Indian Alchemy
Paulianda
Griffith
Keywords: Alchemy
rasa mercury Rasankusi
jivanmukti Tantric Siva
Rasarvana (Ocean of Mercury)
Tantric alchemy is a very complex and a well-established tradition in India.
The main goal of Indian Alchemy is to purify the impure mercuric sulfide that
is associated with the vital juice of the god Siva into its pure form. Upon reaching this goal the alchemist then
ingests this fluid to become a second Siva.2 The alchemist must perform a set of rites
using mantras as tools of thought to become spiritually ready to ingest the
semen of the god Siva.2
Tantric alchemy concerns itself
primarily with alchemical production of an elixir of immortal life to realize
its supreme goals of bodily immortality (jivanmukti), supernatural power
(siddhi), and being in a state identical to Siva.1 These
goals are not a realization without divine grace which implies human addition
of devotion (bhakti).2 Although the tradition emphasizes
ritual forms of devotion (puja) other forms of devotion are also
important. Ritual practices may include
the use of geometric diagrams (yantras) and powerful formulas (mantras)
to reach a state of divine grace.
Alchemists offer devotion and worship to a linga (phallus),
which is the emblem of the Hindu god Siva.
Tantric alchemists associate mercury (rasa) fluid metal with
Siva's semen. Alchemists believe that
Siva's semen spills onto the Earth after a lovemaking session with his consort
Rasankusi-Bhairavi. The mercury then
becomes impure while on the Earth. The goal of alchemists is to purify the
mercury and then ingests it as means to be transformed into an immortal
superman or a second Siva.1 Modern
day practice of this system is found in different parts of India.
III.
Authority
Structure
a. Source and Criteria of Valid Knowledge
The myths that explain the origins of the minerals from divine bodily
fluids provide a fundamental source of knowledge for tantric alchemy. Other important
validations of knowledge include the Rasarnava
(Ocean of Mercury), which describes in detail various rituals and rites
performed by tantric alchemist. The Rasarnava is one of the most important
textual sources for tantric alchemy and has
existed since the eleventh century. In
the Rasarvana Parvati, Devi, and
Bhariravi who are all goddess who ask Siva questions about alchemy and he
answers their many inquiries. Therefore the Rasarvana
is considered a tantric text because the entire text is written in a dialogue
format like other tantras.1 These tantric aspects of the Rasarvana explains why the tradition is
named tantric alchemy.
b. Methods of Inquiry
Through the use of mantra’s
“tools of thought” the tantric practitioner empowers himself to manipulate the
divinities.2 The Rasarvana identifies Rasesvara’s (Siva’s) mantra as
aghora of Svacchanda Bhairava. The mantra of the goddess Rasankusi, Siva’s
consort is rasankusa. Alchemists also
use an array of other mantras such as pranvava,
so’ham hams, aghora, mrtyunjaya, kali mantra and etc. Divinization of the alchemist’s body
involves two important components, initiation (diksa) and worship. Overall
initiation requires a teacher to confirm a disciple to be capable of following
a tantric path. Worship implies one has
identified themselves with the divines, in order that they may worship
themselves.2 The key to both
aspects, initiation and worship, are mantras that affect the transformation of
the alchemist’s body.
Preparation of the body, which
is the alchemical laboratory, demonstrates how different mantras are
utilized. The preparation is called bhutasuddhi (purification of the elements).
The Rasarvana first describes
the fifth element space, which is also called the fifth house. In the laboratory each element or fifth
house is arranged like the arms of a cross with the fifth house placed in the
middle.2 Considered a substance of sound the fifth element is also
called hamas mantra, where the siddhi
stands. The alchemist erects Rasankusi
at this central point through a series of mantras.
The first step the practitioner
takes involves the repetition of the mantra called the mercurial goad one
hundred thousand times at the doorkeeper at the beginning of worship. Next, is the employment of the kalapasha
mantra, which entails taking up dung of a calf and using it to ritually prepare
the worship site. 2 By worshipping the goddess Kubjika, the
practitioner empowers a brush, which he then employs to sweep the site. The alchemical student then smears the
dung all over the laboratory while repeating the mantras Candaghanta and
Candabhairavi. Lastly, the practitioner sprinkles the site with water while
employing the mantra Candakapalini. The purpose of these three mantras
Candaghanta, Candabhairavi, and Candakapalini is to further purify the
laboratory by uttering praises to Hindu goddesses. 2 The worship of different gods and goddesses
suggests the intimate relationship the ambitious students must have the divine
being in order to proceed to become a divine being himself.
