Dilip Rajeev

The Mercury of The Alchemists And The Bija Ganita Aphorisms Dilip Rajeev

The Bija Ganita is an aphoristic text on mathematics. The ancient Indian text, dealing with the foundations of mathematical analysis has been interpreted as a treatise on algebra. The nature of Sanskrit allows for layers of meaning to be embedded in a text. Words such as vyakta and avyakta can be read as the known and unknown in an algebraic expression, and also as the appeared universe, and the beyond appeared. Both the senses being standard usage in Sanskrit. The fixing of the buddh, the intelligence, the yoga, literally union, yoking, of intelligence is written of in ancient texts. The word buddh also means Mercury in Sanskrit. That there is possibly a hidden layer of meaning on the unioning with the Alchemical Mercury, seems far fetched. Yet, remember one of the greatest mathematicians, Sir Isaac Newton, wrote in his letter to Robert Boyle, "Because the way by which the Mercurial principle may be impregnated has been thought fit to be concealed by others that have known it, and therefore may possibly be an inlet to something more noble that is not to be communicated without immense damage to the world if there be any verity in [the warning of the] Hermetic writers. There are other things besides the transmutation of metals which none but they understand."