Rasa Aushadhi
AN INTRODUCTION TO
RASASASTHRA AND RASA AUSHADHI
Rasasasthra though it was originated and developed as a separate Science in the beginning, during the due course it completely merged with Ayurveda. It is not considered as one of the eight main branches of Ayurveda, however it gained so much importance that it has become an indispensable part of Ayurvedic treatment. The basic idea of Rasasasthra OR Indian Alchemy was to covert a lower metal in to a higher metal ie. Dhatuvadha and in due course the same concept of converting a weak body OR diseased body into a strong one has developed ie Dehavadha. Rasasasthra was developed to prepare such medicines, which will increase longevity of life, keep the healthy status of the body constant so that a person can serve the god longer and attain salvation. Rasaushadis possess some unique character than herbal medicines like it gets effective in less dose, it does not processes any taste, immediate action & more potent. Mainly metals and mineral drugs are used to prepare Rasaushadies. Apart from these the drugs with animal, aquatic & plant origin are also used. The pharmaceutical procedures involved in the preparation of Rasaushadies are quite complex and lots of repetitions are done to get the final product. During the pharmaceutical procedures, the metallic OR mineral drugs are treated with herbal drugs in the form of swarasa, kalka etc. Therefore, the final Rasaushadies will be going to be a complex herbomineral compound.
26 | Issue 7 | May-Jun 2021 | The Ancient Ayurveda
Shodhana (purification) and marana (conversion in to absorbable form) are the two pharmaceutical procedures mandatory for Rasaushadies. Shodhana process is not merely a purification process; it also imparts some other medicinal qualities to the drugs. In the same way marana process, is also not mere conversion in to smaller and absorbable particles. It also imbibes some more qualities of the herbal & other drugs in which it has processed. Basically Rasaushadies can be divided in to four categories depending upon the effect on Agnisamskara. 1. Khalvi Rasayana 2. Parpati Rasayana 3. Koopipakva Rasayana 4. Potali Rasayana Bhasma cannot fait in these categories since only a single metal OR mineral is converted in to absorbable form of it (exception are there like Trivangabhasma etc.) 1. Khalvi Rasayanam:- This is the simplest form of Rasaushadi. Where the metals or minerals are converted in to bhasma form first and the Bhasmas are mixed with herbal powders in definite proportion and titrated in a mortal & pestle with specific liquids (Bhavana dravya) when it become a consistency it is rolled in to pills with specific size. About 80% of the Rasaushadies are khalvi rasayanas. Eg:- Arogyavardhini Rasa, Tribhuvana keerthi Rasa & Brihatvata Chinthamanirasa etc.
