Some Remarks on Kaṟpam Preparations in the Medico-Alchemical Literature of the Tamil Siddhas PDF
Preview Some Remarks on Kaṟpam Preparations in the Medico-Alchemical Literature of the Tamil Siddhas
History of Science in South Asia Ajournalforthehistoryofallformsofscientificthoughtandaction,ancientandmodern,inallregionsofSouthAsia Special issue: Transmutations: Rejuvenation, Longevity, and Immortality Practices in South and Inner Asia Edited by Dagmar Wujastyk, Suzanne Newcombe, and Christèle Barois Mastering Deathlessness: Some Remarks on Kaṟpam Preparations in the Medico-Alchemical Literature of the Tamil Siddhas IlonaBarbaraKędzia JagiellonianUniversity MLAstylecitationform: IlonaBarbaraKędzia. “MasteringDeathlessness: SomeRemarksonKaṟpamPre- parationsintheMedico-AlchemicalLiteratureoftheTamilSiddhas.” HistoryofScienceinSouthAsia, 5.2 (2017):121–142. doi:10.18732/hssa.v5i2.16. Onlineversionavailableat:http://hssa-journal.org HISTORYOFSCIENCEINSOUTHASIA Ajournalforthehistoryofallformsofscientificthoughtandaction,ancientandmodern,inall regionsofSouthAsia,publishedonlineathttp://hssa-journal.org ISSN2369-775X EditorialBoard: • DominikWujastyk,UniversityofAlberta,Edmonton,Canada • KimPlofker,UnionCollege,Schenectady,UnitedStates • DhruvRaina,JawaharlalNehruUniversity,NewDelhi,India • SreeramulaRajeswaraSarma,formerlyAligarhMuslimUniversity,Düsseldorf,Germany • FabrizioSpeziale,UniversitéSorbonneNouvelle–CNRS,Paris,France • MichioYano,KyotoSangyoUniversity,Kyoto,Japan Publisher: HistoryofScienceinSouthAsia PrincipalContact: DominikWujastyk,Editor,UniversityofAlberta Email:⟨[email protected]⟩ MailingAddress: HistoryofScienceinSouthAsia, DepartmentofHistoryandClassics, 2–81HMToryBuilding, UniversityofAlberta, Edmonton,AB,T6G2H4 Canada Thisjournalprovidesimmediateopenaccesstoitscontentontheprinciplethatmakingresearch freelyavailabletothepublicsupportsagreaterglobalexchangeofknowledge. 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Mastering Deathlessness: Some Remarks on Kaṟpam Preparations in the Medico-Alchemical Literature of the Tamil Siddhas IlonaBarbaraKędzia JagiellonianUniversity This paper aims at presenting remarks about the practices oriented towards rejuvenation, longevity and even immortality described in Tamil Siddha medico-alchemicalliterature.1 Thosemedico-alchemicalpracticesrelatemainly to the use of certain substances and preparations for internal and external ap- plicationcalledkaṟpam.2 Thisessaydescribesandexminesseveralselectedsub- stances and procedures, such as the use of black herbs (karumūlikai), the ”triple salt” (muppu), the ”tied salt” (kaṭṭuppu), mercury (iracam) and urine (amuri) re- lated to kaṟpam therapy, along with the effects ascribed to the kaṟpam prepara- tionsinTamilSiddhaliterature. Asobservedintheexaminedpassages,kaṟpam therapies seem to be closely connected with the discipline of yoga in medico- alchemicaltexts. Theaffinitybetweenthepurposeofmedico-alchemicalprepar- ationsontheoneside,andofyogicpracticesontheother,suchasthestabilisation andpreservationofthephysicalbody, aswellasthesynergyofthemethodsof bothdisciplinesstatedbythemedico-alchemicalTamilSiddhaliteraturesuggest acloserelationbetweenSiddhamedicine,alchemyandyoga. The chronology of Tamil Siddha medico-alchemical literature remains un- certain,duetothelackofcriticalandcomprehensivestudiesdonesofar. Often scholarsdatetextsthataretraditionallyacceptedasauthoritativeworksofTamil 1 The medico-alchemical stream of Tamil medical Tamil Siddha literature see, e.g., Siddhaliteratureisoneofthefewcategories Buck 1976; Venkatraman 1990; Zvelebil ofSiddhatextsrecognizedbyscholars. On 