वैमानिक शास्त्र (Vimaan Shastra-Ancient Indian Aeroplane Technology Chapter-2)
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SECOND CHAPTER
Maharshi Bharadwaaja:
"Oosh mapaastriloha Mayaaha." Sootra
1.
"Ooshmapaa metals are made up of 3 metals."
Bodhaananda Vritti:
The heat-proof metals are
made out of the three, Souma, Soundaala, and Morthweeka mentioned in the
previous chapter. It is said in "Loha Ratnaakara" that each of the
three yields varieties of seed metals. Their names are, in souma group,--souma,
soumyaka, sundaasya, soma, panchaanana, ooshmapa, shaktigarbha, jaangalika,
praanana, shankha, and laaghava; The names of the metals of soundeera origin,
are viranchi, souryapa, shanku, ushna, soorana, shinjikaa, kanku, ranjika,
soundeera, mugdha, and ghundaaraka. In the mourthweeka group, the 11 are anuka,
dvyanuka, kanka, tryanuka, shvetaambara, mridambara, baalagarbha, kuvarcha,
kantaka, kshvinka and laghvika.
Bodhaananda Vritti:
"Melanaath" Sootra 2.
The said metals are to be
mixed in requisite proportions and melted. It is said in "Lohatantra"
that ushnambhara metal is produced by mixing numbers 10, 5, 8 of soma,
soundala, mourthweeka groups of metals respectively in the proportion of 1, 3,
7, and mixing with one third the quantity of tankana or borax and melting in
the crucible. Similarly taking metals no, 3, 5, and 7 respectively in the three
groups in the proportion of 4, 1, and 8, and mixing with tankana, and melting
in crucible, the metal ooshma is obtained. Metal ooshmahana is produced by
melting metals 2, 5, and 9 from the three groups in the proportion of 6, 3, and
7, with tankana. Metal Raaja is produced by melting nos. 3, 8, and 2 of the
three groups as before. Similarly metal Aamlatrit is produced by taking numbers
9, 7, 1 in the three metal groups, in the proportion of 10, 7, 8 and mixing
with tankana and melting as prescribed.
Similarly metals 6, 4, 5,
respectively in the proportion of 5, 5, 12, melted with tankana or borax, will
yield the metal veerahaa. The metal panchaghna is got by taking numbers 8, 6,
and 4 of the three groups in the proportion of 20, 18, 26, and mixing with
tankana or borax and melting.
The metal agnitrit is
produced by mixing numbers 5, 2, 10, in the proportion of 30, 20, and 10, and
melting with borax in the crucible. The metal bhaarahana is produced by mixing
numbers 7, 11, and 6 in the three groups in the proportion of 5, 12, and 7,
mixing
with borax, and melting in
the crucible.
To produce metal sheetahana,
metals 10, 9, and 3 in the three groups respectively, in the proportion of 22,
8, and 10, should be mixed with borax and melted in the crucible. Garalaghna is
produced by taking numbers 11, 10, and 11 in the three groups in the proportion
of 20, 30, and 8, and melting with borax in the crucible.
Similarly Aamlahana is
produced by taking numbers 11, 8, and 4 in the three groups in the proportion
of 20, 12, 36, and melting with borax in the crucible. Metal Vishambhara is
produced by taking numbers 19, 8, and 10 in the three Ooshmapa groups
respectively in the proportion of 20, 12, and 6, and melting with borax in the
crucible.
Metal vishalyakrit is
produced by taking numbers 3, 5, and 11, in the proportion of 20, 12, and 6,
and melting in the crucible with borax. Dwijamitra is produced by taking
numbers 8, 3, and 9 in the pro-portion 5, 8, 10, and melting with borax in the
crucible. And metal Vaatamitra is produced by taking numbers 8, 6, and 5 in the
three groups of Ooshmapa metals, in the proportion of 22, 8, and 10, and adding
borax and melting in the crucible.
Mooshaadhikaranam: The
Crucible.
Maharshi Bharadwaaja:
"Panchamaad dwitheeyay " Sootra 3.
"From the 5th variety in the 2nd group."
Bodhaananda Vritti:
According to "Nirnayaadhikaara",
the melting of the superior, medium, and inferior kinds of metals is to be done
in 407 different kinds of crucibles. They are divided into 12 groups. For the
melting of the root-metals the second group of crucibles is considered the
best.
