Systematic APPROACH IN SCIENCE
न शास्त्रेण विना क्रमः ।
शास्त्रं क्रमयुक्तं ज्ञात्वा
यः करोति स सिद्धिभाक् ॥
Na śāstrena vinā kramaḥ
Śāstram kramayutam jñātvā
Yaḥ karoti sa siddhibhāk
Without systematic approach, there is no science, without science there is no systematic approach, one who knows that science is the systematic approach of learning and doing the work, he is known as the scientist/ expert
Source: Rasaratna Samucchaya (6/2)
PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION
… कार्ष्णायसमित्येव सत्यम् ॥
… kārṣṇāyasam ity eva satyam
When a nail cutter made of iron is explained (or known), then one should know that iron itself is the essence and everything about iron is known (the metallurgical process and quality of iron is known)
TWO TYPES OF ZINC MINERALS
दर्दुर कारवेल्लकः ।
दर्दुरः सत्त्वपाते स्यात्
औषधे कारवेल्लकः ॥
Dardura kāravellakaḥ
Dardura satva pāte syāt
Auṣadhe kāravellaka:
There are two types of zinc minerals known as dardura (calamine) and kaaravellaka (smith-sonite). Dardura is ideal for metal extraction and the other is good for medicinal use.
Source: Rasaratna samucchaya 2 -149
THREE TYPES OF ZINC MINERALS
पीतस्तु मृत्तिकाकारो मृत्तिकारसको वरः ।
गुडाभो मध्यमो ज्ञेयः पाषाणाभः कनिष्ठकः ॥
There are three types of zinc minerals Mruthikabha (calamine), Guddabha (zincite) and Paashanabha (zinc blende). Among these minerals, the yellow coloured calamines are the best and Guddabha is the medium grade and the Paashanabha is the inferior grade
Source: Rasarnavam 7/29
COLOUR AND NATURE OF MINERALS
भिन्ना नीलरजीमन्तो मुद्गमाषकृषरवर्णाः वा दधिबिन्दुपिण्डचित्राः ।
हरिद्रा हरितकी पद्मपत्रशैवलकृत् प्लीहानवद्यवर्णाः ।
भिन्नाश्च शुण्डुवलुकालेखाबिन्दुस्वस्तिकवन्तः सगुलिकाः अर्चिष्मन्तः ।
स्थाप्यमानाः न भिद्यन्ते बहुफेनधूमाश्च सुवर्णधातवः ।
प्रतीवा पार्थास्ताम्ररूप्यवेदनाः ॥
The colours of the ores of different metals are yellow, mixed copperish yellow, some are powder in nature having the colour of neela rajee flower, green gram, black gram, curd, turmeric, terminalia, leaf of lotus, spleen of animal, sand, jasmine bud, and seed of neem. Some ores, when heated remains the same and some ejects surf and smoke.
Source: Arthasastra 2 -30
COLOUR OF COPPER ORE
प्रस्थरधातुभूमिभागो वा ।
पिङ्गलो हरित पाटलो
लोहितो वा ताम्रधातुः ॥
The copper ores are heavy, tawny, green (chalcopyrrites) darkblue (malachite), yellowish tint (azurite), pale red or red (native copper).
Source: Arthasasthra 2/30
THE CHEMICAL KNOWN AS ANJANA
रसाञ्जनमथ परम् ।
स्रोताञ्जनं तदन्यच्च
पुष्पाञ्जनमेव च ।
नीलाञ्जनं च तेषां हि
स्वरूपमिह वर्ण्यते ॥
Souveeramanjanam is (antimony sulphide), rsanjanam (yellow oxide of mercury) sthrotho anjanam (different form of antimony sulphide) neelanjanam (lead sulphide) pushpanjanam (zinc oxide), these anjanas are explained here.
