EAP810/23/46

Title in original script: வாத காவியம்- 1000

The manuscript is constituted of a text of 98 palm leaves are numbered from 1 to 155. The manuscript is in good condition; the leaves are slightly affected by fungus and larvae and a few of them are broken.

The text is entitled Vāta Kāviyam- 1000; its author is not mentioned. It is written in verses and prose. The text approach two subjects: medicine and esotericism. The medical part concerns the preparation of complex medicines using iatrochemical processes, notably Rōma tailam, Aya centūram, Taṅka raca cuṇṇam, Āṟumuka kuru, Turucu kuru and Kapari tūmam.

It exposes the process to prepare the medicinal categories of centūram and pataṅkam (obtained by sublimation). It describes five types of poison (pañca pāṣāṇam), copper sulphate (turucu), the process to purify copper (cempu cutti), to combine sulphur and copper (kentaka cempu), and to made a crucible from five types of calcined white medicine used to melt metals (pañca cuṇṇa kukai).

The esoteric part concerns explanation on rejuvenation (kāya kaṟpam) and products with rejuvenating quality, on fuller’s earth (vaḻalai), the methods of worshipping god (tiyāṉam), breathing (pirāṇāyāmam), and of attaining the state of quietude (nirvikalpam) and salvation (camāti nilai). The text provides some information on the preaching (upatēcam, mūlam) of the cittar Karuvūrār.

Size of the manuscript: 41,0cm x 3,4cm. The palm leaves are numbered from 1 to 155; the leaves 3, 9, 12, 26, 48, 75 to 80, 87 to 91, 93, 94, 113,114,115,118 to 140, 142 to 148, and 150 to 154 are missing; a leaf, severely damaged and without number close the text. The manuscript is in good condition; the leaves are slightly affected by fungus and larvae and a few of them are broken.