AIAPGET Ayurveda Rasashastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana Syllabus

What criteria distinguish Maharasa from Uparasa?

Maharasa are minerals that are more potent, costlier, capable of dehavada and lohavada (transmutation/body rejuvenation) and used in many mercurial processes; Uparasa are comparatively secondary minerals used mainly in shodhana, jarana and marana of mercury and metals.

What is the Dola Yantra and its main use?

An apparatus in which a drug, tied in a cloth bundle (pottali), is suspended in a vessel of liquid and heated (svedana); used in shodhana of substances like haratala, manashila and gandhaka.

What is Shodhana in Rasashastra?

The purification process that removes physical impurities and toxic/harmful effects of a metal, mineral or poison and makes it suitable, bioavailable and safe for therapeutic use; it may also impart specific therapeutic qualities.

Differentiate Samanya Shodhana and Vishesha Shodhana.

Samanya (general) shodhana is a common procedure applicable to a group of drugs (e.g., heating metals red-hot and quenching in standard liquids), while Vishesha (specific) shodhana is a drug-specific procedure using particular media for a particular substance.

How is Parada (mercury) purified?

By repeated trituration (mardana) with substances such as garlic, rock salt (saindhava), lime (churna), and herbal juices, followed by other samskaras, to remove its natural and acquired impurities (mala, kanchuka).

Describe the Shodhana of Gandhaka (sulphur).

Gandhaka is melted with ghee (and/or in bhringaraja swarasa or milk) and poured (dhalana) through a cloth into milk; repeated to remove impurities, leaving purified sulphur.

How is Haratala (orpiment / arsenic trisulphide) purified?

By svedana in a Dola Yantra suspended in liquids such as kushmanda swarasa, churnodaka (lime water) or triphala kwatha for the prescribed duration.

Describe Shodhana of Manahshila (realgar / arsenic disulphide).

It is purified by bhavana (trituration) with juices such as ardraka (ginger) swarasa, agastya patra swarasa or nimbu (lemon) swarasa.

What liquids are used for Samanya Shodhana of Tamra (copper) and Loha?

The metal sheet is heated red-hot and quenched (nirvapa) repeatedly in the pancha dravya: tila taila (sesame oil), takra (buttermilk), gomutra (cow urine), kanji/aranala (sour gruel) and kulattha kwatha (horse-gram decoction), each typically 7 times.

How is Abhraka (mica) purified (samanya shodhana)?

By heating the mica red-hot and quenching (nirvapa) it repeatedly (e.g., 7 times) in liquids such as gomutra, kanji or takra; it may then be processed into Dhanyabhraka before marana.

Describe the Shodhana of Vatsanabha (aconite).

The aconite tubers are immersed in gomutra (cow urine) for about 3 days (or in cow's milk), then cleaned, cut and dried to reduce toxicity.

What is Marana in Rasashastra?

The process of converting a metal or mineral into bhasma (fine therapeutic ash) by repeated trituration with prescribed media (bhavana) followed by incineration (puta), which destroys metallic properties and makes it absorbable and non-toxic.

What is a Puta and its purpose in Marana?

Puta is the standardized system of providing measured heat by incineration using cow dung cakes in a pit; it supplies the calcination heat needed to convert metals/minerals into bhasma, and types are graded by the quantity of fuel.

Describe Gajaputa.

A puta given in a pit (garta) of about 1 hasta (cubit) in length, breadth and depth, filled with roughly 1000 cow dung cakes; it provides high, prolonged heat and is the standard puta for marana of metals.

What is Kukkutaputa and its use?

A smaller puta given in a pit of about 1 vitasti (span) with fewer cow dung cakes, providing milder heat; used for delicate substances and lighter incinerations.

What is Bhavana?

The pharmaceutical process of triturating (levigating) a drug with a specified liquid (swarasa/kwatha) until it forms a homogeneous fine paste, which is then dried; it imparts fineness, potency and the qualities of the liquid medium.

What is Jarana in mercurial processing?

The samskara/process of 'digesting' or assimilating gandhaka, gems or metals into mercury, increasing mercury's capacity (grasa) and potency for further processes like bhasma and rasayana preparation.

What is the chief marana medium for Tamra (copper)?

Gandhaka (sulphur) — copper is triturated with sulphur and given puta repeatedly to obtain Tamra bhasma.

How is Swarna (gold) generally subjected to marana?

By triturating gold leaf with purified parada and/or gandhaka (kajjali) and giving repeated putas (often many gajaputas), yielding Swarna bhasma.

What is Bhasma?

The fine, therapeutically active, calx/ash form of a metal or mineral obtained after proper shodhana and repeated marana, rendering it non-metallic, absorbable, safe and potent.

Name the classical tests (Bhasma Pariksha) used to assess a properly made bhasma.

Varitara, Rekhapurnatva, Apunarbhava, Niruttha, Nischandratva (Nischandra), Nisswadu (tastelessness), Nirdhuma, Slakshnatva (fineness), Unama and Gatarasatva.

What is the Varitara test for bhasma?

A pinch of fine bhasma sprinkled on still water floats on the surface without sinking, indicating extreme lightness and proper particle size.

What is the Rekhapurnatva test for bhasma?

When bhasma is rubbed between the thumb and index finger, the fine particles enter and fill the furrows (rekha) of the fingerprints, confirming required fineness.

What does the Apunarbhava test confirm?

That the bhasma, when heated again with reducing agents (e.g., madhu, ghrita, guda, gunja, mardika), does not revert to its original metallic state — proving complete conversion.

What is the Niruttha test for bhasma?

The bhasma is heated together with a silver leaf (rajata); if the silver shows no weight gain (the metal is not regained from the bhasma), the bhasma is properly prepared.

What does the Nischandratva (Nischandra) test indicate?

Absence of any metallic luster or shine when the bhasma is examined, confirming that the metallic state has been fully abolished.

What is Amrutikarana?

A final samskara performed on a bhasma (e.g., bhavana with prescribed herbal media or processing) to remove any residual toxicity and to enhance its therapeutic potency and safety.

Therapeutically, what are Loha bhasma and Swarna bhasma chiefly used for?

Loha bhasma is mainly used in Pandu (anemia) and kamala as a hematinic; Swarna (gold) bhasma is used as a rasayana, immunomodulator, ojovardhaka and in chronic/degenerative and nervous disorders.

For which conditions are Naga bhasma and Vanga bhasma primarily indicated?

Both Naga (lead) bhasma and Vanga (tin) bhasma are chiefly used in Prameha (diabetes/urinary disorders); Vanga is also valued in shukra (reproductive) disorders.

What does an increasing number of putas signify for a metallic bhasma?

More putas generally yield a finer, more thoroughly incinerated and more potent (and safer) bhasma; the required number varies by metal (e.g., gold/iron need many putas, while some minerals need few).