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FIRST CHAPTER
First Section
Minerals, gems, Metals and Apparatus
Rasas (Minerals) INTRODUCTION
In Jaina Alchemy as revealed in the Suvarņa-Raupya-Šāstra of Jinadatasari, Rasaratna Samuccaya of Māņikyadevasūri. etc, the mineral kingdom has broadly been divided into Mahārasas? (Superior minerals), Uparasa2 or Alparasa (inferior minerals), Ratnas3 (gems. etc,) and lohas, (metals) as is found in the works of Hindu and Buddhist Alchemy.
1. The Suvarna-Raupya-Siddhi-śāstra deals with Mahārasa, but it does
not mention the term. The Rasaratna Samuccaya uses this term to indicate different kinds of Maharasa. "Vaikrāntakāmnāmala-Sasyagādrayoh māksikabhedāhibhido mahār
asāh”, Rasaratna Samuccaya, Adhikāra. 1. V. 5. 2. The Survaņa-Raupya-Siddhi-śāśtra does not refer to this term Uparasa',
although it treats of various kinds of Uparasa. The Rasaratna Samuc·caya of Māņikyadeva uses this term to connote Uparasas as inferior
minerals. “Kamkuşthagamdhāmjanagairikāmțdah; Śılālakaścoparasāh ime matah
1”., Rasaratnasamuccaya, A. 1. V. 5. 3. The Suvarņa-Raupya-Siddhi-śāstra deals with various kinds of gems in
a scattered manner without using the term (Ratna), while the Rasaratnasamuccaya mentions this term (Ratnas) to signify gems, etc. “Vajra, Vidruma, muktā, mani, Padmaraga, etc.- Rasaratna Samuccaya, 1.46, 47. “Lohanāmāņai-Loha 1, Vamga 3, tāio 4, Kāso 5, pital 6, tāra 7, hema 81. ', Suvarņa-Raupya-Siddhi-sastra, Ch. 6. 13.; Tamram tāram Pittala nāga hemni/vamgam Tiksñanam;/Kāmsyakam/Vatļaloham Suryādinām nāmabhiḥ khecarānām/Vijñātavyā dhātavo anukrameņa,/Rasaratna Śamuccaya A. 1. V. 6. Mahārasa : Māksiko vimalaḥ śailaḥ capalah rasakastathā./Sasyako daradascaiva śrotoñjana mahāşçakam// Aştau mahārasāścaivametan prathamataḥ śrņu 11
tan prathamatah null
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