After
finishing this complicated ritual the alchemist’s body and laboratory are
completely pure. The alchemist then
proceeds to consecrate each alchemical instrument with a particular mantra
until all instruments are pure. At this
point the alchemist is ready to begin the life cycle of rites that will allow
him to become a second Siva.2 The actual initiation (diksa) process is not discussed in
White's text but is certainly alluded to in tantric texts. This suggests that the details of initiation
(diksa) maybe were too secret to be
recorded very clearly in writing and mostly likely were explained by a teacher
orally. In the Rasarvana verse
54 states "first, one should, with a purified inner soul, propitiate one's
guru. Once the guru is satisfied, the rays of light emanating from his teaching
bestow upon one the secret doctrine." 1 We have already seen how the alchemist
purifies his inner soul through the use of mantras but his next step is then to
"propitiate" his guru (teacher). The "secret doctrine" must
be the well-respected knowledge that only the guru can pass on to his student
orally.
c. Institutions and Professional Structure
It
is clear that only persons who are truly pure and have performed the rituals
mentioned above can ingests mercury and hope to become immortal. The Rasarvana
states that "the slow-minded person how performs alchemical practice
without out taking a guru meets with no success. His acts are like the money one
makes in dreams." 1 The guru is essential to one who wished to
practice tantric alchemy. Therefore the tradition limits the abuse of ignorant
persons trying to accomplish immortality without the assistance of a learned
alchemist. Contrastingly, " he who performs acts that have been
taught by the guru meets with success at every step." 1 There
is a clear demarcation of who can and cannot attempt to realize the goals of
alchemy with success. The disciple and teacher are only men, which clearly
verify that women are not involved in this tradition. Women can be assistants to the alchemist by providing her
menstrual blood for cleansing of the impure mercury but there are not other
roles for women.2
IV.
History
It is believed that alchemy in India
started somewhere between 500 A.D. and 1000A.D.3 Mahdihassan asserts in his book that alchemy
is the art of rejuvenation using mercurials and that Rasayana is the generic
term for art of rejuvenation. Mahdihassan suggest that the physician Charaka mentions
drugs as a means to rejuvenation in his work. 3 Vagbhatta, another
master of Indian medicine who lived around 800 A.D. divided medicine into eight
different components. The two that are
of interest to Indian alchemy are Rasayana-Tantra of the doctrine of elixirs
and Vajikarana-Tantra of the doctrine of aphrodisiacs. The Rasayana-Tantra is confirmed by Charaka
and Vaghatta, to be geriatric although it is first classified as a doctrine of
rejuvenation. Later in history Alberuni
speaks of this system (Rasayana-Tantra) as a “well organized system in India”.5 Therefore later writers about Indian
alchemy, such as Sir P.C. Rays, use
Alberuni as a primary source for information.
Alberuni lived in India between
1017 to 1030 A.D. and during this time he found that Hindus had a science
called Rasayana. 4 The main
principles of this science are to restore help of those who were ill beyond
hope, give back youth to the elderly, and restore the capacity of juvenile
agility.5 Alberuni also discusses briefly that “calcination and
sublimation inclined towards mineralogical method of alchemy”.5 In Aberuni's India, Alberuni
discusses the author Nagarjuna who wrote a book about alchemy about one hundred
years prior to Alberuni's arrival in India.
This allusion to Nagarjuna in Alberuni's work asserts the existence of alchemy
in India during the tenth century but the exact date cannot be fixed.
V.
Representative
Example of Argumentation
The best way to look at a
representative example of argumentation is to look at one of the myths in which
a divine bodily fluid arrives on the earth.