1993;Meenakshi1996. the classification of the Tamil Siddhas and 2 ThetermkaṟpamistheTamilizedversion theirliteraturesee,e.g.,Venkatraman1990; of the Sanskrit word kalpa, ”proceed- Ganapathy 1993:22–24; Zvelebil 1993:17– ing”, ”rule”, ”treatment”, ”medicinal 19, 2003:19–20. On the content of non- compound.” history of science in south asia 5.2 (2017) 121–142 122 mastering deathlessness Siddhamedico-alchemicalliteraturetotheperiodstartingfromthe15th–16thcen- tury onwards. However, the material contained in them most probably derives fromearliercenturies.3 Atthesametime,itisalsoprobablethatthetextsinclude large interpolations of recent origin. It is estimated that the number of Tamil Siddha medico-alchemical texts encompasses hundreds of works preserved on palm-leaf manuscripts, only some of which have been printed so far. The texts arescatteredandunorganizedanditisassumedthatthevastamountofmanu- scriptsstillremainsinprivatehands.4 1. SOURCES ThisessayisbasedonthereadingofselectedTamilSiddhamedico-alchemical texts. ThetextmostwidelycitedhereisthePōkarKaṟpaviti(PKV)5bySiddha Pōkar.6 Itisalmostentirelydedicatedtoprescriptionsfordrugscalledkaṟpam. It consistsof342stanzasdividedintoninety-foursmallsubsections,eachofwhich deals with a particular topic, often with a particular prescription. The text in majorpartcontains practicalrecipesforpreparationswithherbal, animal, min- eral and metallic ingredients. Prescriptions usually provide lists of ingredients and a general description for the method of preparation, some of them also list the diseases against which the preparation can be used, as well as other effects 3 See, e.g., Scharfe 1999:609–612; Weiss 6 Inscholarlypublicationsothertranscrip- 2009:48–50;Zysk2013:182–183. tions of the Tamil name ”Pōkar” are also 4 See Venkatraman 1990:15; Zvelebil used,suchas”Pōgar”,”Bōgar”or”Bhōgar.” 2003:139. Recently,aprojectentitled”Con- ”Pōkar” is a Tamil name which derives servation,DocumentationandPreservation fromtheSanskritnounbhoga,”enjoyment”, of the Knowledge of Siddha Medicine” ”eating”,”pleasure”,”wealth.”TheSiddha headed by Brigitte Sébastia and supported calledPōkar,consideredtobetheauthorof by the British Library, was carried out at thetext,isahighly-esteemedfigureamong theFrenchInstituteofPondicherry(IFP)in traditional Siddha practitioners. However, order to preserve, catalogue and digitise it is possible that among Tamil Siddhas extant Siddha manuscripts. One of the there were several authors with the name aimsoftheprojectwastoputthedigitised ”Pōkar” (see Venkatraman 1990:65). The manuscripts online on the website of the most famous one probably could be re- British Library (see the project website, gardedtheauthorofthemonumentalwork Sébastia2015–2017). Captakāṇṭam (”Seven Chapters”), in which 5 Ihaveusedtheeditionofthetextwiththe marvellous,andsometimesphantasmagor- commentary edited by Citta maruttuva il- ical,journeysundertakenbytheauthorwith akkiya ārāycci āvaṇattuṟai, citta maruttuva theuseofmercurialpillsaredescribed. On maiya ārāycci nilaiyam in Chennai on the the biography and works of Siddha Pōkar basis of the palm leaf manuscripts collec- see,e.g.,Ganapathy2003;Little2006;Nata- tedattheMaharajaSerfoji’sSaraswatiMa- rajan2009;Kędzia2017. halLibraryinThanjavur. history of science in south asia 5.2 (2017) 121–142 ilona barbara kędzia 123 of the drugs. In this essay, I also refer to the works of other Siddhas that elab- orate on the subjects relevant for the present study that are not discussed ad- equatelyin the text of Pōkar. Those texts include twoworks ascribed toSiddha Akastiyar,7 namely the Kuru Nūl