EAP810/23/23

Titles in original script:

நூல் 1: சத்யாரூடம்- 100நூல் 2: சித்தர் சிந்தாமணிநூல் 3: மச்சமுனி ஜால காவியம்- 800;

The manuscript contains 3 texts written in verses. The condition of the manuscript is good, some leaves are damaged by larvae and some are darkened due to fungus infestation.

Text 1- The text is entitled Catyārūṭam-100. It contains 15 palm leaves numbered from 1 to 15 (the leaves 12, 13, 14 and 15 are wrongly numbered 112, 113, 114 and 115); it is complete. The text describes concerns the medicines for treating poisoning by scorpion (tēḷ) stings, and bites of rat (eli) and beetle (vaṇṭu), as well as the methodology to use these medicines. The text provides formulations of some medicines used to neutralise poison and to treat diseases:

Dry plant powders: Tirunīlakaṇṭa cūraṇam

Wax-like medicines: Pañcapāṇa kuḻampu, Matakiriṭi kuḻampu, Cañcīvi kuḻampu, Kōṭāli kuḻampu, Kaḻi kuḻampu, Navanātar kuḻampu and Kuṭōri kuḻampu.

Pills: Caṅkāra vairavaṉ; Cañcīvi uruṇṭai; Malai takarttāṉ; Rāmapāṇāti māttirai and Nañcu pāṣāṇa māttirai.

Electuary: Cintāmaṇi lēkiyam

Nasal drop (naciyam) for treating some diseases and rat bites (eli kaṭi).

Collyriums: Akōra rutra añcaṉam, Kāla añcaṉam and Keruṭa añcaṉam; Parañcōti mai.

It provides some mantiraṅkaḷ for treating poison bites, notably those which are chanted in holding peacock feathers in hand (citānta pīli).

Text 2- The text, entitled Cittar Cintāmaṇi, was written by Caṅku Kavirācaṉ. It contains 9 palm leaves numbered from 16 to 24, among them the recto of the leaf 20 is blank; it is incomplete.

The text deals also with poison bites caused by snakes for which it provides the names of snakes and the property of their poison (viṣattiṉ taṉmai), as well as the signs of poisoning (viṣa kuṟi) and medicines to treat them.

Additionally, the text specifies the names of the five birds (pañca pakṣikaḷ), notably vultures (karuṭa), used in prediction of diseases and explains position and movement of the planet called rāku.

Text 3- The text, entitled Maccamuṉi Jāla Kāviyam- 800, contains palm leaves numbered from 1 to 111; it is complete. It deals mostly with formulations of medicines and provides some knowledge on tantrism.

The formulations which are mentioned are:

Electuary: Kāya lēkiyam.

Calcined red medicine prepared from metals and minerals: Racamaṇi centūram, Kentaka centūram and Aritāra centūram according to two preparation’s methods, including adjuvants (aṉupāṉam).

Calcined white medicine prepared from metals and minerals: Aritāra paṟpam and Vīra paṟpam; Uppu cuṇṇam and Turucu cuṇṇam.

Pills: Patiṉeṭṭu mūla māttirai.

Stone-like medicine: Nāka kaṭṭu as well as a pill (Vaḻalai kuru) for diseases caused by vāta imbalance.

Medicines (not specified) for treating delirium (caṉṉi) and poison (viṣam).

The text informs on the method to prepare artificially (vaippu) mercuric chloride (cavvīram), arsenic trisulphide (aritāram), borneol (paccai kaṟpūram) and camphor (cūṭan) are explained. It describes the root of Indigofera tinctoria (nīli vēr) used to control or to regulate seminal flow (vintu kaṭṭavum) and the usage of fresh leaves of Saccharum arundinaceum (pappāka paccilai).

The tantric practices exposed in the text concern formulation of a collyrium to attract people (cakala vaciya mai); a collyrium based on arsenic (pāṣāṇa mai); magic usages of Aconitum ferox (karunāvi mai) and of mercuric chloride (cavvīra mai); a herb (mūli), a powder (māyapōṭi) and a copper plate (takaṭu) used to mesmerize people (vaciya); practice of black magic (mōṭi) and trance (kūṭu viṭṭu kūṭu pāya); rituals to reunite persons (pirintār kūṭa vittai) and to acquire the wealth of people (acalār tiraviyam kōla); rituals performed to the goddess Mākāḷi at the crematory field (Mākāḷi mayāṉa pūcai); magic practices performed by a saint (ṛṣi mūla); magical healing using birds (pakṣi jālam) and vultures (karuṭa pakṣi), notably doves (aṉṟil) and black vultures (karum paruntu); and four of the eight actions (mōkaṉam, ākarṣaṇam, māraṇam and vitvēṣaṉam) made possible thanks to supernatural power.

Size of the manuscript: 28,5cm x 3,4cm. The palm leaves of the text 1 are numbered from 1 to 15; of the text 2, from 16 to 24 and of the text 3 from 1 to 110. The text 3 is introduced by a leaf not numbered, and two blank leaves open and close the manuscript. This manuscript is in excellent state; a few leaves are affected by larvae or are slightly darken.