Article ID: CBB323792796

Mastering Deathlessness: (2017)

unapi

The article presents some remarks concerning practices aimed at achieving rejuvenation, longevity and immortality described in the literature of the Tamil Siddhas, with special reference to the medico-alchemical stream of the tradition. The study is based on the philological analysis of selected representative works of Tamil Siddha literature, starting from the Tirumantiram of Tirumūlar (6-12th century). The Tirumantiram is generally acknowledged to be a root text of the Tami Siddha tradition and it contains passages that elaborately discuss the theory and practices of yoga, presenting them as a means of attaining longevity and immortality. It also contains references to medical practices. Further, relevant ideas about rejuvenating, life-prolonging and immortalizing methods found in selected texts of the medico-alchemical stream of the tradition are discussed. The literature of the medical and alchemical lore of the Tamil Siddhas, roughly dated to the period between the 16th and 19th centuries, abounds in practical recipes for the drugs (kaṟpam) for prolonging life. Certain items credited with extraordinary powers connected with rejuvenation and immortalization, such as triple salt (muppu), mercurial jewel (racamaṇi), human urine, special varieties of medicinal plants, etc. are particularly referenced to in the paper. Finally, the concepts relating to “the art of non-dying” (cākākkalai) taught in the works of Vaḷḷalār, the poet-saint born in 19th century and closely linked with the Tamil Siddha tradition, are outlined in the article.

...More
Included in

Article Dagmar Wujastyk; Suzanne Newcombe; Christèle Barois (2017) Transmutations: Rejuvenation, Longevity, and Immortality Practices in South and Inner Asia:. History of Science in South Asia. unapi

Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB323792796/

Similar Citations

Article Dagmar Wujastyk; Suzanne Newcombe; Christèle Barois; (2017)
Transmutations: Rejuvenation, Longevity, and Immortality Practices in South and Inner Asia: (/isis/citation/CBB028748638/)

Article Donatella Rossi; (2018)
Faith or Fate? The Path Towards Immortality According to the Tantric Traditions of Tibet (/isis/citation/CBB601902513/)

Article Ariane Dröscher; (2018)
Senescenza, rigenerazione e immortalità: Giuseppe Levi e il fenomeno vitale (/isis/citation/CBB318884233/)

Article Dagmar Wujastyk; (2017)
Acts of Improvement: (/isis/citation/CBB199300900/)

Article Matthias Heiduk; (2018)
A Quest for Longevity? A New Approach to the Earliest Testimonies of Medieval Alchemy (/isis/citation/CBB144475736/)

Chapter Bhushan Patwardhan; Gururaj Mutalik; Girish Tillu; (2015)
Longevity, Rejuvenation, and Rasayana (/isis/citation/CBB454747047/)

Article Suzanne Newcombe; (2017)
Yogis, Ayurveda, and Kayakalpa: (/isis/citation/CBB037874836/)

Article Philipp André Maas; (2017)
Rasāyana in Classical Yoga and Āyurveda (/isis/citation/CBB145070023/)

Article Jason Eric Birch; (2018)
Premodern Yoga Traditions and Ayurveda: (/isis/citation/CBB677170557/)

Book Peter N. Stearns; (2020)
The Routledge History of Death since 1800 (/isis/citation/CBB965518317/)

Book John Troyer; (2020)
Technologies of the Human Corpse (/isis/citation/CBB756490213/)

Article Barbara Gerke; (2017)
Tibetan Precious Pills as Therapeutics and Rejuvenating Longevity Tonics (/isis/citation/CBB764899831/)

Book Bhushan Patwardhan; Gururaj Mutalik MD; Girish Tillu; (2015)
Integrative Approaches for Health: Biomedical Research, Ayurveda and Yoga (/isis/citation/CBB058169100/)

Article Didier Kahn; (2018)
Quintessence and the Prolongation of Life in the Works of Paracelsus (/isis/citation/CBB983986033/)

Article Christèle Barois; (2017)
Stretching Out Life, Maintaining the Body: Part I - Vayas in Medical Literature (/isis/citation/CBB861770619/)

Authors & Contributors
Barois, Christèle
Mutalik, Gururaj
Tillu, Girish
Patwardhan, Bhushan
Wujastyk, Dagmar
Newcombe, Suzanne
Concepts
Aging
Medicine
Death
Medicine, ayurvedic
Alchemy
Immortality
Time Periods
Medieval
20th century
Ancient
21st century
19th century
16th century
Places
India
Tibet
South Asia
Central Asia
United States
Italy
Comments

Be the first to comment!

{{ comment.created_by.username }} on {{ comment.created_on | date:'medium' }}

Log in or register to comment