāstra.
Literature is to be judged by its value to humanity. Its value is determined by the principles to what extent does it contribute to the progress of mankind by enabling him to live with more happiness, more intensity, more profoundness, more wisdom and more freedom in the mundane world. Next comes up the question of technique used in the work for proper criticism which distinguishes its subject - matter, guiding one to a finer appreciation of writing and making him realize more clearly and completely what the author has meant there. Literature carries the message of knowledge and cultural heritage of a people of a country from the distant past up to the present and preserves the treasure of different branches of learning of today for the future generations through the successive stages of the social evolution. It vitalizes and revitalizes the individual, social national and international life, shapes and reshapes, adjusts and readjusts, transforms and retransfoms the human society to a considerable extent by conveying the message of its knowledge and truth. From this angle of vision on the literature the Suvarņ2-Raupya-siddhi - Šāstra testifies sufficiently to the linguistic and literary development of its age and ('to ) its value to mankind by conveying the alchemical knowledge to some extent.
It deals with Maharasas (superior minerals), Uparasas (inferior minerals) Sādhāraṇarasas ( common minerals ), Ratnas ( gems ) and Lohas ( metals ) with their chemical processes, apparatus ( Yantras ), various chemical processes, processes of making gold and silver for. removing poverty, medical recipes for curing diseases and elixir vitae and lastly, occultism for acquiring supernatural power to achieve one's objective.
Besides these literary contributions, the SRSS. throws light upon the various acāryas of alchemical thought and their systems particularly of Nāgārjuna, Padalipta Sūri, Carpața, Nātha, Gandu, Shekham Ali, etc., geography (e. g. location of some hills in a western India ) within its purview.
In regard to the language, metre and style, as previously discussed, they represent an age different from the present, in which the Jaina alchemy teachers used to impart alchemical teachings to their followers in particular to make them intelligible in both poetic and prosaic spoken languages. The total effect of the texture and spirit of the language of the Suvarna-Raupyae Siddhi-Šāstra, enriched with some literary flourishes, explaining the alchemical thoughts and ideas inspires one to dive deep into its subject - matters with more energy and effort to collect the hidden treasure of alchemical