Source: Rasaratna samucchaya 3/98
CALCIUM CARBONATE
दीर्घवृत्ता वराटिका ।
रसवैद्यैर्विनिदिष्टा
सा चराचर संज्ञिका ॥
सार्धनिष्कभरा श्रेष्ठा
निष्कभरा च मध्यमा ।
पादोननिष्कभरा च
कनिष्ठा परिकीर्तिता ॥
The calcium carbonate which has the elliptical shape and yellow colour is known as charachara varatika. (depending upon their size and shape) they are clasified as the saardha nishkabhara, which is the best, nishkabharaa the second grade and padona nishkabhara (low grade)
Source: Rasaratna samucchayam: 3/130-131
MERCURY DISTILLATION
पातितश्च जलाश्रये ।
तत्सत्त्वं सूतसंकाशं
जायते नात्र संशयः ॥
Darada: (cinnabar), the ore of mercury, when distilled in a distillation equipment and the vapors when condensed with water, gives the essence of the darada which is the mercury
Source: Rasaratna samucchayam 3/144
EXPLANATION ON THE CORROSION
तीक्ष्णं वङ्गं भुजङ्गकम् ।
लोहं तु षड्विधं तच्च
यथापूर्वं तदक्षयम् ॥
Metals are classified under the class of gold, silver, copper, iron, lead and zinc. The resistance towards corrosion is in the reverse of the above order (the reactivity increases in the above order)
Source: Rasaarnavam 7/97
FLAME TEST
तारे सिता प्रभा ।
शुल्बे नीलनिभा तीक्ष्णे
कृष्णवर्णा सुरेश्वरी ॥
वङ्गे ज्वाला कपोताभा
नागे मलिनधूमका ।
शैले तु धूसरा देवी
आयसे कपिला प्रभा ॥
अयस्कान्ते धूम्रवर्णा
सस्यके लोहिता भवेत् ।
वज्रे नानाविधा ज्वाला
खसत्त्वे पाण्डुरप्रभा ॥
The colour of the flame can be explained as follows for gold: yellow, silver: white, copper: blue, wrought iron: blackish, tin: pigeon colour (ash), zinc: dirty +smoky colour, silicon: white, iron: blackish, iron oxide: brownish, mercury: reddish and diamond: variety of colour and mica: white colour
Source: Rasaarnavam 4/51
THREE TYPES OF IRON
त्रिप्रकारमयः स्मृतम् ॥
There are three types of iron: Cast iron (Munda loha), Wrought iron (Theekshana loha) and Carbon steel (Kaantha loha)
Source: Rasaratna samucchayam 5/69
ALPHA AND BETA TIN
द्विविधं वङ्गमुच्यते ।
खुरकं तत्र गुणैः श्रेष्ठं
मिश्रकं न हितं मतम् ॥
धवलं मृदुलं स्निग्धं
द्रुतद्रावं सगौरवम् ।
निःशब्दं खुरवङ्गं स्यात्
मिश्रकं श्यामशुभ्रकम् ॥
There are two types of tin known as Khurkam (beta tin) and Misrakam (alpha tin) the beta tin is better in quality and the other one is of low grade and the former is white, soft flexible, low melting, denser and without metallic sound and the Misrakam is blackish white in colour and said to be not acceptable
Source: Rasaratna samucchayam 5/153-154 5
EXPLANATION OF LEAD
च्छेदे कृष्णसमुज्ज्वलम् ।
पूतिगन्धं बहिः कृष्णं
शुद्धं सीसं अथान्यथा ॥
Lead is dense metal having low melting point, when cut, the surface gives black lustre. It has obnoxious odour and black in colour, when exposed to air.
Source: Rasaratna samucchayam 5/170
EXPLANATION OF ZINC METAL
मृदुलं निर्मलं तथा ।
द्रुतद्रावं महाभारं
यसदं ग्राह्यमुच्यते ॥
The zinc metal has shining, moistened lustre when cut. It is soft in physical nature, pure in look having low melting point and denser.
Source: Rasatharangini 19/95
ALPHA & BETA BRASS
द्विविधं पित्तलं भवेत् ।
संतप्ता काञ्जिके क्षिप्ता
ताम्राभा रीतिका मता ॥
एवं प्रजायते कृष्णा
काकतुण्डेति सा मता ॥
There are two types of brass: Reethikaa and Kaakathundee. When dipped in the boiled rice gruel, the Reethikaa type brass gives copper colour and the other one gives black colour
Source: Rasendra choodaamani 14/154
BRONZE
द्विभाग खुरकेन च ।
विद्रुतेन भवेत्कांस्यं
तत्सौराष्ट्रभवं शुभम् ॥
When eight parts by weight of coper is alloyed with two parts by weight of tin, the bronze is obtained, the brone produced in Sourashtra is said to be best in quality
Source: Rasaratna samucchayam 5/205
A SPECIAL METAL USED FOR MEASURING UV & VISIBLE RAYS
धौम्य द्वादासकं ठथा
नीलञ्जनं षोडसंसं
चर्विमसंसाकं रुरो: १.
जम्वलिकास्थि दशकं
सरकारश्कमेव च
चूर्दसम्सं सुथस्य
नवंसं गैर्कस्य च
वरतिका पचकं च
तत्थथ भगानुसारथ: १.
एतान सम्योज्य मुशायम्
सम्पूर्य विधिवत् क्रमाथ
शद्विमसमथ्युत्थरा पञ्चसथा
कक्ष्योष्णमानाथः १.
गालायिथ्वाथ यन्त्रास्ये
सेचयेथ अधिवेगथा: १.
च्चाया प्रभविभजकका
लोहस्याल क्रुथक स्था:
Graphite (Anjaneekam) 10 parts, ammonium chloride (Dhaumya) 12 parts, Antimony Sulphide (Nilanjana) 16 parts, ash of the bones of deer (Ruruka) 16 parts, ash of Jambalika animal (Jambalika kshara) 10 parts, Silicon dioxide (Sarakara) 9 parts, Mercury (Suta) 5 parts, Ferric oxide (Gairika) 9 parts, Calcium Carbonate 5 parts are mixed and heated to 526 degree to get the “Cchayaprabhavibhajaka loha”.
Source: Yanthra sarvaswam of Bharadvaja Maharishi (109th yanthra)
Courtesy: Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan, Indian Institute of Scientific Heritage