Book 4 (Part II)

CHAPTER IV THE SCOURGE, THE DAGGER, AND THE CHAIN THE Scourge, the Dagger, and the Chain, represent the three alchemical principles of Sulphur, Mercury, and Salt. 'I'hese are not the substances which we now call by these names; they represent " principles," whose operations chemists have found it more convenient to explain in other ways. But Sulphur represents the energy of things, Mercury their fluidity, Salt their fixity. They are analogous to Fire, Air and Water; but they mean rather more, for they represent something deeper and subtler, and yet more truly active. An almost exact analogy is given by the three Gunas of the Hindus; Sattvas, Rajas, and Tamas. Sattvas is Mercury, equable, calm, clear; Rajas is Sulphur, active, excitable, even fierce; Tamas is Salt, thick, sluggish, heavy, dark.^ But Hindu philosophy is so occupied with the main idea that only the Absolute is worth anything, that it tends to consider these Gunas 1 There is a long description of these tliree Gunas in the Bhagavadgita. 27