athētarastrividhō mr̥durmadhyastīkṣṇaśca |
taṁ cikīrṣuḥ śaradi girisānujaṁ śucirupōṣya praśastē'hani praśastadēśajātamanupahataṁ madhyamavayasaṁ mahāntamasitamuṣkakamadhivāsyāparēdyuḥ pāṭayitvā khaṇḍaśaḥ prakalpyāvapāṭya nivātē dēśē nicitiṁ kr̥tvā sudhāśarkarāśca prakṣipya tilanālairādīpayēt |
athōpaśāntē'gnau tadbhasma pr̥thaggr̥hṇīyādbhasmaśarkarāśca |
athānēnaiva vidhānēna kuṭajapalāśāśvakarṇapāribhadrakabibhītakāragvadhatilvakārkasnuhyapāmārgapāṭalānaktamālavr̥ṣakadalī- citrakapūtīkēndravr̥kṣāsphōtāśvamārakasaptacchadāgnimanthaguñjāścatasraśca kōśātakīḥ samūlaphalapatraśākhā dahēt |
tataḥ kṣāradrōṇamudakadrōṇaiḥ ṣaḍbhirālōḍya mūtrairvā yathōktairēkaviṁśatikr̥tvaḥ parisrāvya, mahati kaṭāhē śanairdarvyā'vaghaṭṭayan vipacēt |
sa yadā bhavatyacchō raktastīkṣṇaḥ picchilaśca tamādāya mahati vastrē parisrāvyētaraṁ vibhajya punaragnāvadhiśrayēt |
tata ēva kṣārōdakāt kuḍavamadhyardhaṁ vā'panayēt |
tataḥ kaṭaśarkarābhasmaśarkarākṣīrapākaśaṅkhanābhīragnivarṇāḥ kr̥tvā''yasē pātrē tasminnēva kṣārōdakē niṣicya piṣṭvā tēnaiva dvidrōṇē'ṣṭapalasammitaṁ śaṅkhanābhyādīnāṁ pramāṇaṁ prativāpya , satatamapramattaścainamavaghaṭṭayan vipacēt |
sa yathā nātisāndrō nātidravaśca bhavati tathā prayatēta |
athainamāgatapākamavatāryānuguptamāyasē kumbhē saṁvr̥tamukhē nidadhyādēṣa madhyamaḥ ||11||
ēṣa caivāpratīvāpaḥ pakvaḥ saṁvyūhimō mr̥duḥ ||12||
Meaning of the śloka
The other kind of kshara, intended for external application, is of three strengths: mild, medium and strong. The text describes its preparation as follows. In autumn, a person who is clean and has fasted selects a large, mature but not old, uninjured asita-mushkaka growing on a mountain slope in a suitable place. After the prescribed consecration, the tree is cut the next day, divided and split into pieces, and stacked in a sheltered place. Sudha stones are added, and the pile is ignited with sesame stalks. When the fire has subsided, the ash and the ash concretions are collected separately. In the same manner, kutaja, palasha, ashvakarna, paribhadraka, bibhitaka, aragvadha, tilvaka, arka, snuhi, apamarga, patala, naktamala, vrisha, kadali, chitraka, putika, indravriksha, asphota, ashvamaraka, saptacchada, agnimantha, gunja and the four kinds of koshataki are burnt together with their respective roots, fruits, leaves and branches.
A drona of the ash material is mixed with six dronas of water, or with the previously specified urines, filtered twenty-one times, and slowly cooked in a large vessel while being stirred with a ladle. When the liquid becomes clear, reddish, sharp and slimy, it is filtered through a large cloth, the residue is separated, and the liquid is returned to the fire. A kudava or one and a half kudavas of this kshara liquid is set aside. Katasharkara, bhasmasharkara, kshirapaka and shankhanabhi are heated to the colour of fire, quenched in that reserved liquid in an iron vessel, and ground with it. The text then specifies adding the preparation of shankhanabhi and the other materials in an eight-pala measure to two dronas; the commentary records disagreements about how this measure is distributed. Cooking continues with constant, attentive stirring, so that the product is neither too thick nor too fluid. Once properly cooked, it is removed and kept securely in an iron vessel with its mouth covered. This is the medium preparation. When cooked without the addition, it is the mild preparation called samvyuhima.
