சுப்ரமணியர் ஞானம்- 500

Title in original script: சுப்ரமணியர் ஞானம்- 500 The manuscript is composed of a text of palm leaves numbered from 1 to 107, two small leaves with few lines and two supplementary leaves, one without numbering and the other numbered 12. The copy of this text is not complete as 64 leaves, numbered, are blank (only four are digitised). The manuscript is severely damaged, les leaves being very dark and fragile. Almost all the leaves, in pieces, have been repaired, but the text is readable. The text, entitled Cuppiramaṇiyar Ñāṉam- 500, is written as verses. It approaches a large variety of subjects dealing with tantrism including asceticism, magic and alchemy, representations of the world, and with physiology and medical matter. Explanations on subjects related to yoga concern the six cakra-s (cakkaram), the serpentine power in yoga (kuṇṭaliṉi cakti) and its origin (mūlam), a specific yogic posture (yōka nittirai); the eight yogic actions (yōka aṣṭa karmam) as well as the significance of the three letters which form the mystic sound Ōm (mūṉṟeḻuttu viparam), and of the letters used in yantiram and in mantiram (eḻuttu viparam). Explanations on rituals and cults concern: Ṥiva: the letter symbolising him (cikāra uyireḻuttu), his phallic representation (civaliṅkam) with the origin (liṅka uṟpatti) and appearance (liṅka corūpam), and his representation as Catācivaṉ; the role of rituals performed to get power and wisdom (ñāṉam), notably the worship (pūcai viparam) of minor gods (tēvarkaḷ) by the invocation of Ōm na ma ci va ya (caṭāṭcaram); the preaching (coṉṉavai) of Murukaṉ to the cittarkaḷ; and the origin of the three major gods responsible of creation, destruction and protection of the universe (mummūrttikaḷai paṭaittatu). Explanations on astrology concern: representations of the universe (veḷi), of the nine planets (navakkirakam) and of the new moon (amāvācai). Explanations on subjects related to esotericism concern the ability to perform eight magical acts (aṣṭa karma vālai); initiation (tīṭcai) to obtain the five powers (pañca cakti) which are creation, protection, destruction, covering and bestowing; food (cooked rice) consumed while performing the eight magical acts (aṣṭa karmatukku piṇṭam); a mantiram consisting in fifty-one letters (sounds) (aṭcaram); and function of silent letters (ūmai eḻuttu). The magical practices exposed in the text concern the method of mesmerise people (cakala vaciyam) and the entire world (lōka vaciyam); the fabrication of a black paste used as eye liner allowing for becoming invisible (maṟaippu mai), and another used in mesmerising (añcaṉa mai); and the art of disappearing (maṟaippu vittai). Concerning the physiology, the text describes the physical death (māraṇam) and the development of the fetus at fifth month (añcām tiṅkaḷ piṇṭam). The medical information presented in this text concerns two medicinal plants Boerhavia diffusa (veṇcārai) and Phyllanthus reticulatus (karunelli); the method to extract essence of magnet (kānta cattu); the formulations of Kāra centūram, Villai vēr kirutam, Civaṉār vēmpu kirutam and Vallārai kirutam and an oil called Pattu tiṅkaḷ piṇṭa tailam for facilitating delivery to be applied externally on the abdomen of a pregnant women; the treatment of diseases caused by vāta imbalance; the appropriate time to administrate medicine (maruntu koḷḷum kālam) and the relevance of dietary prescription (pattiya muṟivu). The place of alchemy (vālai viñcai) attributed in the text concerns iatrochemical processes to prepare alkaline salt (nāta muppāl) and medicines for rejuvenation (kalpa maruntu) such as Ciṟiyānaṅkai kalpam, Arukaṉ veṟ kalpam, Periyānaṅkai kalpam, Vācinaṅkai kalpam and Kalaikkāṉa naṅkai kalpam; to combine three salts (muppu); to make a small bowl from magnet (kānta kiṇṇam) in which medicines used for rejuvenation are stored. Additionally, there is a description about the glory of primary hill (parama kiri) and the hill, called Tirupparaṅkuṟṟam, where Murukaṉ would preach to Ṥiva (paramacivaṉukku upatēcam). There is a sentence emphasising the importance of charity (tarmam) for avoiding rebirth. Size of the manuscript 22,9cm x 3,8cm. The palm leaves of the text 1 are numbered from 1 to 107 in Tamil and Arabic; the leaf 23 is missing, and that numbered 12 is double. The leaf 105 is blank, the leaf 106 has a short sentence. The manuscript has also 31 blank leaves placed at the end, among them 7 are digitised. It is in extremely bas state: almost all the leaves, very infested by fungus, are broken. However, the reading is not affected as no pieces of leaaves are missing.