EAP810/1/1/91

Title in original script: தட்சிணாமூர்த்தி காவியம்- 1000

The manuscript is formed by a text containing palm leaves numbered from 1 to 78; it is incomplete. The leaves are extremely damaged by larvae and fungus so that they are difficult to manipulate without deteriorating more.

The text, entitled Taṭciṇāmūrtti Kāviyam- 1000, is written in verses. It focuses on formulation of medicines as well as alchemical and iatrochemical processes, and provides some information on esoteric subjects including worship and magic.

The medicinal formulations exposed in the text concern:

Medicated butter (veṇṇey) for treating chronic ulcer (cilanti), and for facilitating delivery (piracavam).

Electuaries: Vallārai lēkiyam, Kaṭukkāy lēkiyam and Pūraṇa lēkiyam

Wax-like medicine: Liṅka meḻuku

Calcined white medicines prepared from metals and minerals: Vaṅka paṟpam; Mati cuṇṇam and Kaṟcuṇṇam.

Stone-like medicines: Aṇṭa kaṭṭu, Aṇṭakkal kaṭṭu, Liṅka kaṭṭu, Vīra kaṭṭu, Kaṟiyuppu kaṭṭu and Raca kaṭṭu.

Pills based on mercury: Raca kuḷikai

Pills of mercury as the main constituent: Aya kaḷaṅku, as well as medicine for treating diseases caused by bad influence or evil eye (tōṣam), night blindness (mālai kaṇ) and poison (viṣam).

The alchemical/iatrochemical processes described concern the purification of mercury from raw mercury (vālai racam), the use of zinc (nākam) and the combination of three salts (muppū viparam) and the method of preparing artificial (vaippu) camphor (kaṟpūram). The text presents the method to convert arsenic into gold (aritāra vētai) and iron into copper (aya cempu)

The esoteric subjects the text exposes concern:

Explanations on tantrism and rituals such as the cakra for worshipping Ṥiva (citampara cakaram); method of worshipping (tiyāṉam) Bramma (Brahma), the fire (akkiṉi), moon (mati) and sun (cūriya) and the guru (parama kuru); the glory (makimai) of Cakti (Lakiri), of the Mount Kailash where Ṥiva resides (Kailāca makimai), of the hills of Caturakiri and Coutrallam hills (Caturakiri Vaḷamai, Tirikūṭa Malai) as well as of a powerful the medical plant Boerhavia diffusa (cāraṇai); the initiation of knowledge (tīṭcai) about the couple Ṥiva-Cakti, and the eight forms of Cakti; the fivefold initiation (pañca tīṭcai); the knowledge acquired by using mantiram and chanting (ukāra); the greatness of initiation using the sound ‘Ōm’ (akāra tīṭcai). It informs on the incense (tūpa vētai) to be used in rituals.

Information related to magic: a mantiram to cure disease (viyāti tīrkka); some black pastes used to attract people (corūpa mai, kamali mai, aṭṭa karma mai); the method to ward off evil spirits (picācu tīrkka); five of the eight magical acts (aṭṭa karmam), i.e., to control natural forces (tampaṉam), to cause libidinous fascination (mōhaṉam), to make a spirit or an absent person visible (ākaruṣaṉam), to provoke separation, desertion (pētaṉam) and to create hate between friends (vittuvēṣaṉam); the visualisation (taricaṉam) of the cittar Kākapuciṇṭar.

The text presents some philosophical concepts related to the principle of rejuvenation (āti kaṟpam), the creation and destruction of the universe (tōṟṟam, oṭukkam) and the way to attain enlightment (tīpam) and wisdom (ñāṉam). It also provides some explanations about the four Veda-s.

Size of the manuscript 28,5cm x 4,0cm. The palm leaves of the text are numbered from 1 to 78 in Tamil and Arabic.There is an additional leaf placed at the beginning with the title. The manuscript is extremely damaged and difficult to manupulate as many leaves are broken and easily breakable.