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athētara ityādi| itaraḥ pratisāraṇīyaḥ; athētarō mr̥durityādyatra kēcinna paṭhanti| pratisāraṇīyasya pākavidhiṁ nirdēṣṭumāha- taṁ cikīrṣurityādi| taṁ pratisāraṇīyaṁ, cikīrṣuḥ kartumicchuḥ; taṁ cikīrṣurityatra ‘athētaraṁ cikīrṣuḥ’ iti kēcit paṭhanti; athaśabdō maṅgalārthaḥ, itaraṁ pratisāraṇīyam| girisānujaṁ parvatōparijātaṁ, “girisānujamiti jāṅgaladēśōpalakṣaṇam” ityanyē| ‘śucirupōṣya’ ityatra ‘śucirupavasan’ iti kēcit paṭhanti| anupahataṁ kr̥midavāgnigarādyanupahatam| asitamuṣkakaṁ kr̥ṣṇapuṣpamōkṣakaṁ, na śvētādipuṣpam| adhivāsya mantravadbalikarmōpaharēdityarthaḥ| kēcidasyāgrē “mantrēṇānēnābhimantrya- agnivīrya! mahāvīrya! mā tē vīryaṁ praṇaśyatu| ihaiva tiṣṭha kalyāṇa! mama kāryaṁ kariṣyasi|| mama kāryē kr̥tē paścāddēvalōkaṁ gamiṣyasi| śvētaraktapuṣpasahasraṁ juhuyāt” iti paṭhanti; ayaṁ ca nibandhēṣu na paṭhyatē| anyē tvatra “prāṅmukhōpagatastatra baliṁ dattvā caturdiśam| vr̥kṣābhyāśē tatō brūyāt prāñjaliḥ prayataḥ śuciḥ|| nivasantīha bhūtāni yānyasmin kāniciddrumē| apakrāmantvayaṁ chēdyaḥ parārthē śvō mayā drumaḥ| ēvamāmantritaṁ vr̥kṣaṁ lājādhūpaiḥ surāsavaiḥ| prabhātē vaikr̥taṁ tatra na paśyēcchēdayēttataḥ| śāntē nīhāratimirē yugamātrōditē ravau| pūrvāgramuttarāgrasthaṁ taṁ taruṁ pāta(ṭa)yēddrutam” “ityadhivāsanamantraṁ paṭhanti, bhōjē'pyēvamēva paṭhyatē” iti ca vadanti| aparēdyuraparasmin dinē| khaṇḍaśaḥ prakalpya bahūn khaṇḍān kr̥tvā| avapāṭya tān khaṇḍān punaḥ pāṭayitvā; ‘aparēdyuḥ pāṭayitvā ityasya sthānē ‘prabhātē vaikr̥tamadbhutaṁ na paśyēttadōpakalpayēt’ iti kvacit pāṭhaḥ| vaikr̥taṁ taruśākhābhaṅgādi, adbhutaṁ rudhiravarṣādi, iti ca tasya vyākhyānam| nicitiḥ kāṣṭhānāmauttarādharyēṇāvasthitiḥ; kēcidatra ‘citiṁ kr̥tvā’ iti paṭhanti, citiṁ dāhasthānamiti vyākhyānayanti| tilanālairādīpayēt tilanāladīpanācchaktyatiśayō bhavati| nicitiṁ kr̥tvētyasyāgrē kēcit ‘sudhāśarkarāḥ prakṣipya’ iti paṭhanti, vyākhyānayanti ca- sudhāśarkarāḥ sudhāpāṣāṇāḥ| bhasmaśarkarāścēti dahyamānārdrakāṣṭharasāccharkarēvānyōnyasaṁhataṁ bhasmajātaṁ bhasmaśarkarētyucyatē, tāṁ ca pr̥thak gr̥hṇīyāt; pr̥thaggrahaṇaṁ bhinnaprayōjanārthaṁ; tēna bhasmanaḥ kṣārōdakakaraṇaṁ, bhasmaśarkarā punaḥ kṣāradravyasamavāpinī| anyē tu ‘pr̥thak gr̥hṇīyāt’ ityasyāgrē ‘kaṭaśarkarā bhasmaśarkarāśca’ iti paṭhanti, ‘kaṭaśarkarā adagdhasudhāpāṣāṇāḥ, bhasmaśarkarāstu kṣāradravyaiḥ saha dagdhāścūrṇapāṣāṇāḥ’ iti ca vyākhyānayanti| ēṣa dāhakalpaḥ| athānēnaivētyādi| athānēnaiva vidhānēnētyanēna nivātadēśanicitistilanāladīpanaṁ ca labhyatē, girisānujamityasya jāṅgaladēśōpalakṣaṇatvaṁ, tēnēhāpi