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Haritālal (orpiment)
Haritāla is mentioned in the Suvarņa-Raupya-Siddhi-Šāstra as mineral ntilized in various chemical processes and medicinal preparations. This mineral finds mention in the Hindu2 and Buddhist3 alchemical works for the same purpose in large measure. It is also called tālaka.
According to the Rasārņava there are stated to be two kinds of orpiment, viz., Pațula (tālaka) and piņņa (guvarika)
The first one is of leafy structure, the second one is found in balls or cakes. Svarṇapatri (tāakı) hartāla is yellow like gold, heavy, smooth and light (thin) leafy and bright, while piņda haratala is like without leaf or huving a few leaves and heavy.5
Orpiment is to be purified by cooking it in the juice of cucumber (or gourd), and alkaline water of ashes of sesamum or in lime water in a Dolikāyantra.
To make ash, crpiment is to te itted with buffalo's urine and thrice macerated in the decoction of Butea, monosperma of the consistency of honey, and to be roasted in a Sampuța covered with a layer of cloth and clay and powderd by repeating the process twelve times.
1. SRSS., Ch. 1.13, 29, 60; 2.1 4, 11, 12, 16, 23, 26, 27; 3.33, 71, 72, 85,
103; 4.6, 7, 23; 5.1, 2, 3, 6, 7.23; 8.2, 8.18; 9, 7, 12; 11.12, 18; 11/12/ 19; 12.8, 9; 12/20/1; 12/23, 13.17; 13/2/16; 14/2/19: 14/2/19; 14/2/31;
14/2/2/33., Rs. ch. 1. V. 2. Rasārņava, etc. 3. Rasaratna Samuccaya, etc., Vāgbhat 4. Talakaḥ patalaḥ piņño dvidhā tatrādya uttamaḥ ),
Racārņava, 7/74. Haratālam dvidhā proktam patrādyaṁ pindasamjñakam. Rs., Vägbhat
3, 70. 5. Svarņavarņam guru snigdham tanupatram bhāsuram //
Tatpatratālakam bahupatram rasāyanam / Nispatram piņņasadşśam svalpasativan an tathā guru //
Rs. Vāgbhat 3/70-72. 6. Svinnam Kūşmāņdatoye vātita
Kșārajaleapi vā / Toye vā cūrðam samyuktam dolāyamtreņa śuddhyati., RS., .3, 74,
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