[INDOLOGY] Alchemy metaphor

[Artur Karp]

Dear List,

Two more instances that seem to be indicative of the alchemy metaphor's
popularity in the Indian narrative tradition.

During his last days - as described in the Mahaparinibbana-sutta - the
Buddha's body looses its natural coloring and becomes  golden-hued. On his
way to Kusinara he crosses the Golden River (Hiraññavatī), and he wears a
gold-threaded robe. A sign of his final purification and, ultimately,
transmutation --- ?

In a well known myth, Hiranyakashipu decides to kill his disobedient son
Prahlada. He devises a series of deadly attempts that should have ended in
his son's death, but is unsuccessful. According to the
Bhagavata-purana, the number of these "treatments" is - if I counted them
well - *sixteen*. Has anyone analyzed the sequence? Is it in any way
evocative of the 16 saṃskāras ---? Or - does it contain just a free, sort
of caricatural variation on the alchemical process, and that is why it
ultimately ends in the performer's death?

Thanks for a highly interesting exchange and -

All the Best,

Artur Karp
Senior Lecturer in Sanskrit and Pali (ret.)
South Asian Studies Dept.
Oriental Faculty,
University of Warsaw
Poland


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://list.indology.info/pipermail/indology/attachments/20140721/a164853f/attachment.htm>