These myths are persuasive because they make reference to geographical
place in India. These myths are very
old (having been passed down orally for many generations in India) and
therefore deemed as divine truths. In White’s book he discusses how cinnabar (darada), mercuric sulfide, reaches the
Earth. ‘In a hidden cave in the
Himalayas, Siva and his consort Pravati were engaged in love-play. The gods came to plead with Siva that he
create Skanda to fight the demon Taraka, who was trying to take over the
universe. While Siva and Pravati were
hidden away trying to generate a son, Agni (Fire) peeked through the window to
see them. After seeing Agni, Siva,
filled with shame released his seed.
The seed was blinding in its brilliance fell into the mouth of
Fire. Agni unable to keep the heat of
seed in his mouth spit it into the waters of the goddess Ganga (the Ganges
River). The goddess was also unable to
bear the heat of the seed and pushed it upon her shores, where, Skanda was
born. In the spot where Agni had spit out the seed onto the river, it burrowed
to the ground to form five wells of mercury, which were 900 miles in
depth. It is here that the semen of
Siva is found in the form of mercury.2
The
gods were able to drink this semen in heaven and enjoy immortality but soon
they realized that they did not want humans to have this same power of
immortality. They then begged Siva to
make the mercury impure so humans could not become immortal. 2 This
explains the variety of different colors of mercury that are found all over the
world today. There are five different
wells but the most important well exists in the northern well, where the
mercury is red and considered the purest.
This is where the tantric alchemist retrieves all his supply of impure
mercury that he then attempts to turn into its pure form or Siva’s semen. Also another important mode of argumentation
would be the use of tantric text which I describe in section III. c above.
VI.
Comparative Scales
(1..5)
a.
Relative
emphasis on tradition authority...or the testimony of experience.
The system of tantric alchemy would fall closer to the emphasis of
tradition of authority so I would give it a 2.
The system relies very heavily on secret rites and rituals that are done
upon the direction of a teacher but it also important to note that tantric text
present themselves as divine revelations. The testimony of experience is
impossible since if the alchemist accomplishes is goal of become a second Siva
he move on to another life therefore leaving his dead body.
b.
Relative
centralization of authority… decentralization (individual inquiry)
The authority of this system lies in the hands of the gurus and their
apprentice alchemist so I would give it a 4.
Their authorities are passed down orally through the guru along with
some reference to alchemical texts therefore authority relies heavily on one
person.
c.
Mainly
spiritual or moral objectives… or pragmatic aims (healings, predictions)
The systems ultimate goal is to impart the properties of an inorganic
substance into and organic substance so I would give it a 3. Tantric alchemy falls in the middle because
it also relies on the worship of various goddesses and gods to reach a state where
the alchemist is spiritually ready to be transformed.
d.
Most power or
agency reserved for a divine being… or realizable in individuals.
The tantric alchemy places its power first in the god Siva and then in
the rituals and rites that will then allow the alchemist to become a second
Siva. The rating for tantric alchemy
for this section would be a 3.
Annotated Bibliography
Primary Sources
(1) White, Gordon David “The Ocean of Mercury,” in Religions of India
in Practice Princeton Press, 1995,
pp. 281-287.
These sources help me to understand the basic principles of Indian
alchemy. It also had exerts from the text the Rasarnava with general
comments about the verses and what they implied.
(5) Alberuni. Alberuni's India.
Translated by Edward C. Sachau. New York:
W.W. Norton & Company,
Inc., 1971.
This source was very useful for verifying dates found in source four
which seemed to be very confusing. It also clarified the purposes associated
with alchemy during the eleventh century and how an outsider (Alberuni) perceived science in India during
this time period.
Secondary Sources
(2)
White, Gordon
David. The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India, The Universtiy of Chicago Press, Chicago,
1996.
This source is where I got most of my information from although it was
very difficult to understand and had many Indian words in it. The text is very
detailed and assumes that a reader will read from cover to cover. It is better to use this source after having
a general understanding of tantric alchemy.
(3)
Mahdihassan,
S. Indian Alchemy or Rasayana: In
Light of Asceticism Geriatrics, Vikas Publishing House PVT LTD, New Delhi,
1979.
This reference provided information about the history of alchemy as
related to geriatrics. The book was
also was self-explanatory and it did not have as many Indian words, which
helped to make it a useful source.