Muppu 50 (KNM), consisting of 49 stanzas, and the Kaṟpa Muppu Kuru Nūl 100 (KMKN), consisting of 103 stanzas. Both texts deal mostly with ”triple salt” (muppu), and they provide recipes for some kaṟpam preparations as well. Yet another Siddha whose works have been used forthepresentresearchisYākōpualiasIrāmatēvar,8theprolificauthorofatleast seventeen works,9 which are highly esteemed and used as manuals by contem- porary Siddha doctors, especially with regard to metallic preparations.10 Cita- 7 Akastiyar is traditionally considered to originally called ”Irāmatēvar” in several be the founder of the Tamil Siddha med- passages in his texts, and provides a story icalsystem. Heisclaimedtobetheauthor about the origin of his family, which of more than two hundred texts in Tamil belongstoalineageofwarriors. According (see Zvelebil 1993:32). According to the to autobiographical accounts contained in common view, he is credited with found- his texts, Irāmatēvar travelled to Mecca in ing the first Sangam and with composing search of alchemical knowledge. There he the first grammar of the Tamil Language convertedtoIslam,underwentcircumcision (SivarajaPillai1930:36–38).However,ithas and received the Muslim name ”Yākōpu.” beenindicatedbyT.P.Meenakshisundaran On the life of Yākōpu, see Natarajan 2004; that the language of the medical writings Venkatraman1990:63–64;Kędzia2017. of Akastiyar cannot be older than the fif- 9 Yākōpu is credited with seventeen texts, teenth century (T. P. Meenakshisundaran, claimedtobecomposedafterhisconversion quoted by Zvelebil 2003:71). It is also to Islam. The list of his texts, provided by highly dubious that a single person com- Ji. Irāmacāmik Kōṉ, the general publisher posed all of the works ascribed to Akasti- of Yākōpu’s works, includes the follow- yar. According to Zvelebil, in the medi- ing titles: Vaittiya Cintāmaṇi Eḻunūṟu, Kur- evalandmodernTamiltradition,severalau- unūl Aimpatti Aintu, Cuṇṇakkāṇṭam Aṟun- thorsofthesamename(withsomevariants, ūṟu, Cuṇṇam Munnūṟu, Centūra Cūsti[ram] such as ”Agastya”, ”Akattiyaṉ”, ”Akatti- Nūṟṟu Aimpatu, Cūstiram Aimpatti Aintu, yar”) have been merged into one single Vakārak Kaḷaṅku Munnūṟu, Pañcamittiram personagecreditedwithsomesupernatural Munnūṟu, Taṇṭakam Nūṟṟu Pattu, Cūstiram characteristics(seeZvelebil1992:235–261.). AimpattiAintu,IṭaipākamPatiṉāṟu,Ceypākam Thename”Akastiyar”isaTamilversionof Patiṉāṟu, Vaitya Vātacūstiram Nāṉūṟu, Vait- Sanskrit”Agastya”,thenameoftherevered tiyamMunnūṟu. Tothislistthetextentitled Vedic sage, whose figure is well attested Kallāṭam, traditionally ascribed to Yākōpu, in the Sanskrit literature, starting from the isalsoadded(seeVaiCin:2). Moreover,be- Ṛgveda. See ”Agastya” in Macdonell and fore his travel to Mecca, Irāmatēvar may Keith1912:6–7. havealsocomposedafewtexts,forexample 8 Siddha Yākōpu probably lived between CivayōkamIrunūṟu(seeNatarajan2004:258). the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries 10 PersonalcommunicationfromDrKavia- (Natarajan 2004:257). However, Venkat- rasuBalakrishnan,traditionalSiddhaprac- ramanplaceshisworksinthelaterperiod, titioner. According to Dr Balakrishnan, i.e., between the seventeenth and the Yākōpu’sworksaretheprominentworkson eighteenthcentury(Venkatraman1990:63). alchemyoftheTamilSiddhatradition. The author introduces himself as a person history of science in south asia 5.2 (2017) 121–142 124 mastering deathlessness tions from the Cuṇṇakkaṇṭam 600 (CuṇKaṇ),11 consisting of 605 stanzas, which providemanyrecipesrelatedtocuṇṇam12 preparations,aswellasfromtheVait- tiya Kallāṭam (VK),13 which is especially interesting