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36
Purification of orpiment
Give 21 putas (roastings) to orpiment with the juice of sunehali (Euphorbia neriifolia ?) without fire. The becomes white orpimcnt. True.1 Hold Indian Squvill (Kolikanda) on fire, when it becomos slightly warm, then take out its juice by pressing it with hand, put it (juice) into orpiment and grind it (orpiment). Thus is the process of orpiment,2
The process of extacting oil of orpiment
Give 21 putas (roastings) to orpiment and rasa (regin or kind of wax) in the juice of Aloe vera. Put the whole thing into a bottle and take ou its oil (by boiling it).3
Manahsila (Realgar)
Manaḥśilā (realgar) is mentioned in the Suvarna-Raupya-Siddhi-Śāstra of Jinadattasuri, Rasaratna Samuccaya of Manikyadevasūri, and other Indian alchemical works5 as one of the inferior minerals.
According to the Rasaratna Samuccaya of Vägbhat there are stated to be three kinds of Manaḥśila (realgar) viz., śyamangi, (2) Kanaviraka and khaṇḍākhya. Amongst them śyamāngi manaḥsita is of black, red and little yellow and mixed colour and it is heavy in weight. Kanakaavirkhya manaḥsila is bright like copper and nirgaura (not yellow).. Khanḍākhya manaḥsila gets reduced to powder quickly; it is very red and heavy in weight. Syamängi manahśila is most inferior (lowest) and Khaṇḍākḥya is the best of all from the point of view of essence.7
1. SRSS., Ch. III. 8
Ibid., Ch, XI. 2-11.
SRSS., Ch. XI. 42
SRSS., Ch. 1.48; 2.11, 12; 3, 10, 41, 84; 4.24; 5.1, 2, 24; 6.19, 38; 7.19, 20, 23; 8.2, 4, 18, 24; 9, 7, 15, 23, 44, 46; 10.21, 22, 39; 11.9, 16, 39; 11/2. 6; 11/2/17, 11/2/31; 11/2/38; 11/2/39, 12.7, 8, 9, 12, 20; 13, 14, 17; 13/2/1.
Rasaraina Samuccaya, Māņikyadeva sūri. 1.5
2.
3.
4.
5. Rasāṛṇava, 3/78; Rasaratna Samuccaya,
Vaghbhat,, 3/99-13; 3/96, 3/98.
6. Manaḥśila tridha proktā śyamangi kaṇavirakā /
Khaṇḍākhyā ceti tadrupaṁ vivicya parikathyate // RS., 3/91. Vägbhat 7. Śyāmā raktā sagaură ca bhārādhyā śyāmikā matā /
Tejasvini ca nirgaurā tāmrābhā Kaṇavirakā //
Cūrṇibhūtā' atiraktāngi sabhārā khaṇḍa-pūrvikā/
Uttarottatataḥ śreṣṭhā bhūrisattvā prakirtitā; // RS. 3/91-93.
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