EAP810/16/4

Titles in original script:

நூல் 1: நந்தீசர்- 300நூல் 2: தலைப்பு இல்லைநூல் (வைத்தியம்);

The manuscript is composed of two texts dealing with esotericism, philosophy and medicine. The manuscript is in excellent condition.

Text 1- The text, entitled Nantīcar 300, possesses five supplementary verses, written on palm leaves numbered from 1 to 86. It is written in antāti form, the last letter of the verse becoming the first letter of the following verse. The text is well written; the medicines are clearly explained using tabulation and index.

This text concerns yoga, mantira and cāstiram.

The beginning of the text presents a discussion between Śiva and Nantīcar during which Nantīcar argues that keeping secret the formulation of medicines is a sin and that he wants to reveal them in this text. Therefore, he describes the plant Cissampelos pareira (poṉ mucuṭṭai), the constituents for preparing muppu (muppu cēṟmāṇam), and provides the formula of some waxy medicines, notably Ravi meḻuku and Mati meḻuku.

The text approaches multiple subjects: how to attain salvation (kāya citti); the creations of God (cakalamum maṇōmayam); the path of wisdom (ñaṉa neṟi); attainment of the blissful state of Civa (civarājayōkam); the arts of preaching (upatēca nilai), attracting others (mokaṉam) and chanting (uccāṭaṇam) mantiram; initiation of knowledge (tīṭcai); the state of involvement (maṉōlayam); the therapy of rejuvenation (kaṟpam) for maintaining a healthy mind (muṭinta maṇolayatil kaṟpam) and preserving the body (kāyāti kaṟpam); the importance of regulating the sexual desire (tampaṉam) and preserving semen (vitvēṣaṇam); the qualities of a good and mature disciple (pakkuvamuḷḷa cīṭaṉ) and the means of assessing the qualities of a person prone to be a disciple (cīṭaṉai cērkum iyalpu); the state of breathing (vāci nilai); the art of destroying the evil (māraṇa vittai) and mesmerizing (vaciyam). The text evokes also different subjects such as a text entitled Civañaṉam, the satvik character of a person (cittuma kuṇam), abnormalities of the foetus (karu vikaṟpam), the lunar path (matiyaṇṭam). The formulation to prepare a collyrium (for magic purpose) (añcaṉamai) is also provided.

Text 2- The text, incomplete, is formed of leaves numbered from 1 to 18. It is written in prose. It describes formulations of medicines such as electuaries: Cittar lēkiyam, Tēṅkāy lēkiyam, Paṭṭai lēkiyam and Ayakānta lēkiyam; red calcinated powder: Akkiṉi kumāra centūram; Paṭṭai lēpaṉam; Paṭṭai pataṅkam, and stone-like medicine: Raca kaṭṭu. It informs on the different adjuvants of Cittar lēkiyam used to treat different types of diseases. It describes salt petre (veṭiyuppu).

The text presents medicines for treating menorrhagia (perumpāṭu), infection during pregnancy (kīri puḻu kaṟpam) and growths (kiranti), a medicated oil (tailam) for treating urinary tract infection (mēka paṟṟu), redness of eye (kaṇcikappu) and a eye disease (nēttira viyāti), a waxy medicine (meḻuku) for treating menstrual disorders (cūtaka), an oil (eṇṇey) for painful pregnancy (keṟpam), and describes pain in the hip region (iṭuppu vali).

The text provides some mantiram for warding off the ill effects caused by the eight planets (excepted for sun) and for controlling women’ libido (yōṉi aṭakka mantiram), as well as one in Malayalam language.

Size of the manuscript: 28.0cm x 2.8cm. The palm leaves of the 2 texts are numbered in Tamil from 1 to 86 (leaf 81 is missing) and from 1 to 18. There are 3 additional leaves on medicine numbered 1 to 3.The condition of the manuscript is very good; it is slighly affected by fungus and niddled by rodents.