with regard to its language as it contains manifold riddles, were the most relevant for the present paper. The Ñāṉakaṟpam 222 (ÑK) of Siddha Pulastiyar has also been referred to.14 As indicated by the title, the text consists of 222 stanzas, and concerns subjects re- latedtomedicine,alchemyandyoga. Iwillalsorefertoanimportantoldertext thatisusuallynotincludedamongthemedico-alchemicalliteratureoftheTamil Siddhas,namelytheTirumantirambyTirumūlar15 (twelfthcentury)16. TheTiru- mantiramis often regarded as a foundational text of Tamil Siddha literature, in- cludingthemedico-alchemicalstream. Thetextconsistsofninechapterscalled tantiramthatcompriseover3000verses,anditdealswithanumberofsubjects, primarilyyogaandŚaivaphilosophy. The content of the literature of the medico-alchemical stream of the Tamil Siddha tradition covers a wide spectrum of subjects, including medicine, al- chemy,yoga,magic,etc. Thenumberandchoiceofthemescanvarysignificantly fromonetexttoanother. Thetextsoftenhavetheformofpracticalmanuals,es- peciallyforcertainmedicalandalchemicalpreparations. However,theprescrip- tions are frequently not provided with details necessary for the procedure and 11 Ihaveusedtheprintededitionprovided of the Tirumantiram. According to the withthemoderncommentary. tale, the author was a yogi who travelled 12 cuṇṇam/cuṉṉamisavarietyofdrugpre- to South India from the north. On his paredfrommetals,whiteincolourandpos- way, the yogi saw a herd of cows weeping sessingqualitiessimilartocalcium. Itisre- over the body of a cowherd called Mūlan, garded as very potent. It is obtained with who had died suddenly from a snake theuseofceyanīr(apungentliquidprepared bite. The yogi secured his own body in a byexposingthemixtureofmineralstonight safe place and, having migrated into the dew),fuller’searthandacids.Seecuṉṉamin corpse of the deceased cowherd, he led SambasivamPillai1931–1994. the cows to their home. Remaining in the 13 The Vaittiya Kallāṭam consists of three cowherd’s body, the yogi attained ”real parts, dealingwithmedicine, alchemyand knowledge”(meyñāṉam). Thenhesatdown yoga,respectively. Thefirstandthelongest in meditation for three thousand years, medical part, which has been used for composingthethreethousandversesofthe the present study, contains 53 stanzas that Tirumantiram at the rate of one verse per provide recipes for medical preparations year.SeeVenkatraman1990:46–47. againstvariousdiseases, andisaccompan- 16 The date of the Tirumantiram remains iedbyanexplanatorycommentary. uncertain. However, as demonstrated by 14 In contrast to the above-mentioned Goodall on the grounds of the conceptual Siddhas, no information about the life of content of the text, most probably it can- Siddha Pulastiyar has been found in the notbeearlierthanthetwelfthcentury. See availablesources. Goodall 1998:xxxvii-xxxix, n.85; Goodall 15 The twelfth-century text Tiruttoṇṭar- 2000:213,n.27. purāṇam recounts a story about the author history of science in south asia 5.2 (2017) 121–142 ilona barbara kędzia 125 aresometimeshardlyunderstandablewithoutacommentary,becauseofthepe- culiaresotericlanguage,whichcontainscolloquialTamilforms,crypticsymbolic expressions and ambiguous technical terms of the traditional lore. The use of thesymbolicandequivocal”twilightlanguage”(Tamil: cūṉiya-campāṣaṉai,”dis- course on the void”) is considered to be a common feature of the Siddha texts, alsobeyondtheTamiltradition. Suchlanguage,amongotherpossiblepurposes, may serve to protect the great truths of the Siddha doctrine from profanation byuninitiatedpersons. Throughtheuseofcolloquialexpressions,itmayallow persons