IS Bijendralala Mitra— Spirituous Drinks in Ancient India. [No. 1, 
The arrack described in the Yedas was somewhat differently prepared 
from the way above detailed, as will be seen in the sequel. All the other 
liquors noticed in Sanskrit works were, likewise, first fermented, and then dis¬ 
tilled ; none manufactured, as European wines are, by mere fermentation. 
In fact, they are all spirits differently flavoured with various kinds of spices, 
fruits, and herbs, to suit different tastes, and not wines ; and the word wine 
has been used in this paper in its secondary sense of intoxicating liquor. 
A liquor flavoured with aniseed has enjoyed considerable celebrity in In¬ 
dia for a long time. It is said that a celebrated Tantric pandit of Nadia, 
who bore the title of Agamavagis'a, or “ the Lord of the Science of A'gama,” 
was particularly fond of it, and used to take a lota full of it every day. 
People, suspecting him of this weakness, watched him one evening when he 
was returning from his vesper prayers at the river side. He was seen to come 
out on the sly from a grog-shop with his water-pot filled with aniseed arrack, 
and taxed by a large crowd for conduct so disreputable in a Brahman of his 
learning and sanctity. He denied the charge, and placed the lota before 
his accusers, when lo ! the pot appeared to contain milk. “ A miracle, 
a miracle,” cried the crowd, and the pandit, instead of being degraded, was 
canonised as the most favourite son of the Devi ; the fact being, that the wily 
toper knew well that aniseed liquor mixed with a little water becomes milky, 
and had taken the precaution to doctor it so with a view to provide against 
possible contingencies. 
Among the many omissions in Pulastya’s list, the Tanka, the Koli, and 
the Kadamvari appear the most prominent. The name of the first is met with 
largely in the Tantras. The second is of rare occurrence. The last was a 
favourite drink of Baladeva, and was at one time held in high repute. In 
medical works, various other kinds of liquor are also mentioned, mostly as 
aphrodisiacs, but some as medicinal. The following enjoys a high repute as 
an invigorating tonic. I quote a passage describing it as it is the only 
one in which an account is given (imperfect as it is) of the still used for 
distillation. “ Take of fresh molasses 100 palas, # water 80 palas, and mix 
them in an earthen vessel. Take of Vdvari bark ( Cassia arabica ?) and 
jujube bark five prasthas each, (a prastha is equal to 128 tolas,) a few betel- 
nuts, 32 tolas of lodhra (Symjplocos racernosa) , and two palas of ginger. 
Dilute the molasses mixture in water, add to it successivelv the erbmer, the 
Vavari bark, and the jujube bark, mix well, then cover the vessel, and lay it by 
for three days. Then add the betel-nuts and powdered lodhra, recover the 
vessel, tie down the cover, lute it, and lay it by for twenty days. Take the 
apparatus called mayura yantra , a strong earthen vessel of the shape of a 
peacock, place it on a hearth over a slow lire, pour into it the fermented 
mixture, and add thereto half a pala each of powdered betel-nut, sailabolaka, 
^ A pala, according to some, is equal to 4 tolas ; according- to others, eight toliis. 
