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