outside the literary elite to access Siddha teachings. Symbolic expres- sions may also be used to convey mystical experiences, expression of which re- mainsbeyondtheabilitiesofordinarylanguage.17 Interestingly,inTamilSiddha medico-alchemicalliterature,evensimplerecipesagainstcommondiseasesmay be intentionally presented in a highly perplexing way. In some texts, informa- tionnecessaryforthepreparation,suchasnamesofcrucialingredients, instru- ments or doses, have been hidden in rebuses and riddles, the solving of which isfrequentlyimpossiblewithoutacommentary. Theriddlesareoftenbasedon word-playwiththeuseofsynonymouswords. Forexample,thesolutionofthe riddle ”join the mother to the beginning of lead”18 is ”clove” (ilavaṅkam), be- causewhenthesynonymouswordsoftheword”mother”(avvai),i.e.,ila,19isad- dedtothebeginningoftheword”lead”(vaṅkam), thewordilavaṅkam(”clove”) will be obtained. Another example is based on the simily between Tamil let- ters and numbers: ”add the mother (tāy) to the eighty (eṇpatu)”.20 In the Tamil system of writing, the numerals ”8” and ”0” of number ”80” have a very sim- ilar shape to the letters ”a” and ”ya.” If we add yet another synonymous word for”mother”,i.e.,kāntai(”wife”,”woman”)tothecluster”a+ya”,weobtainthe wordayakkāntai,whichisalmostidenticalwithayakkāntam,i.e.,theTamilSiddha termforlodestone.21 Theuseofsuchanenigmaticlanguageisalsofoundineso- tericyogictextswhichcontainpassagesconcerningspiritualpracticesaimedat obtaining liberation. One remarkable example of such esoteric passages is the wholeseventeenthchapteroftheninthsection(tantiram)oftheTirumantiramen- titled cūṉiya-campāṣaṉai (”Discourse on the void”) or maṟaiporuṭ kūṟṟu (”Speech 17 SeeGanapathy2004: 3–6. Tamilnumeralsandthelettersismorecom- 18 VK:32:3 […]vaṅkamuta lavvaic cērttuc monintheTamilSiddhatradition,alsobey- […]. ondthemedico-alchemicalstream. Onere- 19 The word used in ancient times in ad- markable example is number ”82” which dressingawomaninafamiliarmanner.See has an important meaning for the Tamil ilaintheUniversityofMadras’sTamilLex- Siddhars. Numbers”8”and”2”lookvery icon(1924–1936). similartoTamilletters”a”and”u”, sothe 20 VK:49:[…]eṇpatoṭutāyaicērttu[…] number ”82” is used to denote the sacred 21 This method of encoding, based on the syllable”aum.” similarity between the visual form of the history of science in south asia 5.2 (2017) 121–142 126 mastering deathlessness onsecretsense”). Thechapterconsistsofseventystanzascomposedinsymbolic and highly ambiguous language and it concerns yogic practices which aim at liberation.22 Theviewthatrejuvenationandlonglifecanbeachievedthroughcertainprac- ticesiswell-attestedinTamilSiddhamedico-alchemicalliterature. Moreover,in some texts it is also suggested that some preparations and therapies may even bestowimmortality.23 Nonetheless,theconceptofimmortalityisnotelaborated in the consulted medico-alchemical texts. From the context, it may be inferred that immortality, as conceived by the medico-alchemical Siddha writers, is re- latedtothepreservationofaprosperous,youthfulandhandsomephysicalbody, whichisoftensuggestedtobetheresultoftheapplicationofthedescribedpre- parations. In the consulted texts, it is not explicitly stated what the aim of the attainmentofsuchabodyis. Thepursuitofanimmortalbodyfoundinmedico- alchemicaltextsmayindicatealinkbetweenyogaandmedicinewithintheTamil Siddhatradition. Bodilyimmortalityandthepreservationofyouthfulnessarere- peatedlystatedtobearesultofyogicpracticesintheTirumantiram. Theauthor claims that both the body and the soul are equally important and interdepend- ent entities, and the body is considered to be indispensable for achieving ”true knowledge” (meyñāṉam) leading to liberation.24 This view, although not expli- citly stated in medico-alchemical texts, may underlie the practices described in themaswell. 