RASARATNĀKARA

#(RASĀYANAKHAṆḌA)
#BY
#NITYANĀTHA SIDDHA

Printed by
JAYA KRISHNA DAS GUPTA,
Vidya Vilas Press, Benares City.
1939.

Preface

The Rasaratnākara Ocean of Mercury/Essence, composed by the venerable Nityanātha Siddha, is divided into five sections known as Rasakhaṇḍa Section on Mercury, Rasendrakhaṇḍa Section on the Lord of Mercury, Vādikhaṇḍa Section on Alchemy/Debate, Rasāyanakhaṇḍa Section on Elixirs/Chemistry, and Mantrakhaṇḍa Section on Incantations. As stated by the author himself at the beginning of the text: "This science, consisting of five sections, is dear and beneficial to practitioners. In the Rasendrakhaṇḍa, there is mercury for physicians and the afflicted; in the Vādikhaṇḍa, there is alchemy for debaters; in the Rasāyana elixir, there is rejuvenation for the elderly; and in the Mantrakhaṇḍa, there is the perfection of mercury for those who use mantras." Among these, the Rasakhaṇḍa and Rasendrakhaṇḍa have been printed in Kolkata and Mumbai, but the three sections Vādikhaṇḍa, Rasāyanakhaṇḍa, and Mantrakhaṇḍa have remained unprinted. Recognizing that among the unpublished sections, the Rasāyanakhaṇḍa is useful for the treatments of physicians, it is being published first.

The remaining two sections will be published in this series in due course. In this section, two sciences are presented: the science of rejuvenation (rasāyana) and the science of aphrodisiacs (vājīkaraṇa). Many new formulas are also visible here. For example, the bālukāmīna-prayoga sand-fish preparation mentioned here is a new addition to Indian medical texts, even though it has been famous among Yavana (Unani) physicians for a long time under the name "Samak-ul-Sada-Regamahi" original: "समक उल सेदा-रेगमाही"*. Although there is exaggeration in this book when describing the secrets of rejuvenation and aphrodisiac formulas, such as "one's lifespan will increase by a day" or "one will enjoy the company of women," this is merely rhetorical; nevertheless, the life-extending and aphrodisiac qualities of these preparations should be acknowledged. There is no evidence available to determine which region Sri Nityanātha Siddha adorned with his birth. It is estimated that this Nityanātha Siddha lived in the 12th century AD because his name is mentioned in the Rasaratnasamuccaya by Rasavāgbhaṭa. However, the opinion of historians is that Vāgbhaṭa, the author of Rasaratnasamuccaya, lived in the 13th century AD†. For the purification of this text, two manuscripts were obtained: one from my friend in Mumbai, Vaidya Damodar Vithal Damankar, and the second from my friend in Vadodara, Amrit Vinayak Jambekar. During the editing process, the first was designated as 'Ka' and the second as 'Kha'. Even though efforts have been made to edit this text to the best of my ability, if any errors due to oversight are found, learned people should correct them and inform us.

—Yādavaśarma

• From this, it is inferred that Nityanātha Siddha lived after the establishment of Yavana rule in India. The time of the establishment of Yavana rule in India was 1114 AD.
  † See History of Hindoo Chemistry Vol. I. Introduction Page 89. & Vol. II. Pages 222-23.