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SUVARNA-RAUPYA-SIDDHI-ŚĀŠTRA-A STUDY
INTRODUCTION
A General Survey
A study of the Jaina alchemical thoughts and practices fostered from the time of the Jainācārya-Nāgārjuna 1 and Padaliptasari 2 upto the eighteenth century A. D. throws a welcome light upon an aspect of the material culture of the Jainas with scientific ideas combined with their interpretation in the light of other Indian literary evidences on Rasāyanavidyā (Chemistry) and Dhātuvāda (matellurgy), and Ayurveda (medical science) of the Middle Ages. Alchemy dealt with by the Jainācāryas has not yet been evaluated in relation to the Indian History of Alchemy. It seems that Western India (Rajasthan and Gujarat), 3 by virtue of its geographical position as a strong centre of Jainism from the beginning, was a receptacle for many alchemical ideas, specially from other culture-areas of India and outside.
It may be, as pointed out by Dr. B. V. Subbarayappa, that "India, by virtue of its geographical position, was a receptacle for many, alchemical ideas from the Chinese and Arabic Culture-areas"4 in the later period.
A study of the extant Jaina manuscripts-Suvarņa-raupyasiddhiśāstrā5 of Jinadattasūri (VS. 1210), written in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramga and Old Gujarati, Western Rajasthāni, etc., copied with additional materials in the 18th Century A. D., Nāgārjuns Yogamalā Vitti of Gunākara (VS. 1296) in Sanskrit, Rasaratnasamuccaya? of Māņikyadevasūri (16th Century A. D.) in Sanskrit, Yogaratnākara copais of Nayanasekhara, a pupil of
1. Suvarnaraupyasiddhisāstra, Jinadattasūri. Ch. 1, 60. 2. Ibid., Ch. II. 4. 3. All the available Jaina MSS. on alchemy have been found in this region and they
are written is Sanskrit, Prakrit. Apabhramsa, Old Gujarāti and sometimes in Old ..Rajasthani. 4. Some trends in Alchemy in India, Dr. B. V. Subbarayappa, Abstracts of Scientific
Section papers. XV Internation Science Congress. Edinburg, August. 1979., p. 48. 5. It is the work of Jinadatta sūri (VS. 1210) belonging to the Kharatára Gaccha.." 6. It is also kept in thc Library of L. D. Institute of Indology. 7. Ibid. 8. Ibid.
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