EAP810/22/46

Title in original script: கருவூரார் பல திரட்டு

The manuscript is composed of a text comprising palm leaves numbered from 1 to 74 and three broken leaves which have no longer a number. The manuscript is in good condition; a large portion of the leaf n° 59 leaf and of the three last leaves is missing. The leaves which were aggregated by mould and fungus infestation were separated without damage. Nevertheless, the leaves are fragile and are extremely darkened so as the reading of the text is difficult.

The text, written in verses, is entitled Karuvūrār Pala Tiraṭṭu. It approaches diverse aspects of the siddha corpus, notably medical matters, alchemy and esotericism/magic.

Concerning medical matters, the text describes the preparation of Kānta kuḷikai, Cūta centūram, Vaṅka kaṭṭu, Pāṣāṇa kaṭṭu, Vīra meḻuku and Tāḷaka meḻuku by informing the diseases for which they are recommended. It presents also the clinical features of delirium (caṉṉi pātam).

The part related to alchemy aims to present the methods to extract pure gold from a compound of sulphur and copper (taṅka cempu), copper from iron (aya cempu), and silver from its ore (veḷḷi muṟai) and from silver lace (carikai veḷḷi).

The part that the text develops on magic/esotericism provides formulations of magical black pastes used as eyeliner, which are prepared from medicinal plants: Evolvus alsinoides (viṣṇu kiranti mai), Nerium oleander (cevvaraḷi mai), Boerhavia diffusa (cāraṇai mai), Aristolochia bracteata (āṭutīṇṭā pāḷai mai), Trichosanthes cucumerina (pēypuṭal mai), Alternanthera sessilis (poṉṉāṅkaṇṇi mai), Amaranthus polygamus (ciṟukīrai mai); and from animals: crocodile (mutalai kaṇ mai), tortoise (āmai kaṇ mai) and crow (nīr kākkai mai). It presents also a magical black paste obtained by distillation (vālai mai), a magical black paste prepared with fuller’s earth (vaḻalai mai) and another mai used to change the shape or appearance of a particular object or a person (uru māṟṟam). The text defines some medicinal plants (mūli) used to perform the eight magical actions (aṣṭa karma) and explains how to get the ability to control the natural urge (tampaṉam). Additionally, it exposes the appropriate method to worship (pūjā viti).

Size of the manuscript: 17.0cm x 2.5cm. The palm leaves of the text are numbered from 1 to 74 and three, broken, have no longer a number. Two blank leaves open and close the manuscript. The manuscript is in good condition; a large portion of the leaf n° 59 leaf and of the three last leaves is missing. The leaves which were aggregated by mould and fungus infestation were separated without damage. Nevertheless, the leaves are fragile and are extremely darkened so as the reading of the text is difficult.