2. RECIPES FOR REJUVENATION, LONGEVITY AND IMMORTALITY Inmedico-alchemicalliterature,itiskaṟpamtherapythatiswidelyrecommen- dedtoachieverejuvenation,longevityandthepowertoremaindeathless: Ihavetold[you]aboutthekaṟpampreparationswhichhavethepower to[keepaperson]alivewithoutdying.25 22 TM:2826–2895. tectingthebody”. 23 Seee.g.,VK:53;PKV:328. uṭampāraḻiyiluyirāraḻivar 24 TM:704–705 ”If the owner of a body tiṭampaṭameynāṉancēravumāṭṭār perishes,thentheownerofthesoulwillper- uṭampaivaḷarkkumupāyamaṟintē ish[too].Hewillnotachieverealknowledge uṭampaivaḷarttēṉuyirvaḷarttēṉē withcertainty. Havinglearntthemeansfor uṭampiṉaimuṉṉamiḻukkeṉṟiruntēṉ cultivating the body, I have cultivated the uṭampiṉukkuḷḷēyuṟuporuḷkaṇṭēṉ body and [therefore] indeed I have cultiv- uṭampuḷēuttamaṉkōyilkoṇṭāṉeṉṟu ated[my]soul. PreviouslyIconsideredthe uṭampiṉaiyāṉiruntōmpukiṉṟēṉē. bodytobeinferior[tothesoul]. [Then]in 25 PKV:328:1 māḷātē irukkavallō kaṟpañ the body I saw the wealth. Knowing that coṉṉēṉ Godset[his]templeinthisbody,Iampro- history of science in south asia 5.2 (2017) 121–142 ilona barbara kędzia 127 Recipes for kaṟpam drugs are found in numerous medico-alchemical texts. However,asindicatedbyA.ShanmugaVelan,noneofthetextspresentsthecom- pletelineofthetreatment.26 Somepassagessuggestthatcertainherbsalonemay serveasapowerfulkaṟpam.27 Siddhatextsfrequentlymentionextraordinaryre- juvenating powers of kaṟpam plants. It is often repeated that kaṟpam herbs pos- sessnotonlyrejuvenatingandhealingproperties,butthattheyarealsopower- ful catalysts in alchemical operations, effecting ”binding” (kaṭṭu) operations on manymetals.28 Pōkarenumeratesforty-fivekaṟpamherbsthatarecreditedwith alchemicalpowers,includingeffectingkaṭṭuonsixty-foursubstances.29 Itisalso said that those herbs provide support for yogic practices, bestow rejuvenation andimmortalityuponthehumanbody,andallowonetowalkinthesky.30 Themajorityofkaṟpampreparationsarerecommendedtobetakeninternally. However,therearealsopreparationsprescribedtobeappliedexternally,forex- ample as an anal ointment, eye ointment, or in the bath.31 The range of kaṟpam recipesencompassbothverysimplepreparations32aswellasextremelycomplic- atedprescriptions,fulfilmentofwhichrequiresrepeatedoperationswiththeuse of special apparatuses and numerous ingredients from plant, animal, mineral andmetalkingdoms. 26 SeeVelan1992:55–56. ofthe25or26alchemical”bonds”(bandha). 27 For example, passage PKV:204–6 Eachofthebondsmayalsobeusedinmedi- ascribescertainherbstoparticularSiddhas. cine(seeWhite1996:266–67). It states that the Siddhas have lived for 29 PKV:190–94. aeons only due to the application of those 30 InIndianalchemicaltraditions,theabil- herbs. itytowalkintheskyisregardedasaskillac- 28 Kaṭṭu(”bond”)isanimportantalchem- quiredbythealchemistduetothespecially icaloperation,frequentlymentionedinthe preparedmercurialpillkeptinthemouth. texts. The operation aims at consolidating See White 1996:211–12. Stories about the the substances and rendering them heat- Siddhastravellingaroundtheworlddueto resistant (see kaṭṭu in Sambasivam Pillai thepowersofmercurialpillsarealsofound 1931–1994).Substancessubjectedtokaṭṭuof- inTamilSiddhaliterature,seee.g. worksof tenmentionedinPōkar’stextaremercury, SiddhaYākōpu,suchasVāVai:4,Cuṇ:153– metals,saltandsulphur. Kaṭṭuseemstobe 156,CuṇKaṇ:287. the art of rendering the substances stable, 31 PKV:8;9–10;5. dense,resistantandsolid.Materialsrecom- 