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Jnānasekhara (VS. 1736 = '1779) in Old Gujarati, Nāgārjunividya (16th-18th A. D.)', Vaidyakasāra Saṁgraha2 of Harsakirti3 (VS. 1660-1703) in Sanskrit, Pāradavidhi4 of an unknown Jaina author (circa VS. 1700) in Old Gujarāti, Vaidyakasamgraha of Mahimaranga Gaņin (1617) A. D. No. 30992, Vaidyakasamgraha, MS. 30994 of an unnamed author of the eigh-. teenth century A. D. on venereal diseases, Vaidyavallabha5 of Hastiruci (VS. 1710 = 1763 A. D.) in Sanskrit and Gujarati Tikā, Anupānamañjari6 of Pitāmbara (VS. 1873)in Sanskrit and now all kept in the library of L. D. Institute of Indology at Ahmedabad-9., reveal scientific ideas and pratices of the Jainas with two distinct trends in Alchemy, viz. (1) Chemistry and metallurgy, and (ii) medical science, together with some information regarding occultism.,
ALCHEMY :
It appears that during the period of the authors of the above-mentioned Jain MSS. with its system of philosophy of mercury, a vast mass of chemical information was accumulated in these treatises on Rasāyanavidyā and Dhātuvidyā, which was pressed into signal service in the latrochemical period of India (1300-1550 A.D.)?
A comparative study of the Suvarņa-Raupya-Siddhi-śāstra with other Jaina MSS. and the Indian works on Rasāyanavidyā and Dhātuvidyā shows that since the second eentury A. D. the Indian alchemists were endeavouring to make gold.8 The research to make gold was continued by them throughout the Middle Ages together with studies dealing with industrial processes, especially metallurgieal processes, and with the manufacture of drugs.10 In the course of the researches of the Indian alchemists many important chemical discoveries were made by them. 11
1. Ibid. 2. Ibid. 3. Ibid. 4. Ibid. 5, Ibid. 6. Ibid. 7. It is evidenced that most of the Jaina MSS. of this period were written with golden ink. 8. Suvarnaraupyasiddhisastra, ch. II. 1, 2. 3, 6. 8, 14;
III. 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 52, 53, 10, 5. 103, 109:
IV. 4. 5, 12, 15, 17, 18 19, 25, 29, 40. .. 9. Ibid, p Chs. 1-14. 10. Ibid., 9 10. 14. 11. Preparation of gold, silver, iron, copper, mercury, etc.
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