________________
(iii) Rub the powder of golden pyrite in the milk of thūhar (Euphorbia
nivuila) and smear it (mixture) on the leaves of silver. Next roast them . in gajapuțāgni by closing them in a sampuța. Silver gets reduced to
ashes. 1
(iv) Take four parts of silver leaf and one part of pure orpiment, rub
them with the juice of lemon and roast the mixture in a garbha-yantra in fire of 30 pieces of cowdung cake fourteen times by repeating the process. Thus silver is completely incinected,"
Tāmra (Copper) The Suvrana Raupya Siddhi śāstra mentions two kinds of copper, viz. Nepaltāmra* (the Nepalese copper) and ordinary Indian copper besides, artificially or rather chemically made copper. The Nepalese copper is the best one (Ukkiţtham)
- According to the Rasārņava, there are two kinds of copper-red and black. The one which can bear the stroke of the hammer is smooth, soft and having red leaf is the best one. In the Rasaratna Samuccaya also two kinds of copper are mentioned, viz. (1) Mleccha and Nepālaka, i.e. the one dug out of mines of other foreign countries other than Nepal and the Nepalese copper brought from Nepal. Between them the Nepalese copper is of superior quality.* Mleccha copper is that in which there are found
1. Bhāvyaṁ tāpyaṁ sunhi kşīraştārapatrāņi lepayet/
Mārayetpuțayogena nirutham jāyate dhruvam || , RS. 5/37. 2. Tarapatraṁ caturbhāgaṁ bhāgaikaṁ suddha tātakam / Mardya
jambırajadrāvaistārapatrāni lepayet //
Rs. 5/38–39. 3. RSSS. Ch I. 25, 47, 61,11.11, III. 1,2, 4, 66 X, V. 30; IX. 4, 26,
XIV. 2.67, etc., 4. Ukkitthm=Nepaladesodbhavam tāmram, SRSS., Ch. II. (Comm.) 5. See the foot note no. I. : 6. SRSS., Ch. IV. 26. 7. Tbid., Ch- 1. 1, (Ukkithaṁ). Ch. II. (Comm. 1.1) 8. Tāmram ca dividhaṁ proktam raktam kļşņam sureśvari/
ghanaghātasaham snigdham raktapatram mțduttamam //
Rasārņava 7/105. 9. Mleccham Nepālakam ceti tayor nepālakaṁ varaṁ / .
Nepalālanyakhamyuttham mlecchamityabhidhıyate | | RS. 5/42.
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