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Gairika or geru? (Rod ochre)2
Gairika or geru (red ochre) is mentioned in the Suvarņa-Raupya-Siddhi- . Šāstra, Rasaratna Samuccya of Māņikyadeva sūri in connection with vazious chemical processes and medicines. It also finds mention in the Rasārņava3 and Rasaratna Samuccaya4 of Vāgbhața as one of the uparasas inferior minerals).
According to the Rasārņava there are three kinds of gairika, viz, red, golden and another variety,5 white. The Rasaratna Samuccaya refers to two varieties of gairika, viz, pāşāņa gairika and svarņa gairika. The first one is hard and copper coloured and the second one is red, smooth and soft.6
In the Rasārņava there is mention of giving saturation to gairika with the juice of medicine of raktavarga, its decoction and bils." The Rasaratna Samuccaya states that both varieties of gairika get purified by the saturation into cow's milk.8 The white and red essence are gradually obtained from gairika.
The opinion of one Rasācārya named Nandi is that gairika itself is. essence-like, so its essence cannot come out. But some Ācāryas make mention of taking out its essence by cooking it in kanji and kşāra. This essence can be mixed up with mercury and the combination is more efficatious than gairika. 10. 1. SRSS., Ch. 1.41,' Rs., Māņikyadeva Suri, Ch. 1.5, 2. SRSS., Ch. 3.76, 11.20, 39, 3. Rasārņava, 7/83–84. 4. Rasaratna Samuccaya, Vägbhața 3/46-47 5. Gairikaṁ trividhaṁ proktaraktahemakevalabhedatah /
Rasārņava 7/83, 6. Pāşāņagairikaṁ caikaṁ dviryam svarṇagairikam /
Pāşāņagairikaṁ kathinam tāmravarņakam / Atyantasoņitam snigdham masşņam svarṇagairikam /
Svādu snigdhaṁ himam netryam netryam Raktapittanut" RS. 3/46247 7. Raktavargargarasakvāthapit aistadbhāvayet přthak Anena kramayogena
gairikam vimalam bhavet, Rasarņava 7/83-84. 8. Gairikaṁ tu gavām dugdhairbhāvitam śuddhimgcchati. 9. Kramātśitanca raktañca sattavaṁ patati sobhaham-Rasārņava 7/84. 10. Gairikaṁ sattamam in Nandinā parikirtitam || :
Kairapyuktam patetsatvam Kșārāmlasvdtinagairikāt / Upatişthati sūtendramekatvam guṇavattaram || RS. 3/49-5
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