kuṭajādīnyapi jāṅgalāni gr̥hyantē| muṣkakasya kuṭajādīnāṁ caikadēśakalpanatvē'pi pr̥thagdāhavidhānaṁ kuṭajādibhasmanō muṣkakabhasmanō bhāgādhikyakhyāpanārthaṁ, bhāgādhikyaṁ ca ‘tataḥ kṣāradrōṇamudakadrōṇaiḥ ṣaḍbhiḥ’- ityatra vakṣyāmaḥ| anyē tu muṣkakēṇaikēnāpi kṣārō bhavatīti pr̥thagvidhānaṁ bōdhayati| palāśaḥ kiṁśukaḥ; aśvakarṇaḥ pūrvadēśē gandhamuṇḍaḥ pippalasadr̥śaḥ , pāribhadrakō dēvadāruḥ, anyē tu raktakusumaḥ kaṇṭakīvr̥kṣaviśēṣaḥ svanāmnā prasiddhaḥ, tilvakaḥ svanāmaprasiddhaḥ; indravr̥kṣaḥ kuṭaja ēva, dvividhō hi kuṭajō br̥hatphalaḥ śvētapuṣpaḥ snigdhapatraḥ pumān, aṇuphalavr̥ntā śyāvāruṇapuṣpā strī; āsphōtā sārivā; kōśātakī ghōṣakaḥ; sā caturvidhā- br̥hatphalā, alpaphalā, pītapuṣpā, śvētapuṣpā, iti| samūlaphalapatraśākhā iti kuṭajādibhiḥ saha pratyēkaṁ sambadhyatē| kēcit kuṭajādikōśātakyantaṁ samasya paṭhanti| tataḥ kṣāradrōṇamityādi tatō muṣkakakuṭajādidāhānantaram| kṣāradrōṇamiti muṣkakabhasmanō dvau bhāgau kuṭajādibhasmana ēkō bhāga iti miśrīkr̥taṁ kṣāradrōṇamucyatē| udakadrōṇaiḥ ṣaḍbhiriti bhasmadravyāt ṣaḍguṇōdakaparibhāṣēyam, anayaivānyatrāpi kṣārapākavidhau kṣārakalpanaṁ; pakṣāntaraṁ darśayati- mūtrairvā yathōktairiti dundubhisvanīyakalpōktairityarthaḥ ; tathāhi- ‘gavāṁ mūtrēṇa kṣārakalpēna parisrāvya vipacēt’ (ka. a. 6)- iti; atrāpi kṣārakalpēnēti vacanādbhasmadravyānmūtrasya ṣaḍguṇatvamuktam| ēkaviṁśatikr̥tvaḥ parisrāvyēti ēkaviṁśativārān vastrēṇa gālayitvā| avaghaṭṭayan cālayan, tāvat pacēt sa yadā bhavatyacchō raktastīkṣṇaḥ picchilaścēti| ētē'cchādayō guṇāstribhāgāvaśēṣē kṣārōdakē bhavanti| taṁ kṣārakvātham| ādāya gr̥hītvā| itaraṁ vibhajya kṣārabhasmakalkaṁ; ‘itaradvisr̥jya’ iti kvacit pāṭhaḥ, tatrētarat bhasma kiṭṭabhūtam| adhiśrayēt ārōpayēt| tata ēva kṣārōdakāt kuḍavamadhyardhaṁ vā'panayēditi kuḍavamaṣṭau palānyapanayēt; adhyardhamityatra kuḍavamiti sambadhyatē, tēnādhyardhaṁ kuḍavaṁ dvādaśapalāni vā'panayēt| anyē tvatra dvaiguṇyaṁ na manyantē| ētacca kṣārōdakāpanayanaṁ kaṭaśarkarādīnāṁ niṣēkārthaṁ pēṣaṇārthaṁ ca; anyē tu kaṭaśarkarādīnāṁ bhāgapramāṇajñāpanārthamiti vadanti, tēna kaṭaśarkarādīni dravyāṇi pratyēkaṁ kuḍavapramāṇānyadhyardhakuḍavapramāṇāni vā āvapēdityarthaḥ| tataḥ kaṭaśarkarētyādi kaṭaśarkarā gāṅgēṣṭhī, bhasmaśarkarā atraivādhyāyē pūrvaṁ vyākhyātā; anyē tu kaṭaśarkarābhasmaśarkarayōranyathā vyākhyānaṁ kurvanti tadapyatraivādhyāyē kathitam| kṣīrapākō jalaśuktiḥ| āyasē pātrē lauhē bhājanē, ētē agnivarṇāḥ kr̥tvā, tasminnēva kṣārōdakē pūrvōpanītē kuḍavē'dhyardhakuḍavē vā, niṣicya prakṣipya| traiṣāṁ kaṭaśarkarādīnāmanirdiṣṭapramāṇatvāt samā