On the Use of Tonics and Elixirs in Sanskrit Medical and Alchemical Literature
by
Dagmar Wujastyk

A mercurial-enhanced meditation practice that culminates in arriving at a state called “rasananda,” “bliss of mercury”: “He has become absorbed in the highest being. With a stilled mind, he has achieved equanimity. Controlling his breathing, having mastered the three goals, he has become completely content in the bliss of mercury.”

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Originally published in History of Science in South Asia, 5.2 (2017): 1–36. Republished here with thanks.