[INDOLOGY] Alchemy metaphor

[Christopher Wallis]

 Dear respected colleagues,

I wonder if anyone here knows about alchemy (rasāyana) and can clarify the
meaning of the word *jīrṇa *in that context. In the passage below (ĪPvv III
p. 328), in discussing mystical experience, Abhinavagupta uses an
alchemical metaphor involving *siddharasa *(≈ mercury)*, drutarasa, *and
*kanakadhātu*. The meaning of the passage is fairly clear to me, I am just
wondering about the alchemical significance of of *jīrṇa *(matured?) and
*drutarasa*.

the passage follows.

*yadā tu parāmṛṣṭa-nityatva-vyāpitvādi-dharmakaiśvarya-ghanātmanā
ahambhāva-siddharasena śūnyādi-deha-dhātv-antaṃ vidhyate yena prameyatvāt
tat cyavata iva, tadā turyadaśā*;
*yadāpi viddho 'sau prāṇa-dehādi-dhātuḥ saṃvid-rasena abhiniviṣṭo ’tyantaṃ
kanaka-dhātur iva jīrṇaḥ kriyate yena sa druta-rasa iva ābhāti kevalaṃ
tat-saṃskāraḥ, tadāpi turyātīta-daśā sā bhavati*
'But when the [layers of limited selfhood] from Void to the physical body
are penetrated by the “alchemical elixir” that is the (true)
I-sense—replete with the sovereignty of the qualities of eternality,
all-pervasiveness, etc. which are cognized [as aspects of that I], by which
their objectivity falls away as it were, then it is the Fourth State.
When, further, these elements of *prā**ṇa*, body, etc., penetrated by the
elixir of Consciousness, are completely immersed [in it], they are
“matured” like the element of gold . . .'(?)


best wishes,

Christopher Wallis, M.A. (Cal), M.Phil. (Oxon), Ph.D. (ABD, Cal)


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