bhāgā ityēkē; samabhāgaścātra pratyēkamaṣṭau palāni; ēvaṁ ca dvātriṁśat palāni bhavanti; ētēna dvidrōṇē'ṣṭapalasammitamityapi pramāṇamanukūlitaṁ bhavati; dvidrōṇē ṣōḍaśāṁśaścāvāpabhāgō jñāpitō bhavati| anyē tvaṣṭapalasammitamiti kaṭaśarkarādīnāṁ pratyēkaṁ dvē dvē palē ityēvamaṣṭapalatvaṁ manyantē| tanna, śaṅkhanābhipradhānatvādēva kṣārasya; ēvaṁ ca viśvāmitrabhōjōktabhāgakalpanā nirastā; taduktabhāgagrahaṇē'pi śaṅkhanābhēraprādhānyaṁ syāt| dvidrōṇagrahaṇēna tribhāgāvaśēṣaṁ kṣārōdakaṁ sarvatra paribhāṣayanti vr̥ddhāḥ, prāyēṇa hi vimiśritaṁ kṣāradrōṇamāhuḥ; udakadrōṇaiḥ ṣaḍbhiriti ṣaṭtriṁśadadhikapañcadaśaśatōdakapalaiḥ saha vipacēdityarthaḥ; tatastasya pacyamānasya taikṣṇyāccharaktapicchilādayō guṇāḥ ṣōḍaśāṁśāvaśiṣṭē ṣaṇṇavatipalapramāṇē bhavanti| anyē tu vadanti- na cātra caturbhāgādyavaśēṣaṇādiparibhāṣā vyāpriyatē, tasmācchanaiḥ śanaistāvadvipacēdyāvadrāgādiguṇayuktaḥ kvāthō bhavati kṣārasañjñita iti| ṣaṇṇavatipalapramāṇē tu kṣārōdakē kaṭaśarkarādīnāṁ samabhāgānāṁ caturthāṁśamāvāpamicchanti ||11-12||
Meaning of the commentary
'The other' means pratisaraniya kshara, the externally applied kind. Some manuscripts omit the initial statement of its three strengths; others read 'now, wishing to prepare the other kind', with 'atha' serving as an auspicious opening. Girisanuja means growing on a mountain; other interpreters take it to indicate jangala country. A variant says 'being clean and fasting'. The tree must be unharmed by worms, forest fire, poison and similar causes. Asita-mushkaka is identified as the black-flowered mokshaka, excluding white-flowered and other forms. Adhivasana means a ritual offering accompanied by a mantra.
Some readers insert an invocation asking the tree, whose potency is associated with fire, to retain its strength, remain to accomplish the speaker's task, and afterwards go to the world of the gods, together with an offering of a thousand white and red flowers. The commentator notes that this passage is not read in the nibandhas. Another reported ritual directs a clean, attentive person to approach facing east, make offerings in the four directions, and with joined hands ask the beings inhabiting the tree to leave because it will be cut the following day for the benefit of others. Parched grain, incense, sura and asava are offered. In the morning, if no abnormal sign is seen, the tree is felled with its top to the east or north after mist and darkness have cleared and the sun has risen to the specified yuga height. This version is said also to occur in Bhoja.
