This is the second part of presentation regarding definitions in Rasa shastra. An attempt is made to clarify the definitions in more clear way also useful images are added to further improvise the presentation.
2. Kajjali
When Gandhaka etc. material are added to
Parada and ground without adding any liquid till it
becomes a black like collyrium, an eye application
it is called as kajjali. It is used for various rasa
kriyas (particularly Sagandha rasa yogas)
Synonyms- kajjali, kajjala, kajjalika.
KAJJALIPARADA + GANDHAKA
3. Rasa panka
Rasa Ratna Samucchaya says when Kajjali is
grounded along with any liquid media till it attains a
Panka like consistency i.e. mud like consistency it
is called as Rasa panka.
Rasatarangni also describes Rasa panka as
parada when added with gandhaka or any other
material along with liquid till it becomes a
compound that looks like Panka is called as
Rasapanka.
4. Rasa Pishti
Parada and Gandhaka, when ground along with
milk or other liquid materials the result and mass
is called as Rasa Pishti or Parada pishti.
Navneet pishti- one twelfth part of sulphur is
added to one part of mercury and ground
thoroughly while exposing the process to hot Sun.
Patana pishti- 1 part of Parada ? part of gold. It is
highly beneficial in perfecting mercury.
5. Hingulaakrishti rasa
Parada obtained by subjecting Hingula (Cinnabar-
red oxide of mercury) to Urdhavapatana. It is high
purified form of mercury.
Urdhavapatana of Hingula
6. Dravaka gana
?Gunja (seeds of Abrus precatorious)
?Madhu (honey)
?Guda (Jaggery)
?Ghruta (ghee)
?Tankana (Borax)
?Gugglu (gum resin of plant Commiphora mukul)
They are used for melting the metals as this gana
brings down the melting point of metals and thus
hasten the process of melting of metals.
7. Images of drugs constituting Dravaka
gana
JAGGERY GUNJA BORAX
HONEY GHEE GUGGLU
9. Dhalana
Metal is subjected to melting and is poured in any
liquid media is called dhalana.
Puti lauhas (metals of inferior quality) like Naga
(Lead), Vanga (Tin), Yasada (Zinc) which gets
liquefied at comparatively low temperature are
subjected to purification by this process and the
yantra used particularly for this process is called
Pithara yantra.
10. Purification of Vanga by Dhalana
process
HEATING AND MELTING
OF VANGA
POURING OF MOLTEN
VANGA IN
CHURNODAKA MEDIA
PURIFIED VANGA
11. Aavapa or Prativapa
Metals of melting nature like Vanga subjected to
melting and other dravyas are added to it is called
Aavapa or Prativapa.
It is also as Aachadana by Rasa Ratna
Samucchaya. (R.R.S. 8/53.
Bhasma of Naga and Vanga are obtained by this
procedure.
Abhisheka- when the metal is melted and liquid is
poured into it after waiting for 8 Nimesha i.e. 8
seconds it is called as Abhisheka.
12. Process of Aavapa for Vanga
bhasma
PROCESS OF VANGA
AAVAPANA (VANGA
JARANA)
JARITA VANGA
13. Nirvapa, Nisheka or Snapana
It is the process in which the metals are subjected
to red hot stage and dipped in any liquid media like
swarasa, decoction, milk etc.
Nisheka is term used by Rasa Tarangani. (R.T.
2/40)
The common example of this process is
Samanaya shodhana of metals by heating and
quenching the metals in liquid media- oil, butter
milk, cow¡¯s urine, aarnala, decoction of Kulathi for
seven times.
Nirvapana or Nirvahana is term used by Rasa
Ratna Samucchayakar in 8/25 as a process of
putting or mixing of two metals with help of
15. Bhavana (impregnation or
maceration
The process in which the powders of ores and
metals are added with prescribed liquids-milk, juice
(swarasa), decoction etc. till they become wet and
grinding is carried out in khalva yantra till the mass
is again dried up.
Amount of liquid added to the drug should be
enough to make it wet in form or consistency.
How to make decoction for bhavana-
1 part of drug * 8 times water reduced to 1/8.
16. Cont...
Indications of proper bhavana
On completion of the Bhavana process the mass
should attain wicks like formation, soft to touch and
should become wide flakes on pressing which is
sign of proper bhavana.
when the mass does not form wicks, remains
coarse for touch and does not become flakes and
edges gets cracked on pressing, it is not proper
bhavana.
18. Shodhana (Purification)
Any impure drug when subjected to certain
manoeuvre like grinding etc. in presence of
prescribed media that removes its impurities is
called shodhana.
Shodhana is pre-requisite procedure in rasa
shastra. Certain drugs are administered directly
after shodhana like Gandhaka (Sulphur), while
shodhana is initial step for further rasa procedures
like Marana (Incineration, amritikarana
(nectarization).
20. Marana or Bhasmikarana
(Incineration)
The purified metals and minerals, when subjected to
grinding with juices or decoctions as suggested in
the text and reduced to ashes i.e. Bhasma by using
suitable heat or puta is called as incineration.
22. Bhasma parikasha
The criteria for mrutloha (bhasma of metals or
minerals)
After the process of marana is over the resultant
obtained is subjected to set of examinations called as
Bhasma pariksha, after passing all these test a
bhasma is said to be qualified and fit for internal use.
Varitaratvam- ¡°Mrutma tarati yattoye lauham varitaram
he tat¡± R.R.S- 8/20
Small amount of bhasma is put on water in small
vessel to notice whether it¡¯s floating or not. If it
floats then it has attained the bhasma form.
23. Bhasma pariksha cont..
Hamshavattarnam or Uttaran bhasma- is also
criteria similar to varitaratvam. A small pinch of
bhasma is taken and left on surface of water and
a paddy grain is kept on it which if keeps floating
like swan on water is said to be bhasma of good
quality.
Mruta lauha- bhasma is taken amidst thumb and
index finger and rubbed, if it fills the line between
of these fingers it is called as mruta lauha or
Rekhapoornata.
24. Bhasma pariksha cont..
-Not getting back into original metallic state
-Apoonarbhava- Bhasma is added with drugs of
mitra panchaka in equal quantities, kept in crucible
which is arranged amidst coal and blown with fire.
The bhasma at the end of the experiment, should not
show any metallic traces which confirms that the
metal has attained Apoornabhava state.
-R.R.S. 8/29 say to add Jaggery, Gunja (seeds of
Abrus precatorious), Tankana (borax), honey and
ghruta in equal quantities to bhasma to conduct this
procedure.
25. Bhasma pariksha cont..
Niruttha- Bhasma is kept in crucible along with
silver coin of known weight and blown in fire, at the
end of experiment silver coin should not gain or
loss weight if not bhasma is not of desired quality.
Dhantagre Kachakachkam na bhavati- when a
small pinch of bhasma is kept in between tooth
and crushed, it should not make any rough sound,
that is also one of the criteria.
27. Amrutikarana
Even after the bhasma form of metals and
minerals are obtained still little amount of doshas
or impurities remain in them, to nullify these
negativities special procedure is adopted called
Amrutikarana.
It is specially done for bhasma of Copper and
Abhraka (mica).
28. Lohitikarana (Haematisation)
The process is adopted for lauha bhasmas.
Bhasma is grounded with decoctions or juices of
prescribed drugs and subjected to puta for 2-3
times via this procedure fine red coloured bhasma
of abhraka or lauha compounds is obtained. R.T
8/65-67.