Ayurveda AlchemyRasa Shastra

Dr. Atul RaksheShree Niramaya Ayurveda Kendra, Pune

(INDIA). www.cozwecare.org

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• The term Ayurveda means “knowledge (veda) of longevity (ayus).

• Ayurveda was evolved through intuitive, experimental & perceptual methodology in India.

• The philosophy of Ayurveda is aimed at putting people in touch with themselves on a deeper spiritual level.

Philosophy of Ayurveda

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Rasashastra (Indian alchemy)

• Mercury Synonym of Rasa • Glorious Science of Golden era• Moderate to Severely Toxic in Raw Form• Substances of Mineral, Plant & Animal

Origin• Tedious Method of Preparation

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God of Indian Alchemy

Metals as medicine• The presence of toxic heavy metals in Ayurvedic

preparations is not surprising.

• There is a long tradition in Ayurveda, as well as in tantric and Siddha alchemy, for ingesting mercury and gold for medicinal purposes.

• Charaka and Susurta Samhitas permit the use of mercury, but for external use only.

• Vagbhatta (6th-7th century A.D.) recommends internal uses of mercury for therapeutic ends.

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Acquaintance with Rasashastra

• The Italian traveller Marco Polo (13th century) reportedly met "ciugi" (yogis) who apparently lived long and healthy lives because they consumed a drink made of mercury and sulphur.

• The French traveller Francois Bernier (17th

century) has left behind a record of Hindu holymen who knew how to make gold and prepare mercury for health purposes.

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Principle of Rasashatra

• Ayurveda considers all substances, whether they come from animals, vegetables, or the earth (that is, minerals) as medicines, provided they are applied in a proper way and for specific purposes.

• Mercury and gold were considered elixirs of life which could confer immortality.

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• The ancient doctors recommend the use of the following in medical concoctions: bile, fat, marrow, blood, flesh, excreta, urine, skin, semen, bones, tendons, horns, nails, hoofs, hair, bristles and pigments obtained from a variety of animals.

• This follows as a logical consequence of the Ayurvedic philosophy that like-nourishes-the-like: flesh is nourished by flesh, blood by blood, fat by fat, bones by cartilage, marrow by marrow, semen by semen, foetus by eggs... and so on.

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Alchemy in Classical texts• Charaka Samhita recommends the use of gold,

along with five other metals (silver, copper, lead, tin and iron) and minerals like arsenic, antimony, sand, lime and red chalk.

• Charaka and Susurta Samhitas permit the use of mercury, but for external use only.

• Vagbhatta (6th-7th century A.D.) recommends internal uses of mercury for therapeutic ends.

• Tantric alchemy equates gold with immortality.

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Gold

Silver

Copper Iron

Tin

Lead

Zinc

Metals used

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Organ metallic medicines

• Kajjali is a powder of mercury and sulphur• Rasmanikya is tri-sulphide of arsenic.• Nag Bhasama is a bhasam of lead• Rasasindoor is a bhasam containing mercury

and sulphur.

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Indications of Alchemy medicines

• Basantkusumkar Ras, Arogyavardhini Vati, Mahayograj Guggul and Mahalaxmi Vilas Ras are some medicines which contain mixtures of all common bhasams.

• These are extensively used for o diabetes, o liver disease, o arthritis o and respiratory diseases.

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Shodhana and Marana

• Complex processes of making bhasams through which mercury, gold, arsenic, lead and precious stones are first purified by repeatedly heating and cooling them in herbal extracts is called sodhana.

• Grinding this with herbs and heating them in closed earthen crucibles by burning cowdung cakes is called bhasmikaran.

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Cowrie shells in Crucible

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Purified Sulphur

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Salt Water Pearls (Cultivated Pearls)

kindly supplied by Ryukyu Shinju Co., Ltd.Ishigaki City, Okinawa Japan

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Purified Amber being ground into a fine powder

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Rasa Maanikya

being heated between Mica sheets

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Mercury extraction from Cinnabar

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Crucibles in kiln

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Pure Parada (Mercury)

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Swetha Parpati Preparation

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Filtration of Shilajit (Himalayan Bitumen)

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Unrefined Ambergris (by-product of Sperm Whale)

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Conches

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End Product Medicines

• VARITAR-floating on water

• REKHAPURITA-fine powder

• APUNARBHAVA-irreversible

• UNAM-able to float with food grains

• TASTE, ODOURLESS

• NON TOXIC & THERAPEUTIC

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Adulterants Affecting the Quality and Safety

• Toxic metals

– 64% of samples collected in India contained

significant amounts of lead, mercury and arsenic due to improper methods of preparation

(Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2002 57:891-6)

• Other– Microorganisms, Microbial toxins– environmental pollution– unsatisfactory agricultural practices– Pesticides, Fumigation agents– Drugs

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GMP• The traditional process since 5000 years,

of turning heavy metals into bhasams "detoxifies" them and makes them harmless.

• If the manufacturers faithfully followed the instructions in the classic Ayurvedic texts, there would be no problem of toxicity.

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Ayurveda in India

• Due to countrywide presence• easy availability• affordability• safety

up to 80% of the Indian population use Ayurvedic medicine. (Gogtay et al., 2002).

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Ayurveda in West

• In UK, about 28% of the population use CAM and up to 49% cancer patients and 46% of patients with atopic dermatitis use traditional medicines (Simpson and Roman, 2001; Johnston et al., 2003; Thomas et al., 2003).

• Ayurveda is recognized as an official healthcare system in Hungary.

• In USA, up to 59% of the population use CAM.

(Eisenberg et al., 1998;Graham et al., 2005; Saydah and Eberhardt, 2006, Source : Los Angeles Times * Economic times dated 25th July 2003 )

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Ayurveda as Global medicine

• WHO at Alma Ata in 1978 have recognized that the role of traditional medicine is important in the health care scenario of both the developing and the developed world.

• Hence in view of the potential of Ayurveda, it has been realized that Ayurveda can contribute substantially to the success of the present health care delivery system.

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Dr. Atul RaksheShree Niramaya Ayurveda Kendra Opp. Dnyanaprabodhini,Sadashiv Peth,Pune +91 94220 34506www.cozwecare.org

Dr.Vikas ChotheEmpire Estate, M-2, 001Chinchwad, Pune+91 9922916025vchothe@gmail.com

Thank you

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