32 For example, miḷaku kaṟpam (black pep- mendedtobeusedforeffectingthe”bond” per kaṟpam) consists of just one ingredient onthesubstancesareusuallyherbalswhich (blackpepper). Initially5peppercornsper arealsousedaskaṟpammedicines. Acoun- dayshouldbetakenwithurine. Everyfol- terpartofkaṭṭucanalsobefoundinSanskrit lowingdaythedoseshouldbeincreasedby alchemical literature. Among operations 5peppercornsuntilitreachestheamountof aimedatperfectingmercury(saṃskāra)the 100peppercornsperday. Subsequently,the operationof”binding”(bandhana)mercury dose should be reduced by 5 peppercorns isalsolisted.Thegoaloftheoperationisthe eachday(seePKV:37). fixationofthemercurywiththeuseofone history of science in south asia 5.2 (2017) 121–142 128 mastering deathlessness Themostcommonoperationinmetallickaṟpampreparationsdescribedinthe textsseemstoberoastingthedruginthepuṭam,i.e.,acapsuleconstructedwith thetwoidenticalearthenplates. Theusualsequenceofactionsinthepuṭamop- eration starts with the repeated grinding of the metals in the mortar with the juice of certain kaṟpam herbs, the choice of which depends on the metal used. Ingredientsshouldsubsequentlybeputinsidethecapsule,afterwhichaspecial lute, usually made with herbal leaves, is applied. Then, the capsule should be placedintoafireofadeterminednumberofburningcowdungpattiesandroas- ted. Usually, the whole sequence of the above-mentioned operations should be repeated several times. The products of metal processing are named after the form they obtain at the end of the puṭam operation, the most common drugs being: centūram,33 paṟpam34 and cuṉṉam/cuṇṇam.35 All three preparations are consideredtobehighlyassimilablemetalliccompounds. AmongmaterialsusedbytheSiddhasinkaṟpamtherapy,someitemsbelong- ingtoherbal,animal,mineralandmetaldomainsarecreditedwithparticularly powerfulrejuvenatingandlifeprolongingproperties: black herbs Among herbal recipes, Pōkar mentions certain kaṟpam preparations which re- quire the use of black varieties (karumūlikai) of some common medical plants, for example karantai (fragrant basil) or nelli (amla).36 Those plants are credited withmedicalpropertiesevenintheircommonform,butaccordingtotheSiddha, their black variants possess particular rejuvenating powers. Pōkar provides in- struction for cultivating such herbs.37 The preparation of a special soil appears to be crucial for their cultivation. According to the text, one should fill half of a box with a dark alluvium soil and tamp it down. The remaining volume of the box should be packed with marking nuts (cēṅkoṭṭai). Then, the soil should be watered for six months, if whole nuts were used, or for three months, if the nutswerepreviouslyhalved. Whenthenutsdecompose,thesoilshouldbeleft to dry. Next, on the soil prepared in the described way, one sows the seeds of themedicalherbs. Whenthecropripens,thenewseedsshouldbecollectedand thewholeoperationshouldberepeatedthreetimes. Pōkarclaimsthatthefourth crop will be black in colour. The text states that cultivated black herbs rejuven- atethebody,andremovewrinklesandgreyhair. Totesttheefficacyoftheblack 33 centūram – red calcined oxides. For 35 Seesupranote12.Cuṉṉammaylooksim- the varieties of centūram type of drugs see ilartopaṟpam,butitisregardedasmorepo- centūraminSambasivamPillai1931–1994. tent.SeecuṉṉaminSambasivamPillai1931– 34 paṟpam – calcined oxides, white in col- 1994. our. Forthevarietiesofpaṟpamseepaṟpam 36 karantai:PKV:62–63,nelli:PKV:128. inSambasivamPillai1931–1994. 37 PKV:198–203. history of science in south asia 5.2 (2017) 121–142
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