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Loha! (iron) In the Suvarņa-Raupya-Siddhi śāstra there is mention of Kāntaloha? Cumbaka (loha ?)', Kharu lohat and tıkho (loha ?) or Takho. .
The Rasārņva mentions three kinds of iron, viz, Rohaņa, vājara, and capalālaya. The Rasarațna Sammuccaya also refers to three kinds of iron viz. Mundaloha Tikṣṇaloha and Kāntāloha.? Munda is of three kinds, viz. mțdu (Soft), Kuņtham and Kaņāram. The one which gets easily melted by heat on fire does not break by the hitting (stroke) of a hammer and is glossy is colled soft iron, The iron which expands with difficulty when struck with a hammer is called hard iron. That iron which breaks up when struck with a hammer and has a black fracture is called Kandaraka, kaņdaraka or kaņdakaraka loha (brittle iron).
Kānta Iron If the drop of oil does not spread out in the water of a vessel of kānta iron, the smell of Ferula asfotida is generated in its water, the juice of citrom (nimba) generates bitterness in itself, if put in that vesset. (If) milk is boiled in it, it becomes high like the shape of an umbrella, it does not go down (fall) to the gound. Kānta Iron is that which possesses these aforesaid Characteristics (marks), not any other kinds.
Tıkşņa loha (Cast iron and Steel) is stated to be of six kinds, viz.,
(1) Kharatikşņa loha, (2) Sāratıkşņa loha, (3) Hệnnāla tikşņaloha, (4) tārāvațța tikşņaloha; (5) Vājiratıkşņa lohả and (6) Kālaloha. 1. SRSS., Ch. I. 16, 1. 55, III. 4; 37, 64, IV. 31, V. 10, VI. 13, VI. 37,
40, IX. 11, 53, X. 16, 57, XI. 67, 19, XIII./2/9. . 2. SRSS., Ch. 1. 1.56, (Kāmtāloham). 3. Ibid., Ch. 1,55 (Cuntvaka). 4. Ibid., Ch, IX. 11. . 5. Ibid., Ch. VIII. 31, 34. . . 6. Ibid., Ch. IX. 39, 40, 41, 7. Rohanam vājaraṁ caiva trtiyam capalalayam/ .
Iti tiksnaṁ tridhā taccha kāntaloha miti smrtam // Rasārņava 7.107. 8. Muņdam likşnam ca kamtaṁ 'ca
triprakāramyaḥ smţtam, Rs. 5/67... . 9. Mrdu kuntham kadāram ca trividham mundameyate/
Drutadrāvamavisphoțaṁ cikkaņas mțdu tacchubham/ Hatam yatprasared duḥkhāttatkuņķham madhyam smrtam/
Yaddhatam bhujyate bhaṁge kịşņtkṁ syāttatkaņārakam”, Rs. 5/68-Ji. 10. SRSS. Ch. I. 56.
Kharam sāram ca hmnātam ca tārvattam ca vajiram/ Kalalohābhi dhānam ca șadvidham liksņamucyate // Rs. 5/94,
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