'On the next day' is glossed directly. Dividing and splitting mean first making many pieces and then splitting those again. A variant instead directs preparation in the morning only if no abnormality or extraordinary portent is seen: a broken branch illustrates the former, a rain of blood the latter. Niciti means wood placed in successive layers; those reading citi explain it as the burning place. Ignition with sesame stalks is said to increase potency. Some readings explicitly insert sudha stones here. Bhasmasharkara is explained as ash clumped together like gravel by sap released from burning moist wood. It is collected separately because ordinary ash makes the kshara liquid whereas the concretions are later added to the preparation. Another reading mentions both katasharkara and bhasmasharkara: its interpreters identify the former as unburnt sudha stones and the latter as lime stones burnt with the kshara materials.
'The same method' carries forward the sheltered location, stacking and sesame-stalk ignition, and the plants beginning with kutaja are likewise taken from jangala country. Although their treatment resembles that of mushkaka, the separate burning instruction is explained as indicating a larger proportion of mushkaka ash. Others understand it to show that mushkaka alone can produce kshara. Palasha is kimshuka. Ashvakarna is described as an eastern plant called gandhamunda, resembling pippala. Paribhadraka is identified by one view as devadaru and by another as the familiar thorny, red-flowered tree of that name. Tilvaka is said to be known by its own name. Indravriksha is another kutaja: kutaja has a male form with large fruits, white flowers and smooth leaves, and a female form with small fruits and stalks and dusky-red flowers. Asphota is identified as sariva; koshataki as ghoshaka, with large-fruited, small-fruited, yellow-flowered and white-flowered kinds. The inclusion of roots, fruits, leaves and branches applies separately to each named plant. Some readers present the whole plant list as a compound.
The drona of ash is explained as a mixture of two parts mushkaka ash and one part ash from kutaja and the other plants. Six dronas of water establishes a sixfold liquid-to-ash proportion, which the commentator extends to other kshara preparations. The urine alternative refers to the Dundubhisvaniya Kalpa passage describing cow urine; the same sixfold proportion is inferred there. Twenty-one filtrations means twenty-one passages through cloth. Stirring means keeping the liquid moving. The clear, reddish, sharp and slimy qualities are initially said to appear when one third of the liquid remains. The further filtration separates the ash paste; a variant explicitly directs discarding the ash residue.
The reserved kudava is here interpreted as eight palas, and one and a half kudavas as twelve palas. Other interpreters do not accept this doubling. The reserved liquid is for quenching and grinding the mineral additions. Another interpretation treats the wording as specifying the quantity of each addition: a kudava or one and a half kudavas each. Katasharkara is identified here as gangeshthi; the earlier alternative identifications of katasharkara and bhasmasharkara are also acknowledged. Kshirapaka is identified as jalashukti. The heated materials are put into the reserved kshara liquid in an iron vessel.
The proportions of the added materials are disputed. One account takes unspecified proportions to mean equal shares, here eight palas of each of the four materials, giving thirty-two palas in all. It regards this as compatible with the phrase concerning two dronas and eight palas and as indicating an addition of one sixteenth. Others take eight palas as the combined amount, two palas of each material. The commentator rejects that view on the ground that shankhanabhi must retain its principal role; the proportions attributed to Vishvamitra and Bhoja are rejected on the same ground.
The concluding discussion supplies differing accounts of reduction and measurement rather than one undisputed calculation. Elders are said to understand the mention of two dronas as establishing a one-third remainder, and the six dronas of starting water are calculated as 1,536 palas. A subsequent account places the required clear, reddish and slimy qualities at a one-sixteenth remainder, ninety-six palas. Other interpreters reject application of a fixed one-quarter or similar reduction rule here: cooking should continue slowly until the characteristic colour and other qualities of kshara appear. For ninety-six palas of kshara liquid, an addition amounting to one quarter, made from equal portions of katasharkara and the other materials, is also reported.