Page:A History of Hindu Chemistry Vol 1.djvu/28

 envelop thee in lustre! Long-lived becomes he who wears it!"

While gold is regarded as the elixir of life, lead is looked upon as the dispeller of sorcery: "To the lead Varuna gives blessing, to the lead Agni gives help. Indra gave me the lead; unfailingly it dispels sorcery."

It is of interest to note the alchemical notions which had gathered round gold and lead at the time of the A. V.

To the student of Hindu medicine and alchemy, the A. V. is thus of special interest as the earliest repository of information on the subject.