bai dU rya
(med) Vaidurya.
Sanskrit : vaiḍūrya (wisdomlib.org)
nor bu rin chen bai dU rya'i rigs kyi / 'od dang 'chang bas nad kun sel bar byed / zhes pa la / rigs gsum 'byung la / su ga ta bai dU rya dang / la nu bai dU rya / manydzu ni bai dU rya'o / su ga ta bai dU rya ni / mdog ljang gu mtshan phyed tsam na 'od zer 'byung bas mun pa 'phrog pa nang du skud pa gsum bcug pa 'dra ba zhig yod pas / rin thang yul sde che ba zhig ri bar bshad do / la nu bai dU rya ni / 'od zer med pa mdog dkar po nang du skud pa gcig bcug pa 'dra ba zhig yod pas rin thang yul phran gcig ri bar gsungs so / manydzu ni bai dU rya ni byi la'i mig ltar ser ba / mtshan mo 'od zer 'byung ba nang du skud pa dgu bcug pa 'dra ba [082] me la bcug na 'od zer ltag par che ba'o / rin thang ni gling bzhi ka'i sde zog ri zhes bshad tshad du 'dug go / 'di la rje rang byung rdo rjes / byi la'i mig 'dras sbrul chen srung / zhes gsungs / 'di gsum 'byung ba'i yul ni rgya mtsho'i mtha' nas 'byung bar bstan bcos las bshad kyang / deng sang phal cher singga la'i yul pha ba li gangga' zhes pa'i chu las 'byung ba'o // (Shel gong shel phreng, pdf p 081.4)
Often translated as Lapis lazuli, it may be judicious to stay with the term Vaidurya or bai dU rya. Lapis lazuli - which is commonly applied to a opaque composite rock - does not fit the description of Vaidurya (the colour of the sky and transparent, like a diamond or crystal). And the transparent mineral Haüyne, the main constituent giving the blue color to the stone, does fit the description, but is basically unknown and doesn't invoke much. The ambiguous name Lapis Lazuli has been used both for the blue mineral previously known as Lazurite (but actually a variety of Haüyne, see also mu men), as well as the rock that is made up predominantly of it. But today, the name Lapis Lazuli is mainly used for the decorative stone (ie, the rock). Haüyne is a vitreous mineral, with colors from blue, white, grey, yellow and green to pink. Lazurite is resinous, with colors from ultramarine, midnight-blue to bluish-green (mindat.org).
The indian name vaidūrya is frequently identified with Cat's Eye (a vernacular name, again applied to several minerals, like Chrysoberyl), sometimes Beryl. Lapislazuli only in a buddhist context (wisdom.org)
Johannes Schmidt (talk) 03:41, 29 February 2024 (EST)