In Hindu religion, Anandakandam, or Anandakanda, is a treatise on mercury and other heavy metals. It is ascribed to Mahabhairava, which literally means the ‘root of bliss’, especially deals with their uses in medicine and alchemy (atomic phenomena).
The text is divided into two –
Amrtikarana Visranti or art of defying old age, disease and
death by three methods
Kriyakarana Visranti, which deals with chemical processes
involving metals, metallic ores, metal alloys and precious stones so as to make
them serve as medical agencies for fighting disease, old age and death.
The three methods involved in Amrtikarana Visranti are:
Rasa vedha or tapping atomic energy from mercury. In this
process, mercury is subjected to eighteen processes before it is said to attain
a stage in which it yields atomic energy. These eighteen processes are said to
bring about two main changes in the metal – deha vedha (boring into the cell of
the metal) and loha vedha (boring into the atom of the metal)
Use of rasayanas which are sometimes single herbs, single
organic substances or combinations of these. Regulated diet and regulated mode
of life are prescribed for using these rasayanas.
A simple process of regulated diet and habits. It has
valuable hints about diet and modes of life to suit various seasons.
This treatise is in the form of dialogue between Bhairava
and Bhairavi. It contains descriptions of special chemical apparatus called
yantra for carrying out several processes, methods of preparing oils,
decoctions and other ingredients used in several processes.
An extraordinary but highly relevant topic in all these
works dealing with rasa-shastra is the disciplined life and propitiation of
deities which are prescribed as preliminary to the undertaking of the chemical
and atomic processes. The reason can be explained as follows – transmutation of
metals is carried out by modern science by using electricity. The ancients,
too, needed electricity for the transmutation of mercury which they provided by
enhancing the power of electricity that was present in the human body by strictly
practicing the discipline prescribed in such treatises. This explains the failure
of many alchemists and the fact that those who succeeded were ascetics.