Suvarna Raupya Siddhi Shastra

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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knowledge preserved in it. It is remarkable to observe how the richness of its vocabularies in the first and fourteen chapters in particular, produces an equal effect on the minds of its readers, by truly expressing, explaining and interpreting all aspects of its varied contents it has touched upon without faltering, slowness and haziness by presenting a clear and concise conception about them.
As redards the technique of the style the SRSS. originates with poetry embodying the alchemical thoughts and ideas, and practices of various alchemists and conveys them through different poetic languages composed with different metres and also through the language of the people ( 3rd-13 chapters) in their natural Style in prose, for here the puspose was to teach alchemy to the people.
In the Suvarna-Raupya-Siddhi-Śāstra, the author has used three styles, viz. descriptive, explanatory and emotive in the presentation of its varied alchemical contents and explaining its subject-matters in clear, concise and explicit manner, of course, sometimes in.code letters.
The literary value of the SRSS. lies in the fact that its rich language expresses clearly by its proper terminologies the alchemical thoughts and ideas of its creative genius, dealing with various aspects of alchemy.
7.
The Contents of the Suvarna-Raupya Siddhi-Šāstra, viewed as a part of Indian alchmical literature and as a part of recorded knowledge.
A close comparative Study of Indian alchemical litetature of the tantric period ( 700 A. D. to circa 1300 A.D.) and the Suvarna-Raupya-SiddhiŠāstra ( VS. 1210 ) reveals that "Indian alchemy very largely derived its colour, flavour and in fact, its nourishment from the Tantric cult” 1 The contents of the Suvarna - Raupya - Siddhi - Šāstra can be viewed as part of Indian alchemical literature, as the progress of chemistry in both can be traced to medicine and a belief in the artifical gold - making or silver-making transmutation of the base metals into gold, as well as to the search, after the vital elixir of life of the philosopher's stone. So the contents of the SRSS. is a part of recorded knowledge.
1. History of Chemistry. In Ancient and Medieval India, Dr, P. C. Ray, p. 113,