Lallacharya also states
that metallurgists mention 12 kinds of metals: kritaka or artificial,
apabhramshaka or corrupted, sthalaja or mud-born, khanija or found in mines,
jalaja or aquatic, dhaatuja or mineral-born, oshadhivargaja or vegetation-born,
krimija or evolved from vermin, maamsaja or flesh-born, kshaaraja or grown from
salts, baalaja or hairborn, and andaja or resultant from eggs. Different
classes of crucibles are to be used for melting different kinds of metals. In
the second class of crucibles there are said to be 40 varieties. Of them,
number 5, known as antarmukha or inward-mouthed, is prescribed for melting the
root-metals.
It is described in
"Mooshaakalpa" or art of making crucibles. 8 parts of gingelly manure
or black-gram flour, 4 parts of metal rust, 3 parts of metal, 3 parts of
laangalee or jussieuea repens or gloriosa superba, 6 parts of gum arabic, 2
parts of ruruka, 3 parts of
salt-petre, 5 parts of
creepers, 6 parts of charcoal, 5 parts of 5 kinds of grasses, 4 parts of paddy
husk ashes, 2 parts of red arsenic, 2 parts of naagakesara, 5 parts of varolika flower,
5 parts of borax, 2 parts of black laamancha or scented grass or andropogon
muricatus, 5 parts of sindoora or red ochre, 2 parts of gunja seeds or wild
liquorice, 4 parts of sea-foam, all these are to be ground and made into fine
flour, to which are added equal quantity of gum and 5 parts of earth and dust,
and the whole is baked in a vessel with shivaaree oil for 3 yaamaas or 9 hours.
When the contents have unified and become properly fluid, it should be poured
through the nozzle into the crucible mould, and allowed to rest. The resultant
crucible, known as "antarmukha," would be best suited to melt the
metals required for producing a Vimaana.
Athha Vyaasatikaadhikaranam: The Fire-place.
Maharshi Bharadwaaja:
"Athha Kundas-Saptamay-Nava". Sootra 4.
"Then fire-place, number 9 in class 7."
Bodhaananda Vritti:
Having dealt with crucible
in the last sootra, we now consider the fire-place. Experts mention 532
varieties of vyaasatikaas or fire-places. Of them Koorma-
vyaasatika, or
tortoise-shaped fire-place is best suited for melting the seed-metals for the
Vimaana.
Kunda-kalpa or the art of
furnace construction mentions 532 kinds of furnaces. They are divided into
seven classes, each including 76 varieties. Furnace no. 9 in the 7th class, is
best suited for melting the requisite metals of the vimaana, and its name is
koorma- vyaasatikaa, or tortoise-shaped furnace.
It is said in
"Kunda-nirnaya ", that on a prepared ground, a quadrilateral or
circular shaped furnace 10 feet wide should be constructed, shaped like a
tortoise. In order to place the bellows, there should be constructed a pedestal
shaped like a tortoise, and with five faces. In the middle of the furnace
arrangements should be made for placing the crucible. On either side of the
furnace there should be an enclosure for stocking charcoal. And on either side
there should be a mechanism for receiving the molten metal.
Athha Bhastrikaadhikaranam: The Bellows.
Maharshi Bharadwaaja:
"Syaad-bhastrikaashtame Shodashee" Sootra 5. "
The bellows should be number 16 in the 8th
class."
Bodhaananda Vritti:
The making of bellows is
referred to in this sootra. It is said in "Bhastrikaa Nibandhana,"
that as there are 532 kinds of furnaces, there are 532 kinds of bellows.
Narayana also says that there are 532 varieties of bellows used in melting
metals. They arc divided into 8 classes. In the eighth class, the variety
numbered 16 is the one suited for the tortoise-- shaped furnace. The construction
of bellows is described in the work "Bhastrikaa- Nibandhana", as
follows:
The barks of suitable
trees, leather, thick cloth made from milk cream, bark of areca-nut palm tree,
and trinetra (bael? Bengal Quince?), shundeera, suranji, silk-cotton, sheneera,
munjaakara, and jute by due processing yield suitable cloth of 605 varieties
with which pretty and attractive bellows could be made, with fittings of wood
or copper.
